In a stunning display of speed and agility at the Orlen Cup in Łódź, Polish sprinter Ewa Swoboda and hurdler Pia Skrzyszowska emerged as the standout performers among the Polish contingent. Swoboda, in particular, made headlines, not only for her blistering performance in the 60m race but also for a peculiar incident involving her fingernail.
The event, held at the Atlas Arena in Łódź, traditionally kickstarts the indoor track and field season in Poland. This year was no different, with the national athletes participating in their first official competitions. Ewa Swoboda, 26, spectacularly began her season, clinching victory in the 60m dash.
Swoboda clocked an impressive 7.04 seconds, edging out Italian sprinter Zaynab Dosso by just 0.01 seconds. Not only did this outstanding performance secure her the top spot at the Orlen Cup but also catapulted her to the lead in global rankings. Remarkably, this is the fifth time she has achieved such a feat in her career.
World lead 🔥
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) January 27, 2024
🇵🇱’s Ewa Swoboda storms to 7.04 in the women’s 60m final at the @OrlenCup 🙌
pic.twitter.com/z5SeTpeR6K
Despite her triumph, Swoboda revealed at the finish line that she didn’t emerge unscathed, having broken a fingernail during the race. “I had a great run and am very happy, but losing my nail threw me off a bit,” she shared with TVP Sport. She expressed satisfaction with her performance and optimism for upcoming events in Ostrava, the Copernicus Cup in Toruń, and the Indoor World Championships in Glasgow, confident in the training that had led her to this point.
Meanwhile, Pia Skrzyszowska, a 22-year-old athlete from AZS AWF Warsaw, also returned from a training camp in South Africa, winning the 60m hurdles in a commanding fashion. Her time of 7.85 seconds not only secured her victory in the event but also marked the best performance in Europe this year. Skrzyszowska finished ahead of Weronika Nagięć and Hungarian runner Greta Kerekes.
Reflecting on her performance, Skrzyszowska acknowledged a slightly weaker start but remained optimistic, considering the Łódź arena her favorite. “I might need a stronger competition,” she speculated, “but there’s no room for complaint, it’s the first start of the season.”
Pia Skrzyszowska jak strzała popędziła… tylko jeszcze hamowanie musi dopracować 😂 pic.twitter.com/I7odh7j0te
— TVP SPORT (@sport_tvppl) January 28, 2024