The World Athletics Championships are about to begin. A devastating opinion from the Polish champion.

Where does this conclusion come from? It seems that the basis lies in looking at the favorites in each event, where there are no sure bets among the Polish national team. A total of 62 Polish athletes will compete at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo: 36 women and 26 men.

Bitter words from Małgorzata Hołub-Kowalik. Will the Tokyo event be sad?

The Paris Olympics signaled a warning sign regarding Poland's athletic achievements against global competition. Natalia Kaczmarek (now Bukowiecka) won the only medal, a bronze.

Looking at the world rankings, Poland is only at the top of the rankings in the 4x400 mixed relay. At the previous World Athletics Championships, the Polish team won a total of two medals, both silver. That time, Kaczmarek (400 meters) and Wojciech Nowicki – who was absent from Tokyo due to health issues – took the podium in the hammer throw. The event was held in Budapest.

What does Małgorzata Hołub-Kowalik think about the chances of Polish athletes? The Olympic champion (2021) and world runner-up (2019) doesn't expect a major breakthrough among Polish athletes.

"These will be different championships for us than in recent years. The Tokyo Olympics blurred the image of Polish athletics in the world, now we'll be celebrating other things than medals […] We have to aim for final places, especially among young athletes. We're in the midst of a generational change; in addition to experienced athletes like Paweł Fajdek and Anita Włodarczyk, we have a lot of young people. They're on their way to reaching the highest level at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. They need to gain momentum, gain experience. I didn't win a medal at my first World Championships either, only at my third, in 2017 in London. And let me say right away that I fiercely oppose the notion that tourists go to the World Championships. Let's face it, if only the medal favorites went to the event, three people would go. But that's not what sport is about. Just because someone doesn't finish high doesn't mean they're a tourist," Hołub-Kowalik admitted in an interview with WP/SportoweFakty.

Poland ranks 10th in the all-time rankings, with 20 gold, 20 silver, and 25 bronze medals, for a total of 65. The United States, the leader in this ranking, has the best record. The USA has a total of 443(!) medals, including 195 gold, 125 silver, and 114 bronze.

Twitter

Schedule of Polish women's and men's starts at the 2005 World Championships (Polish time)

Saturday, September 13 (number of finals: 5)

• 00:30 – Men's 35 km walk, FINAL (Maher Ben Hlima)
• 00:30 – women’s 35 km walk, FINAL (Agnieszka Ellward, Katarzyna Zdziebło)
• 02:00 – women's discus throw, group A, eliminations (possibly Daria Zabawska)
• 03:55 – men's shot put, qualifying (Konrad Bukowiecki)
• 03:55 – women's discus throw, group B, eliminations (possibly Daria Zabawska)
• 04:23 – Men's 100 m, preliminary round
• 04:55 – mixed 4x400 m (Poland)
• 11:05 – 3000 m steeplechase, qualifying
• 11:30 – women's long jump, qualifying (Nikola Horowska, Anna Matuszewicz)
• 11:55 – Women's 100 m, qualifying (Ewa Swoboda)
• 12:05 – pole vault, eliminations (Piotr Lisek)
• 12:50 – 1500 m women, qualifying (Klaudia Kazimierska, Weronika Lizakowska)
• 13:35 – Men's 100m, qualifying
• 14:10 – men's shot put, FINAL (possibly Konrad Bukowiecki)
• 14:30 – Women's 10,000m FINAL
• 15:20 – mixed 4x400 m FINAL (possibly Poland)

Sunday, September 14 (number of finals: 6)

• 00:30 – women's marathon, FINAL (Aleksandra Brzezińska, Izabela Paszkiewicz)
• 02:00 – women's hammer throw, qualifying, group A (possibly Katarzyna Furmanek, Ewa Różańska, Anita Włodarczyk)
• 02:35 – 1500 m men, qualifying (Filip Rak)
• 03:45 – women's hammer throw, qualifying, group B (possibly Katarzyna Furmanek, Ewa Różańska, Anita Włodarczyk)
• 04:28 – Women’s 100m hurdles, qualifying round (Alicja Sielska, Pia Skrzyszowska)
• 11:35 – 400 m men, qualifying (Maksymilian Szwed)
• 11:40 – men's high jump, qualifying (Mateusz Kołodziejski)
• 12:10 – discus throw, FINAL (possibly Daria Zabawska)
• 12:25 – 400 m women, qualifying (Natalia Bukowiecka, Justyna Święty-Ersetic)
• 13:20 – Women's 100 m, semi-final (possibly Ewa Swoboda)
• 13:40 – women's long jump, FINAL (possibly Anna Matuszewicz, Nikola Horowska)
• 13:43 – Men's 100m semi-final
• 14:05 – women’s 1500 m, semi-final (possibly Klaudia Kazimierska, Weronika Lizakowska)
• 14:30 – Men's 10,000 m, FINAL
• 15:13 – Women's 100 m, FINAL (possibly Ewa Swoboda)
• 15:20 – Men's 100m, FINAL

Monday, September 15 (number of finals: 5)

• 00:30 – men's marathon, FINAL (Mateusz Kaczor)
• 02:00 – men's hammer throw, qualifying, group A (possibly Paweł Fajdek, Marcin Wrotyński)
• 02:05 – women's pole vault, qualifying
• 02:15 – 3000 m steeplechase women, eliminations (Alicja Konieczek, Kinga Królik)
• 03:45 – men's hammer throw, qualifying, group B (possibly Paweł Fajdek, Marcin Wrotyński)
• 04:20 – Women's 400m hurdles, qualifying round (Anna Gryc)
• 12:35 – Men's 400m hurdles, qualifying
• 12:40 – women's long jump, qualifying
• 13:10 – men's pole vault, FINAL (possibly Piotr Lisek)
• 13:20 – Men’s 110m hurdles, qualifying round (Damian Czykier, Jakub Szymański)
• 14:00 – women's hammer throw, FINAL (possibly Katarzyna Furmanek, Ewa Różańska, Anita Włodarczyk)
• 14:05 – Women’s 100m hurdles, semi-final (Alicja Sielska, Pia Skrzyszowska)
• 14:30 – Men’s 1500 m, semi-final (possibly Filip Rak)
• 14:55 – 3000 m steeplechase, FINAL
• 15:20 – Women’s 100m hurdles, FINAL (Alicja Sielska, Pia Skrzyszowska)

Tuesday, September 16 (number of finals: 4)

• 12:35 – 800 m men, qualifying (Filip Ostrowski, Patryk Sieradzki, Maciej Wyderka)
• 12:40 – women's triple jump, qualifying
• 13:35 – men's high jump, FINAL (optional Mateusz Kołodziejski)
• 13:40 – 110 m hurdles, semi-final (possibly Damian Czykier, Jakub Szymański)
• 14:00 – men's hammer throw, FINAL (possibly Paweł Fajdek, Marcin Wrotyński)
• 14:05 – women’s 400 m, semi-final (possibly Natalia Bukowiecka, Justyna Święty-Ersetic)
• 14:35 – 400 m men, semi-final (possibly Maksymilian Szwed)
• 15:05 – 1500 m women, FINAL (possibly Klaudia Kazimierska, Weronika Lizakowska)
• 15:20 – Men’s 110m hurdles (alternatively Damian Czykier, Jakub Szymański)

Wednesday, September 17 (number of finals: 4)

• 12:05 – men's triple jump, qualifying
• 12:10 – men's javelin throw, qualifying round, group A (possibly Marcin Krukowski, Cyprian Mrzygłód,
• David Wegner)
• 12:30 – 200 m women, qualifying
• 13:10 – women's pole vault, FINAL
• 13:15 – 200 m men, qualifying
• 13:45 – men's javelin throw, qualifying round, group B (possibly Marcin Krukowski, Cyprian Mrzygłód,
• David Wegner)
• 13:50 – men's long jump, FINAL
• 14:00 – Women's 400m hurdles, semi-final (possibly Anna Gryc)
• 14:30 – Men's 400m hurdles, semi-final
• 14:57 – Women’s 3000 m steeplechase, FINAL (Alicja Konieczek, Kinga Królik)
• 15:20 – 1500 m men, FINAL (possibly Filip Rak)

Thursday, September 18 (number of finals: 4)

• 12:05 – 5000 m women, qualifying
• 12:15 – women's high jump, qualifying (Maria Żodzik)
• 12:23 – men's javelin throw, FINAL (possibly Marcin Krukowski, Cyprian Mrzygłód, Dawid Wegner)
• 12:55 – 800 m women, qualifying (Margarita Koczanowa, Angelika Sarna, Anna Wielgosz)
• 13:55 – women's triple jump, FINAL
• 14:02 – Men's 200 m semi-final
• 14:24 – Women's 200 m semi-final
• 14:45 – 800 m men, semi-final (possibly Filip Ostrowski, Patryk Sieradzki, Maciej Wyderka)
• 15:10 – 400 m men, FINAL (possibly Maksymilian Szwed)
• 15:24 – 400 m women, FINAL (possibly Natalia Bukowiecka, Justyna Święty-Ersetic)

Friday, September 19 (number of finals: 5)

• 10:33 – 100 m hurdles, heptathlon (Adrianna Sułek-Schubert)
• 11:20 – high jump, heptathlon (Adrianna Sułek-Schubert)
• 12:30 – javelin throw, qualifying round, group A (possibly Maria Andrejczyk, Małgorzata Maślak-Glugla)
• 13:05 – 5000 m men, qualifying
• 13:30 – shot put, heptathlon, (Adrianna Sułek-Schubert)
• 13:45 – women’s 800 m, semi-final (possibly Margarita Koczanowa, Angelika Sarna, Anna Wielgosz)
• 13:50 – men's triple jump, FINAL
• 14:00 – javelin throw, qualifying round, group B (possibly Maria Andrejczyk, Małgorzata Maślak-Glugla)
• 14:15 – Men's 400m Hurdles, FINAL
• 14:27 – Women's 400m hurdles, FINAL (possibly Anna Gryc)
• 14:38 – 200 m, heptathlon (Adrianna Sułek-Schubert)
• 15:06 – Men's 200m, FINAL
• 15:22 – Women's 200m, FINAL

Saturday, September 20 (number of finals: 7)

• 00:30 – 20 km walk, FINAL (Katarzyna Zdziebło)
• 02:00 – men's discus throw, qualifying, group A
• 02:25 – 100 m, decathlon
• 02:50 – 20 km walk, FINAL (Maher Ben Hlima)
• 03:00 – women's shot put, elimination
• 03:05 – long jump, decathlon
• 03:35 – men's discus throw, qualifying, group B
• 04:30 – long jump, heptathlon (Adrianna Sułek-Schubert)
• 04:45 – shot put, decathlon
• 12:00 – javelin throw, heptathlon (Adrianna Sułek-Schubert)
• 12:05 – high jump, decathlon
• 12:35 – 4x400 m men, qualifying
• 12:54 – women's shot put, FINAL
• 13:00 – Women's 4x400 m, qualifying (Poland)
• 13:25 – Men's 4x100 m, qualifying (Poland)
• 13:45 – Women's 4x100 m, qualifying (Poland)
• 14:05 – women's javelin throw, FINAL (possibly Maria Andrejczyk, Małgorzata Maślak-Glugla)
• 14:11 – 800 m, heptathlon, FINAL (Adrianna Sułek-Schubert)
• 14:29 – Women's 5000m, FINAL
• 14:55 – 400 m, decathlon
• 15:22 – 800 m men, FINAL (possibly Filip Ostrowski, Patryk Sieradzki, Maciej Wyderka)

Sunday, September 21 (number of finals: 9)

• 02:05 – 110 m hurdles, decathlon
• 02:55 – discus throw, decathlon
• 04:35 – pole vault, decathlon
• 10:35 – javelin throw, decathlon
• 12:30 – women's high jump, FINAL (possibly Maria Żodzik)
• 12:35 – 800 m women, FINAL (possibly Margarita Koczanowa, Angelika Sarna, Anna Wielgosz)
• 12:50 – Men's 5000m, FINAL
• 1:00 p.m. – men's discus throw, FINAL
• 13:25 – 4x400m men
• 13:40 – 4x400 m women (possibly Poland)
• 13:55 – 1500 m, decathlon, FINAL
• 14:10 – Women's 4x100 m, FINAL (Poland if necessary)
• 14:20 – 4x100 m men, FINAL (possibly Poland)

2025 World Championships: Where to watch the Polish athletics team compete?

The premiere finals are scheduled for September 13th, the first day of the competition. Starting at 7:30 a.m. Japanese time (around midnight in Poland), the women's and men's 35-kilometer walk will begin. Among the entrants will be Katarzyna Zdziebło, who won a medal at the World Championships three years ago.

On Saturday, shot putter Konrad Bukowiecki, sprinter Ewa Swoboda, and the mixed 4 x 400-meter relay team will also compete. The World Athletics Championships will run until September 21st. Broadcasts from Tokyo will be broadcast on Polish Television. Online, however, you can use the TVP Sport website and a dedicated mobile app.

Read also: Iga Świątek's coach discovered a shocking truth. "She might not be able to play." Read also: Bartosz Kurek breaks the record! National team fans can be proud.