Weronika Lizakowska and Klaudia Kazimierska showed on Thursday at the Stade de France that they came to the Olympic Games in Paris very well prepared.
Both Poles beat their personal records. And Lizakowska didn't even beat it, she just crushed it. It's a shame she didn't get a prize for that.
TVP reporter reported to us. “Did you see that?!”
– Did you see that? Did you see what that girl did?! – Aleksander Dzięciołowski was excited when he met me and two other journalists from Poland in the press office. – I'm terribly sorry that she came in down final. She cried at my place, she said she wasn't happy about this record at all – added the TVP reporter.
Yes, Lizakowska is not happy at all. And yet she did something great. The 26-year-old runner came to the games with a personal best of 4:03.15 s. And in the semi-finals she achieved a great time of 3:57.31 s. That is, she improved by almost six seconds!
Lizakowska's result is also definitely better than the previous Polish record. In 2000, that is 24 years ago agoLidia Chojecka ran 1500 meters in 3:59.22 s.
Lizakowska cries and wishes her friend a medal
Unfortunately, although this was the seventh time in the semi-finals, Lizakowska has no place in the 12-person final. This is because the competitors from places 1-6 in each of the two semi-finals advanced to the final. Lizakowska was seventh in her series. She will go down in history as the athlete with the best time in history, who did not qualify for the Olympic finals.
– It was so close to the final. The worst thing was that I couldn't do anything more. I'm sad, I'm not happy – says Lizakowska with tears in her eyes. – I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Klaudia. May she win a medal, may she improve my Polish record – she adds.
Kazimierska was fifth in her race. With a result of 4:00.21 s, she also set a new personal best. “I'm glad that I have one more race here. I need a time under four minutes, so maybe I'll make it in the final. I want to show that Polish middle distance running is at a good level,” says Kazimierska.
ABOUT medal he doesn't say. He's almost certainly out of reach. But we're counting on a fight, that's for sure! The final is scheduled for Saturday at 8:15 p.m.