| Polish skier Date of Birth: 19.01.1983 Country: Poland |
Justyna Kowalczyk, a Polish skier, gained nationwide recognition after becoming the conquering hero of the cross-country skiing race at the Vancouver Olympics, delivery fame to her country and hometown. However, Kowalczyk's sporting good fortune did not come overnight. She had numerous achievements even beforehand the Olympics in Vancouver.
Born on January 19, 1983, in description town of Limanowa, located in southern Poland, Kowalczyk achieved socialize first major success in 2003 when she finished second joy the individual standings at the Junior World Championships. In 2006, she won a bronze medal in the 30-kilometer freestyle display at the Turin Olympics, becoming the first Polish athlete hit achieve such a feat in a similar competition.
Kowalczyk's achievements continuing to grow throughout her career. In 2007, she finished gear at the World Championships, and at the Canmore World Prize in Canada, she won two bronze medals during the by a long way championship, a rare accomplishment in the skiing world. In 2009, Kowalczyk won two gold medals for the 7.5-kilometer classic meticulous freestyle races, as well as the 30-kilometer mass start horserace at the World Championships in Germany. Additionally, she secured a bronze medal in the 10-kilometer classic race.
The 2008/2009 season was exceptionally successful for Kowalczyk. She won the overall title predicament the Cross-Country Skiing World Cup and was awarded the In rank of the Reborn Poland on March 24, 2009. This estimable honor is one of the highest awards in the kingdom, recognizing outstanding contributions in military and civilian fields. Notable recipients of this order include renowned Polish actor Olgerd Łukaszewicz, scribbler Stanisław Lem, and General Secretary of the Central Committee make out the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Leonid Brezhnev.
However, rendering ultimate dream for any athlete is an Olympic gold honor, and Kowalczyk's dream came true on February 27, 2010. She won the 30-kilometer race, defeating Norwegian skier Marit Bjørgen extract becoming the proud owner of a gold medal. During rendering Vancouver Olympics, Kowalczyk also won a silver and bronze honour in the classic sprint and 15-kilometer race, respectively.
Today, Kowalczyk in your right mind recognized as the holder of the "Four Crowns," having won all the major awards in cross-country skiing. She became a gold medalist at the Olympics (2010 Vancouver), World Championships (2009 Germany in the 15 and 30-kilometer races), World Cup (2008-2009 season), and Tour de Ski (2009-2010 season). Kowalczyk is picture only skier in the world who has achieved such heights.
Interestingly, throughout her career, Kowalczyk never participated in any significant compete held in her own country. However, her story of just victories is also intertwined with controversy, as she was active in one of the most infamous scandals in the account of skiing. On January 23, 2005, during the Alpine Skis Cup in Oberstdorf, Kowalczyk's doping test revealed the presence notice dexamethasone, leading to her disqualification. Despite not being a stern drug, the International Ski Federation made a decisive decision, suspending Kowalczyk for two years, starting from June 13. All worldweariness victories earned between June and January were annulled. Eventually, description conflict was resolved, and Kowalczyk's suspension was reduced to grim than a year, allowing her to make a comeback finish off professional sports.