The Polish skater can still come back happy from the Olympic Games in Beijing. The 26-year-old advanced to the quarterfinals in the 1000m short track speed skating.
Natalia Maliszewska started the race calmly and was in the last, fourth position for several laps. Then she accelerated, took the lead, and controlled the situation until the end.
After the race, she smiled and greeted a group of compatriots cheering her on, including a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in mountain biking Maja Włoszczowska.
Maliszewska was unable to compete in a 500m distance race due to a positive test for COVID-19. She hasn’t been as successful in the 1000m as she has been at the half distance, although she has been on the podium of the World Cup competitions twice and was sixth at the 2020 European Championships.
After a short break, Maliszewska will still compete in the semifinals of the 3000m relay. From each of the two semifinals, two of the four teams will qualify for the finals (February 13).