The two-time Olympic silver medallist and International Olympic Committee member Maja Włoszczowska has been an ever-present at the European Games Krakow-Malopolska 2023, watching the competitions and supporting her fellow Poles. The former mountain biking star has shared her thoughts on the impact and legacy of the biggest sport event ever to be held in Poland.
What are your reflections on these European Games in your home country?
“I’ve enjoyed it very much. I have been happy to watch some of the sports that I didn’t know before like 3×3 basketball. I hadn’t been to watch that before, while rugby sevens was also great to watch.
“I am happy that we had mountain-biking in a very cool venue in Krynica-Zdrój and all of the best athletes were there. It was a top level race and the venue was very cool, especially after three days of heavy rain. They did a really good job.
“I’ve been to muaythai, which was very, very interesting and then yesterday to Canoe. It is spectacular to watch what the girls and guys do. It was a team slalom so you see how athletes need to be synchronised with each other. All the venues are really great and very well organised.
“I visited the Athletes’ Village, which is also cool. It has a lot of lounge areas and gaming places for the athletes. The food in the village is very good quality. For me, as a member of the IOC Athletes Commission, it is most important to hear that athletes are happy and they are enjoying it. In that part, it’s a big success.
“Of course, we would like a few more people in the tribunes. There are disciplines with a lot of spectators, but some disciplines are missing crowds. Definitely that can be improved, but overall I think we can be happy with how the Games have gone.
“The way that they have put all the events on, sorted out the venues is impressive. We can definitely be proud of it.
“I went to the Beijing (2022) Olympics as an IOC Member, so I could see all the venues there because when I was an athlete you don’t see much, you just see your venue. In Beijing I could see other venues and now I can compare them to what we have provided here in Poland, that is something to be proud of.”
Why are these European Games so important for you, personally? We have seen you at a number of venues watching the sports and supporting the Polish athletes competing
“It is the promotion of the country and I am always proud when I see the athletes coming and saying ‘oh, Poland is great.’ That is what I also experienced when there are mountain bike races in my hometown. Whenever I invite the athletes from all over the world, they are so impressed by the beauty of the country and the level of organisation. It always makes me proud.
“It is also a great advertisement for the region. My Swiss friends said we must come and bring people here – for training camps or as a tourist. That is what the Games have brought, more attention on the country.
“Krakow is a great place and the city is amazing. To have the sport events on the main square has been great! There are a lot of tourists and the venues there are spectacular and showcase the city.
“It is nice to have venues in the smaller cities, because then we can see these parts of Poland. It is a little bit more complicated if you want to see many sports in one day, it is definitely harder. But it shows off the whole Malopolska region. The events like mountain biking or ski jumping, which are outdoor, are the best way to promote it.”
What legacy do you hope that the European Games will leave on Poland?
“Well, the mountain bike venue is staying and I know teams from abroad were asking me if they could use it to train. For the local teams it will be a great place to train. Hopefully we can host other events there – Polish cups, Polish national tournaments and maybe in the future more European Championships.
“Some of the other disciplines had very good promotion too. Basketball 3×3, because of how well the Polish guys played, was great. Padel will gain popularity. We had the well-known doubles player Jerzy Janowicz in tennis play and it was great to have him participating. We need more courts but having padel at the European Games will help more facilities to be built around Poland.
“I hope that the younger generation will be motivated to start playing sport as it’s a great opportunity to live a healthy and fun life. You can explore the world at the same time and meet new friends. I hope most of all, it will bring the young generation to the sport.”
How important has it been for Polish athletes to enjoy success in the European Games?
“Definitely important. When you have athletes from your nation competing, it’s more fun to cheer in the crowds. Obviously climbing was a huge success and we thought that the Polish girls would be fighting for the win. Having an all-Polish final was absolutely thrilling. The top athletes always bring more attention and they become the idols for the younger generation. It motivates them to try and have a career in sport.
“Poland have been really successful in these Games and we have a lot of medals. But also the rugby sevens girls got a lot of attention because they are super cool people – they are very honest and enthusiastic. It’s great that they got the medal here. We had a gold medal in the kayak slalom team and the guys are also very positive. You need all those stars to make the sports more popular.”
Finally, what has been your favourite moment of the European Games?
“Mountain biking, because it is my discipline and I could go there, see my friends and give the medals to the men. I was very happy with Vlad Dascalu winning the race as I have cheered for him for a long time. That was great. I saw the Polish final in climbing which was absolutely great and basketball 3×3 with an amazing atmosphere on the field. They are my top three moments from these Games.”
