Vancouver 2010 Olympic Gala
The event was attended, among others, by Lech Kaczyński, President of the Republic of Poland, Jerzy Szmajdziński, Deputy Speaker of the Seym (the Polish Parliament), Adam Giersz, Minister of Sport and Tourism, Piotr Nurowski, President of the Polish Olympic Committee, Sławomir Skrzypek, President of the National Bank of Poland, representatives of Polish Olympic Committee’s sponsors and partners, Olympic medallists, their coaches and representatives of their home sports clubs and sports associations.
A few hours earlier Polish President Lech Kaczyński, accompanied by his wife, met the Vancouver medallists and their coaches at a breakfast at the Presidential Palace.
During the celebrations, President Lech Kaczyński awarded the medallists and their coaches with some of the highest state decorations.
- Justyna Kowalczyk and Adm Małysz received the COMMANDER’S CROSS WITH STAR OF THE ORDER OF POLAND REBORN for outstanding sports accomplishments and promotion of the Olympic ideals.
- Katarzyna Bachleda-Curuś, Natalia Czerwonka, Katarzyna Woźniak and Luiza Złotkowska received the CHEVALIER’S CROSS OF THE ORDER OF POLAND REBORN for outstanding sports accomplishments.
- Paweł Abatkiewicz, Ewa Białkowska, Hannu Lepistö and Aleksander Wierietielny received decorations for outstanding input into the development of Polish sports through their accomplishments in coaching.
- Tomasz Zimoch of Channel 1 of the Polish Radio was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit for his journalism and for promoting physical culture and Olympic ideals.
Justyna Kowalczyk spoke on behalf of the persons who received the decorations. Adam Giersz, Minister of Sports and Tourism, was among those who congratulated the athletes and their coaches.
– The Olympic Games in Vancouver were a beautiful time for Polish sport, minister Giersz said. – This success stems from the talents and hard work of our Olympic medallists. I would like to thank you on behalf of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and on my own behalf, for the medals and for the joyful and emotional moments that we were able to savour thanks to your achievements.
I would also like to thank and congratulate all those who supported you in your quest for Olympic medals, including coaching and medical staff. I wish to express special thanks to coaches Aleksander Wierietielny, Hannu Lepistö and Ms Ewa Białkowska.
Your achievements confirm the revival of Polish sport. Last year’s successes of track and field athletes, rowers, men’s and women’s volleyball teams and the men’s handball team were not isolated cases.
The changes we have been introducing to Polish sports are beginning to bring results. The training grants system for outstanding athletes will continue to be expanded.
Let us not forget about talented youth for whom we have conceived the “Talent” project, designed to support the training of talented young athletes in sports clubs.
Sport has enormous significance due to its social and educational values and it is in recognition of this importance that sport now enjoys exceptionally strong financial support from the state budget.
I would like to assure you that Olympic sport will continue to be a priority for us.
However, if we want to safeguard the value of success in sport, we must be faithful to the rules of fair play, particularly in the context of the fight against doping in sport. Doping is cheating, cheating on yourself and on your competitors. I want to make it clear: there will be no tolerance for any forms of manipulation, be it doping or corruption.
Professional sport and the achievements of Olympic athletes are the best encouragement to practise sports. We would like Justyna’s success to be an impulse for the development of cross country skiing. I promise we will provide financial support for the construction of a Nordic Skiing and Biathlon Centre in Mszana Dolna, the idea of which was proposed by the local authorities.
We want to use the Vancouver success in our efforts to organize world sporting events in Poland. The Government will provide guarantees for the organization of the Nordic skiing world championships to be held in Zakopane in 2015.
Polish sport has great development opportunities. Poles are waiting to see more successes of our representatives. It is up to us, the entire Olympic family, to use these opportunities. I hope we will live up to the expectations of our fellow countrymen.