Robert Korzeniowski

Robert Korzeniowski
Robert Korzeniowski in 2020
Personal information
Full nameRobert Marek Korzeniowski[1]
Born (1968-07-30) 30 July 1968 (age 56)[1]
Lubaczów, Poland[1]
Height168 cm (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Weight60 kg (132 lb)[1]
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Poland
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 4 0 0
World Championships 3 0 1
World Indoor Championships 0 1 0
European Championships 2 0 0
Summer Universiade 2 0 0
Total 11 1 1
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta 50 km walk
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney 20 km walk
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney 50 km walk
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens 50 km walk
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1997 Athens 50 km walk
Gold medal – first place 2001 Edmonton 50 km walk
Gold medal – first place 2003 Paris 50 km walk
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Gothenburg 50 km walk
World Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place 1993 Toronto 5000 m walk
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1998 Budapest 50 km walk
Gold medal – first place 2002 Munich 50 km walk
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1991 Sheffield 20 km walk
Gold medal – first place 1993 Buffalo 20 km walk

Robert Marek Korzeniowski (born 30 July 1968) is a Polish former racewalker who won four gold medals at the Olympic Games and three gold medals at World Championships.

Biography

Korzeniowski was born in Lubaczów, and is the brother of fellow Olympic athlete Sylwia Korzeniowska.[1]

Career

Korzeniowski won three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 50 km walk at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, and Athens 2004.

In addition, he became the first athlete to win the gold medal in both the 50 km walk and 20 km walk at a single Olympic Games in Sydney.

He won World Championship titles in the 50 km walk at the 1997 World Championships, 2001 World Championships, and 2003 World Championships.

He also won European Championship twice in the 50 km walk in 1998 in Budapest and 2002 in Munich.

He is also the former world record holder in the 50 km walk from 2002 to 2006.

Post-career

Korzeniowski retired after the 2004 Olympic Games and became actively involved in various roles at the International Olympic Committee.

He was the coach and mentor of former world record-holder Paquillo Fernández.

Since 2005 he worked for the public Polish Television (TVP) as a chief of sport department and in 2007 he became a General Manager of TVP Sport, a new specialized channel in Poland. On 6 November 2009, he announced his resignation.

In 2014 Korzeniowski was inducted into the International Association of Athletics Federations' Hall of Fame.

In 2022, the Korzeniowski Warsaw Race Walking Cup, an annual racewalking competition in Warsaw, was founded and named in his honor. Since 2022 it has been a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold level competition.[2]

State awards

For his sport achievements, Korzeniowski received the Order of Polonia Restituta:

  • 1996 Knight's Cross Knight's Cross (5th Class)
  • 2000 Officer's Cross Officer's Cross (4th Class)
  • 2004 Commander's Cross Commander's Cross (3rd Class)

Competition record

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Poland
1987 European Junior Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom – 10,000 m walk DQ
1989 Universiade Duisburg, West Germany 6th 20 km walk 1:26:10
1990 European Championships Split, Yugoslavia 4th 20 km walk 1:23.47
1991 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 10th 20 km walk 1:21:32
– 50 km walk DNF
1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain – 20 km walk DNF
– 50 km walk DQ
1993 World Indoor Championships Toronto, Canada 2nd 5000 m walk 18:35.91
Universiade Buffalo, United States 1st 20 km walk 1:22:01
World Championships Stuttgart, Germany – 50 km walk DQ
1994 European Indoor Championships Paris, France – 5000 m walk DQ
European Championships Helsinki, Finland – 20 km walk DQ
5th 50 km walk 3:45:57
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 3rd 50 km walk 3:45.57
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 8th 20 km walk 1:21:13
1st 50 km walk 3:43:30
1997 World Championships Athens, Greece 1st 50 km walk 3:44:46
1998 European Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st 50 km walk 3:43:51
1999 World Race Walking Cup Mézidon-Canon, France 4th 20 km walk 1:20:52
World Championships Seville, Spain – 50 km walk DQ
2000 European Race Walking Cup Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany 1st 20 km walk 1:18:29
Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 1st 20 km walk 1:18:59 (OR)
1st 50 km walk 3:42:22
2001 World Championships Edmonton, Canada 1st 50 km walk 3:42.08
Goodwill Games Brisbane, Australia 2nd 20,000 m walk 1:19:52.0
2002 European Championships Munich, Germany 1st 50 km walk 3:36:39 (WR)
2003 World Championships Paris, France 1st 50 km walk 3:36:03 (WR)
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece 1st 50 km walk 3:38:46

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Robert Korzeniowski". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  2. ^ "Kraków-Małopolska 2023 Flame of Peace to be paraded at race walking event". www.insidethegames.biz. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
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Records
Preceded by Men's 50 km walk world record holder
8 August 2002 – 2 December 2006 		Succeeded by