The fourth and final day of Polish Nationals, which saw multiple Polish records go down, started off with one of the most exciting events in swimming: the 100m free.
Kasia Wilk, a rising senior for the USC Trojans, took the women’s 100 free with ease. Hitting the wall at 55.20, she was just over a second faster than the next-best competitor, Anna Kawecka. This win marks Wilk’s sixth straight Polish title in the 100 free, and the Polish national record holder just missed her record of 54.95, which was set back in 2010.
The men’s race was incredibly close, with four swimmers dipping below the 50 second barrier. It was Pawel Korzeniowski, however, who won the event in a time of 49.14. Trailing him were Kacper Majchrzak (49.14) and Konrad Czerniak (49.37).
Korzeniowski wasn’t done yet, though; the runner-up in yesterday’s 100 fly raced again in the 50 fly, posting a winning time of 23.90. That is only fifteen hundredths off of the 25th fastest time in the world this year.
Defending Junior European champion in the 400m free and last year’s runner up in the 800m free, Wojciech Wojdak, won the 800 free with a time of 7:53.23. This broke the Polish 19 & under record, and Wojdak was the only swimmer under eight minutes in the timed final. Wojdak now boasts the ninth fastest time in the world in the 800 free, after putting up the 14th-ranked time in the world in his victorious 1500 free yesterday.
Two very impressive performances came from Anna Dowgiert. After winning the 100 butterfly last night, she powered her way to another win in the 50 fly, posting a time of 26.13. Not only did that break her own national record set just a few weeks ago, but this time now ranks her 12th in the world.
Then, Dowgiert and her Ślask Wroclaw teammates Maja Zawiszewska, Kinga Cichowska, and Nikola Petryka upended their club’s national record in the 400 medley relay that was set just last year, putting up a time of 4:09.16 for the win. Dowgiert split a 59.11 on the fly leg. Juvenia Wroclaw touched second (4:09.77), also under the old record of 4:10.27.
On the men’s side, Tomasz Polewka, who just yesterday set a new Polish record in the 50 back (24.80), joined Czerniak, Michal Poprawa, and Mikolaj Machnik to absolutely obliterate the field in the 400 medley relay. Katowice’s winning time of 3:37.45 beat 2nd place Zielona Góra by over eight seconds. They also broke the national record by over 2.5 seconds, the first relay team to break 3:40.00 in men’s swimming history.
To see full results from the entire meet, click here.
Is Michał Domagala in these results the same as Michael Domagala at USC? I know the latter held US NAG records and competed at the 2012 Olympic Trials. So if they’re the same person it appears he has since decided to compete for Poland.