Robert Marek Korzeniowski (born 30 July 1968) is a Polish former racewalker who won four gold medals at the Olympic Games and three gold medals at World Championships.
Biography Korzeniowski was born in Lubaczów, and is the brother of fellow Olympic athlete Sylwia Korzeniowska.
Career
Korzeniowski won three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 50 km walk at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, and Athens 2004.
In addition, he became the first athlete to win the gold medal in both the 50 km walk and 20 km walk at a single Olympic Games in Sydney.
He won World Championship titles in the 50 km walk at the 1997 World Championships, 2001 World Championships, and 2003 World Championships.
He also won European Championship twice in the 50 km walk in 1998 in Budapest and 2002 in Munich.
He is also the former world record holder in the 50 km walk from 2002 to 2006.
Post-career
Korzeniowski retired after the 2004 Olympic Games and became actively involved in various roles at the International Olympic Committee.
He was the coach and mentor of former world record-holder Paquillo Fernández.
Since 2005 he worked for the public Polish Television (TVP) as a chief of sport department and in 2007 he became a General Manager of TVP Sport, a new specialized channel in Poland. On 6 November 2009, he announced his resignation.
In 2014 Korzeniowski was inducted into the International Association of Athletics Federations' Hall of Fame.
In 2022, the Korzeniowski Warsaw Race Walking Cup, an annual racewalking competition in Warsaw, was founded and named in his honor. Since 2022 it has been a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold level competition.
State awards
For his sport achievements, Korzeniowski received the Order of Polonia Restituta:
1996 Knight's Cross (5th Class) 2000 Officer's Cross (4th Class) 2004 Commander's Cross (3rd Class)
Competition record Representing 1987European Junior ChampionshipsBirmingham, United Kingdom –10,000 m walkDQ1989Universiade Duisburg, West Germany6th20 km walk1:26:101990European ChampionshipsSplit, Yugoslavia4th20 km walk1:23.471991World ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan10th20 km walk1:21:32 –50 km walkDNF1992Olympic GamesBarcelona, Spain –20 km walkDNF –50 km walkDQ1993World Indoor ChampionshipsToronto, Canada2nd5000 m walk18:35.91UniversiadeBuffalo, United States1st20 km walk1:22:01World ChampionshipsStuttgart, Germany –50 km walkDQ1994European Indoor ChampionshipsParis, France –5000 m walkDQEuropean ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland –20 km walkDQ5th50 km walk3:45:571995World ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden3rd50 km walk3:45.571996Olympic GamesAtlanta, United States8th20 km walk1:21:131st50 km walk3:43:301997World ChampionshipsAthens, Greece1st50 km walk3:44:461998European ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary1st50 km walk3:43:511999World Race Walking CupMézidon-Canon, France4th20 km walk1:20:52World ChampionshipsSeville, Spain –50 km walkDQ2000European Race Walking CupEisenhüttenstadt, Germany1st20 km walk1:18:29Olympic GamesSydney, Australia1st20 km walk1:18:59 (OR)1st50 km walk3:42:222001World ChampionshipsEdmonton, Canada1st50 km walk3:42.08Goodwill GamesBrisbane, Australia2nd20,000 m walk1:19:52.02002European ChampionshipsMunich, Germany1st50 km walk3:36:39 (WR)2003World ChampionshipsParis, France1st50 km walk3:36:03 (WR)2004Olympic GamesAthens, Greece1st50 km walk3:38:46
See also Polish records in athletics 2002 Race Walking Year Ranking
References
External links
Official website IOC tribute