Poland competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's twentieth appearance at the Summer Olympics, having missed the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles because of the Soviet boycott. The Polish Olympic Committee (, PKO) sent a total of 218 athletes to the Games, 130 men and 88 women, to compete in 22 sports.
Poland left London with a total of 11 Olympic medals (2 gold, 3 silver, and 6 bronze), tying with Beijing for the nation's highest overall number of medals. Two of the medals were awarded to the team in athletics, sailing, and weightlifting. Among the nation's medalists were shot putter Tomasz Majewski, who successfully defended his Olympic title from Beijing, and double sculls pair Magdalena Fularczyk and Julia Michalska, who became the first Polish women to claim an Olympic rowing medal in 32 years. Windsurfers Przemysław Miarczyński and Zofia Klepacka recaptured their nation's success in sailing, as they each won the bronze medal. Anita Włodarczyk, the silver medalist in the hammer throw, was upgraded to gold after Russian Tatyana Lysenko was disqualified for doping.
Several Polish athletes, however, suffered setbacks at these Olympic Games. Tennis player Agnieszka Radwańska, who ranked second by the Women's Tennis Association, was surprisingly eliminated in the first round of women's singles. Meanwhile, the men's indoor volleyball team, champions of the 2012 FIVB World League, failed to advance into the semi-finals for the third consecutive time, after losing to Russia in the quarterfinals. Star sailor and double Olympic medalist Mateusz Kusznierewicz, and the men's quadruple sculls team, led by Michał Jeliński, finished outside of the medal standings in the final race.
Medalists
| width="78%" align="left" valign="top" | Medal Name Sport Event Date Tomasz Majewski Athletics Men's shot put Adrian Zieliński Weightlifting Men's 85 kg Anita Włodarczyk Athletics Women's hammer throw Sylwia Bogacka Shooting Women's 10 m air rifle Bartłomiej Bonk Weightlifting Men's 105 kg Magdalena FularczykJulia Michalska Rowing Women's double sculls Tomasz Zieliński Weightlifting Men's 94 kg Damian Janikowski Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 84 kg Przemysław Miarczyński Sailing Men's sailboard Zofia Klepacka Sailing Women's sailboard Beata MikołajczykKarolina Naja Canoeing Women's K-2 500 m
| width="22%" align="left" valign="top" |
Medals by sportSport TotalAthletics2002Weightlifting1113Shooting0101Sailing0022Canoeing0011Rowing0011Wrestling0011Total32611
Delegation Polski Komitet Olimpijski (POK) selected a team of 218 athletes, 130 men and 88 women, to compete in 22 sports; it was the nation's fourth-largest team sent to the Olympics. Men's volleyball was the only team-based sport in which Poland had its representation in these Olympic Games. There was only a single competitor in boxing, equestrian eventing, rhythmic gymnastics, and taekwondo. Athletics was the largest team by sport, with a total of 60 competitors.
The Polish team included five past Olympic champions, two of them defending (shot putter Tomasz Majewski, and the men's quadruple sculls team, led by Michał Jeliński). Five Polish athletes, on the other hand, competed at their fifth Olympic Games: rowers Marek Kolbowicz and Adam Korol, sailor and double medalist Mateusz Kusznierewicz, hammer thrower and former champion Szymon Ziółkowski, and sprint kayaker and three-time medalist Aneta Konieczna. Dressage rider Katarzyna Milczarek, at age 46, was the oldest athlete of the team, while relay swimmer Diana Sokołowska was the youngest at age 17.
Other notable Polish athletes featured table tennis player Natalia Partyka, who competed for the second time at both Olympic and Paralympic games, swimmer and triple Olympic medalist Otylia Jędrzejczak in the women's butterfly event, double Olympic medalist Sylwia Gruchała in women's foil fencing, windsurfer and multiple-time world champion Przemysław Miarczyński, and sisters Agnieszka and Urszula Radwańska, who both played in the women's tennis doubles. Agnieszka Radwańska, who ranked second by the Women's Tennis Association, became the first Polish female flag bearer at the opening ceremony.
The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games: SportMenWomenTotalArchery 1 1 2Athletics 34 25 59Badminton 4 2 6Boxing 0 1 1Canoeing 8 5 13Cycling 8 4 12Equestrian 2 2 4Fencing 2 5 7Gymnastics 1 2 3Judo 3 3 6Modern pentathlon 1 2 3Rowing 20 6 26Sailing 7 4 11Shooting 0 4 4Swimming 10 8 18Table tennis 1 3 4Taekwondo 1 0 1Tennis 3 4 7Triathlon 1 2 3Volleyball 14 0 14Weightlifting 6 3 9Wrestling 2 2 4 Total 129 88 217
Archery
Poland has qualified one archer for the men's individual event, and the other for the women's individual event.
AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankRafał DobrowolskiMen's individual67214 (51) W 7–3 (46) W 7–3 (3) L 0–6Did not advanceNatalia LeśniakWomen's individual63938 (27)L 2–6Did not advance
Athletics
Polish athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard):
Men Track & road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankRafał Augustyn20 km walkcolspan=6 1:23:1729Rafał Fedaczyński50 km walkcolspan=6 Kamil Kryński200 m20.663 Qcolspan=2 20.836Did not advanceAdam Kszczot800 m1:45.993 Qcolspan=2 1:45.343Did not advanceDariusz Kuć100 mcolspan=2 10.244Did not advanceMarcin Lewandowski800 m1:47.645 q*colspan=2 1:45.084Did not advanceMarcin Marciniszyn400 m46.356colspan=2 Did not advanceArtur Noga110 m hurdlescolspan=2 Did not advanceŁukasz Nowak50 km walkcolspan=6 3:42:476Łukasz Parszczyński3000 m steeplechase8:30.089colspan=4 Did not advanceRafał Sikora50 km walkcolspan=6 3:47:4715Grzegorz Sudoł20 km walkcolspan=6 1:22:4024Henryk SzostMarathoncolspan=6 2:12:289Dawid Tomala20 km walkcolspan=6 1:21:5519Jakub AdamskiKamil KryńskiRobert KubaczykDariusz KućKamil MasztakArtur Zaczek4 × 100 m relay38.316colspan=4 Did not advanceKamil BudziejewskiPatryk DobekKacper KozłowskiMarcin MarciniszynMichał PietrzakPiotr Wiaderek4 × 400 m relay3:02.865colspan=4 Did not advance * Advanced by judges decision after being pushed by Kuwait's Mohammad Al-Azemi in the prelims.
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionPrzemysław CzajkowskiDiscus throw61.0822Did not advancePaweł FajdekHammer throw—Did not advanceIgor JanikJavelin throw78.9019Did not advanceTomasz MajewskiShot put21.033 Q21.89Piotr MałachowskiDiscus throw64.657 q67.195Łukasz MichalskiPole vault5.608 q5.5011Bartosz OsewskiJavelin throw71.1942Did not advancePaweł Rakoczy77.3628Did not advanceRobert UrbanekDiscus throw59.5632Did not advancePaweł WojciechowskiPole vault—Did not advanceSzymon ZiółkowskiHammer throw76.227 q77.107
Women Track & road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankPaulina Buziak20 km walkcolspan=6 1:35:2345Agnieszka Dygaczcolspan=6 1:31:2823Karolina JarzyńskaMarathoncolspan=6 2:30:5736Marta Jeschke100 mcolspan=2 11.426Did not advanceAnna Jesień400 m hurdles55.444 qcolspan=2 56.287Did not advanceAnna Kiełbasińska200 m23.677colspan=2 Did not advanceKatarzyna Kowalska3000 m steeplechase9:48.6011colspan=4 Did not advanceRenata Pliś1500 m4:19.6213colspan=2 Did not advanceMatylda Szlęzak3000 m steeplechase10:08.8414colspan=4 Did not advanceAgnieszka Szwarnóg20 km walkcolspan=6 1:31:1422Marta JeschkeAnna KiełbasińskaDaria KorczyńskaMartyna OpońMarika PopowiczEwelina Ptak4 × 100 m relay43.074colspan=4 Did not advanceIga BaumgartAgata BednarekMagdalena GorzkowskaAnna JesieńJustyna ŚwiętyPatrycja Wyciszkiewicz4 × 400 m relay3:30.155colspan=4 Did not advance
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionJoanna FiodorowHammer throw70.4812 q72.378Żaneta GlancDiscus throw59.8824Did not advanceMonika PyrekPole vault4.4015Did not advanceAnna Rogowska4.555 q—Anita WłodarczykHammer throw75.681 Q77.60
Combined events – Heptathlon AthleteEvent 200 m 800 mFinalRankKarolina TymińskaResult13.221.6813.7423.71——Points109183077710090——
Badminton
AthleteEventGroup StageEliminationQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankPrzemysław WachaMen's singlesL 21–15, 21–8colspan=2 2Did not advanceAdam CwalinaMichał Łogosz*Men's doublesL 21–17, 7–21, 13–21L 0–21, 0–21L 0–21, 0–214Did not advanceKamila AugustynWomen's singles L 11–21, 6–21 L 16–21, 17–213Did not advanceRobert MateusiakNadieżda ZiębaMixed doubles L 9–21, 21–14, 17–21 W 21–18, 22–20W 21–13, 21–162 QL 21–19, 16–21, 21–23Did not advance * Adam Cwalina / Michał Łogosz retired after first match. All matches after were valued as 0-21, 0-21
Boxing
Women AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankKarolina MichalczukFlyweightL 14–19Did not advance
Canoeing
Slalom AthleteEventPreliminarySemifinalFinalRun 1RankRun 2RankBestRankTimeRankTimeRankGrzegorz KiljanekMen's C-1101.031193.50593.508 Q106.149Did not advanceMateusz PolaczykMen's K-188.51488.60788.517 Q96.362 Q96.144Marcin PochwałaPiotr SzczepańskiMen's C-2105.587101.003101.005 Q109.814 Q110.515Natalia PacierpnikWomen's K-1110.5811102.387102.389 Q107.791 Q115.807
Sprint Men AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalsTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankPiotr KuletaC-1 200 m44.6455 Q45.3487Did not advanceC-1 1000 m4:04.8895 Q3:53.8025 FB3:54.4149Piotr SiemionowskiK-1 200 m35.9902 Q36.5076 FB38.58514Marcin GrzybowskiTomasz KaczorC-2 1000 m3:38.7595 Q3:37.6954 FB3:37.6929
Women AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalsTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankMarta WalczykiewiczK-1 200 m42.2902 Q40.9052 FA45.5005Aneta KoniecznaK-1 500 m1:52.0693 Q1:52.1934 FB1:53.35610Beata MikołajczykKarolina NajaK-2 500 m1:48.2715 Q1:41.8733 FA1:44.000Aneta KoniecznaBeata MikołajczykKarolina NajaMarta WalczykiewiczK-4 500 m1:35.9435 Q1:30.3381 FA1:31.6074 Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)
Cycling
Road AthleteEventTimeRankMaciej BodnarMen's road race5:46:3784Men's time trial55:49.6725Michał GołaśMen's road raceDid not finishMichał Kwiatkowski5:46:3760Katarzyna PawłowskaWomen's road race3:35:5611
Track Sprint AthleteEventQualificationRound 1Repechage 1Round 2Repechage 2QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeSpeed (km/h)RankOppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)RankDamian ZielińskiMen's sprint10.32369.74714LLDid not advance
Team sprint AthleteEventQualificationSemifinalsFinalTimeSpeed (km/h)RankOppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)RankOppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)RankMaciej BieleckiKamil KuczyńskiDamian ZielińskiMen's team sprint44.71260.38610Did not advance
Keirin AthleteEvent1st RoundRepechage2nd RoundFinalRankRankRankRankKamil KuczyńskiMen's keirin4 Q4Did not advance13
Omnium AthleteEventFlying lapPoints raceElimination raceIndividual pursuitScratch raceTime trialTotal pointsRankTimeRankPointsRankRankTimeRankRankTimeRankMałgorzata WojtyraWomen's omnium14.75413341103:45.083121336.790146311
Mountain biking
AthleteEventTimeRankPiotr BrzózkaMen's cross-country1:38:3732Marek Konwa1:32:4116Aleksandra DawidowiczWomen's cross-country1:33:207Paula Gorycka1:39:1822
Equestrian
Dressage