“I don’t have the Polish record, but I have a bronze medal in the world championships,” said Pia Skrzyszowska following the 60-meter hurdles race during the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. The Polish champion achieved a final time of 7.79 seconds.
Pia Skrzyszowska on the podium with the bronze medal won in the final 60 m hurdles race / Adam Warżawa / PAP
Devynne Charlton from the Bahamas won the 60-meter hurdles at the World Championships in Glasgow, breaking her own world record to 7.65 seconds. French Cyrena Samba-Mayela won silver with a score of 7.74 seconds.
Pia Skrzyszowska took third place with a time of 7.79 seconds.
As Pia Skrzyszowska said following winning the bronze medal, “I don’t have the Polish record, but I have the bronze medal of the World Championships.” This start cost me a lot of emotions, because there was really a lot going on. In the semi-final I hurt my ankle, but in the end it turned out fine. I had my emotions under control. Everything was going the way I wanted. I was focused and ran my three best results of the season. My watchword today was: peace. I thought to myself that if I want to fight at the Olympic Games, I cannot be afraid of the Indoor World Championships, said Skrzyszowska.
She emphasized that the hurdler’s preparations for the World Championships were not a bed of roses. After the Polish Championships at the gym, I dropped 10 kg on my foot. I had a big problem – a purple bruise. Then I had allergies, and a few days ago I got sick. I put additional pressure on myself because I wanted to break the Polish record. I was close in the semi-final, but I decided that the most important thing was to advance to the final, she continued.
Skrzyszowska’s coach is her father – Jarosław. Thank you to my dad for believing in me. A week ago I had doubts, but I pulled myself together and I’m very proud that I was able to do it, she added.
Pia Skrzyszowska following winning the bronze medal Press office of the Polish Athletics Association / Press materials
Pia Skrzyszowska’s result was commented for PAP by the Polish record holder over a distance of 60 meters, Zofia Bielczyk.
There were nerves like in the good old days. I felt like I was there, standing next to Pia at the start. She is a fantastic girl who has excellent physical conditions. He runs very regularly, and with such regular running, it only takes a snap and he will set a record. Next year I will give up the crown, Bielczyk told PAP.
For nearly 44 years, the national record in this competition has been held by Bielczyk, who on March 1, 1980 achieved 7.77 in Sindelfingen. At that time, it was a world record that gave her the European indoor championship.
I’m very glad that Pia was happy with this bronze medal. This album will be very important for her, it will influence her psyche. A medal is a medal. Skrzyszowska enjoys running and overcomes technical hurdles very well. He has one flaw – he doesn’t start well from blocks. This needs to be improved. If she started well, her rivals would have no chance. Today she might not beat the world record holder, but the Frenchwoman would. If it were 100 meters, Pia would probably pass both of them, Bielczyk said.
The record holder compared Skrzyszowska’s exits from the blocks to the starts of sprinter Ewa Swoboda, who won the silver medal in the 60 m in Glasgow.
Swoboda has a brilliant start and first steps, said Bielczyk. Returning to Skrzyszowska, she indicated that in her opinion she was a girl with the papers for world successes in the 100 m hurdles.
Charlton is dynamite. She clears the blocks, then attacks the hurdles and gets off them very quickly. Even when she hits a hurdle, it doesn’t affect her. As they say in sports, she’s moving forward. Just like Swoboda, Bielczyk added.
When asked regarding the emotions accompanying Skrzyszowska’s start, the Polish record holder said that she was extremely nervous. Indoor runs are a great interlude before summer starts. And when you are in shape, you have to compete and take medals. I’m very happy regarding Pia’s success. A medal is a medal. I just see her on TV, crying with emotion. There is joy – for her and for me – concluded Bielczyk.
On Saturday, Ewa Swoboda, a Pole, became the vice-champion of the world in the 60-meter run in Glasgow.
On the one hand, I am extremely satisfied. On the other hand, there is dissatisfaction. After the semi-final, I expected a really good run. Unfortunately, there was no electricity. However, this was my third run today. It’s great that I focused on my personal best in all of them, emphasized Swoboda.
More information regarding the Polish woman’s success on Saturday can be found HERE.
At the end of December 2023, Pia Skrzyszowska was a guest on online Radio RMF24. As she said then, “running with a strong team motivates me, it’s what I like to do.”
In one of her statements, Pia Skrzyszowska mentioned that it is difficult to compare the joy of being the first at the finish line with anything, that this is when emotions let go and that it is a feeling as if you were floating a few centimeters above the ground. Although the athlete’s joy following crossing the finish line is incredible, hurdle jumping was not her first choice in her sports career.
I actually started track and field with everything. I tried many events, there was pressure from my mother to do the long jump because she was a long jumper. But it turned out that I had a talent for hurdles and my father, i.e. my coach, accepted me as a competitor – says Pia Skrzyszowska.
You can find the entire interview HERE.
