The nightmare scenario has become a fact. Unlucky place for a Pole

The most experienced Pole at this distance, Piotr Michalski, was the first to appear at the start. However, the Polish speed skater lost to the Dutchman Joep Wennemars. Michalski achieved a time of 35.10 s. The Dutchman reached the finish line with a result of 34.89 s. However, both men knew that these results would not mean fighting for medals.

The second Polish speed skater at the start was Marek Kania. The player who normally plays for Legia Warszawa faced the Japanese Tatsuya Shinhama. The 26-year-old Polish representative crossed the finish line just behind the Asian, and their times were the two best after nine pairs of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Kania’s result was 34.46 seconds, which is exactly 0.02 seconds worse than the Japanese.

WINTER 2026: Damian Żurek in fourth place in 500 meters. Bad luck for the Pole

However, the strongest point in the Polish team was Damian Żurek. The Polish speed skater fought in pair 14 with the Dutchman Sebas Diniz. Even before the race with Żurek’s participation, the Olympic record was broken by Canadian Laurent Dubreuil with a sensational time of 34.26 s.

American Jordan Stolz and Dutchman Jenning de Boo drove even harder. Both men finished in under 34 seconds.

Żurek won in his pair, but the result of 34.35 seconds ultimately gave him fourth place. Again – just like at a distance of 1000 meters…

It must be admitted that it is a huge misfortune for a Pole to take fourth place twice at the same Olympic event. On the other hand, the 500-meter competition was extremely strong. And the Olympic records of the top three only confirm this. It wasn’t enough, but it was enough to prevent Żurek from standing on the podium.

Kania finished the competition in 8th place, Michalski was 24th.

2026 Games in Italy. Where and when to watch the Poles’ starts?

The Polish national team during the opening games consists of 60 athletes. In the 21st century, there has never been a time when a Polish woman or a Pole was not on the Olympic podium during the Winter Olympics. During the last winter games, Poland finished the competition with one medal. The bronze medal was won by ski jumper Dawid Kubacki in the normal hill competition.

It is already known that Kubacki’s result was beaten at the Winter Olympics 2026 by a debutant among Olympians – Kacper Tomasiak. The 19-year-old enormous talent won the silver medal in the normal hill competition in Predazzo.

Another Olympic runner-up, Vladimir Semirunni, who made his debut at the Winter Olympics, was also runner-up in the 10 km speed skating race.

In the history of the Olympic Games, the Polish team has won a total of 25 medals – seven gold, nine silver and nine bronze, respectively. Interestingly, the first bronze medal for Poland was won by Franciszek Gąsienica-Groń (Nordic combined) almost exactly 70 years ago, during the Olympic Games in… Cortina d’Ampezzo. This year, history has come full circle in a beautiful Italian-Polish Olympic circle.

Broadcasts from Winter Olympics 2026 in Poland are provided by Telewizja Polska (TVP) and the Discovery group (Eurosport). The event will last until Sunday, February 22.