Sunday, August 24, 2008

Polish runner criticises Polish Athletics Association

Olympic athlete Marek Plawgo has accused the Polish athletics association of choosing the Beijing 2008 squad on the basis of an ‘old boys network’ and not on merit.

“Let the management of the Polish Track and Field Athletic Association run in the 4x400-metre hurdles relay final themselves,” says Polish runner Marek Plawgo.

Marek Plawgo, sixth in the Olympic 400-metre hurdles final, has accused the Management of the Polish Track and Field Athletic Association of favouritism.

In Marek Plawgo’s view, the team’s coach, not the Athletic Association Management should appoint the Olympic line-up.

“It was a group of perhaps 23 who appointed the Olympic team representatives. The coach, Jozef Lisowski, who is in charge of the relay race, had a different idea. The team should be composed of athletes who are healthy and in good physical shape. But the old boys network and favouritism won over the coach’s logic. My question is: what is Mr. Lisowski supposed to be responsible for? Let the Management of the Polish Track and Field Athletic Association run in the 4x400-metre hurdles relay final themselves”, Plawgo said on TVN24 in fury.

According to Plawgo, there was still time to reverse the wrong decisions made before the Beijing Olympics. The runner said that in the summer, when it became apparent that the top four or five Polish track and field athletes were either unwell of in an overall poor physical shape, the coach, Jozef Lisowski wanted to appoint other athletes who were healthy and in better form, but the Association’s management refused.

It is still unknown if Marek Plawgo, currently the best Polish hurdle race runner, will appear in the 4x400-metre hurdles relay final to be held on August 22.

He says that Daniel Dabrowski, one of the four Polish athletes appointed for the relay final, “would lose against hurdle runners even if he was doing a straight run”.
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