Sudden death of the Polish Olympic champion. The day when the sky broke

It was a figure that almost everyone knew in Polish sport at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. Kamila Skolimowska, still as a teenager, introduced herself to the world – winning the gold medal of the Sydney Olympic Games. Hammer throw championship.

16th anniversary of the death of Kamila Skolimowska. A sudden departure of the Olympic champion

It seemed that the thresher’s career opened in a perfect way. It was, moreover, a unique Games for a Polish hammer. Skolimowska triumphed in Sydney among the ladies, and among men Szymon Ziółkowski. “Kama” won Olympic gold with a result of 71.16 m. As it turned out later, it was her best performance in her career, looking at places at the most important events of international rank.

Skolimowska died suddenly on February 18, 2009. A group of Polish athletes in Portugal was just underway. The Polish woman was supposed to complain about calf pain. Soon after, there was a fainting during training. Unfortunately, during transport to the hospital in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, the Olympic champion lost consciousness. Although resuscitation lasted an hour, the doctors failed to save the Polish women.

What exactly happened? The cause of death was pulmonary embolism. It was caused by unrecognized thrombosis.

Sporty, symbolic transfer of the name of the Polish Hammer Leader took place during the Beijing Games (2008). At that time, another Polish woman was classified higher than Skolimowska, only taking the first serious athletic steps, Anita Włodarczyk. Later world record holder, incl. Three -time Olympic champion. Włodarczyk won his first gold, initially being the silver of the IO 2012 (later disqualification of the winner from Russia for a doping slip -up) in … Glove and Skolimowska shoes. A gift she received from the father of the deceased champion.

The memory of a smiling “stone” is still ongoing. A unique holiday in Chorzów

Although Skolimowska left, at only 26 years old, she left not only emptiness, but a great desire to create an event that will be her kind of commemoration. This was done through the Memorial of Kamila Skolimowska, organized for the first time on May 2, 2009 at the Skra Warszawa stadium.

The event changed its location, through the “Eagle” stadium in Warsaw, and finally PGE Narodowy in the capital, to the Silesian Stadium, where the event settled – starting from 2018. From year to year, gaining a growing brand.

Currently Memorial Kamila Skolimowska is included in the diamond league, the cycle of the most prestigious athletic myths in the world. “Kama” certainly smiles in advance, seeing such a sensational event, practically every year awarded with prizes in the category of the best event of this type in Poland. Memorial Skolimowska is an athletic business card going beyond Polish borders. It was for such an event that the unmanageable master deserved.