Klaudia Zwolińska, the volleyball team, Julia Szeremeta, Iga Świątek, Aleksandra Kałucka, Natalia Kaczmarek and the epee team, the rowing quadruple sculls and the winner of the only gold Aleksandra Mirosław – here is the full group of our medalists at the Olympic Games in Paris. “Deep bows, great thanks and thunderous applause! Great respect! Thank you for the Dąbrowski Mazurka, emotions, joy, pride and tears of emotion!” – wrote Andrzej Duda after the 30-year-old's triumph.
Kurek showed off to President Andrzej Duda. “I forgot”
Before noon, the President of the Republic of Poland presented state decorations to our medalists and their main coaches. – Thank you for putting so much heart and strength into achieving success – said Duda. Among others, the captain of the volleyball team, Bartosz Kurek, appeared on the spot, amusing all the participants of the ceremony with his sense of humor.
– Good morning, Mr. President and esteemed ladies and gentlemen, colleagues. Please forgive me for my stage fright and nervousness, but such ceremonies still make a huge impression on me. I even prepared a speech for this occasion, but I forgot – he announced with a smile on his face. And he added a statement that probably moved more than one person.
– I've heard that I'm best at speeches that come straight from the heart. I'll just say that there's nothing more beautiful than representing a country that appreciates, supports and promotes sports and us. There's nothing more beautiful than being appreciated for your hard work – he said. Finally, he congratulated all the medalists on their awards. – Our Paris 2024 mission may have come to an end, but our mission as ambassadors for sports is just beginning – he concluded.
A photo has surfaced online, showing nine of our volleyball players posing with the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta hanging around their necks. They include: Mateusz Bieniek, Bartłomiej Bołądź, Tomasz Fornal, Norbert Huber, Marcin Janusz, Łukasz Kaczmarek, Jakub Kochanowski, Wilfredo Leon and Grzegorz Łomacz.
President Duda also presented the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta to Aleksandra Mirosław, as well as her and her husband, coach Mateusz Mirosław, Paweł Zaorski and rowers' coach Aleksander Wojciechowski. Additionally, Natalia Kaczmarek's coach Marek Rożej was honored with the Commander's Cross.
– Gentlemen, you may not be in the first light of the cameras, you are in the background, but if it were not for your work, wisdom and experience, there would be no successes. Thank you for building our players – the president summed up.