The team representatives are returning to health and training!

Source: Gloswielkopolski.pl | Translation: Monika Marczak - It’s no secret that the women are the stand-outs on the kayaking team. Tomasz Kryk's charges are still nursing injuries; however, the 'Rio de Janeiro' operation will soon get underway, because the Olympic qualifiers are planned for the World Championships in August next year.

The Poznań coach spent the last few days at medical consultations with his female leaders. At the beginning of October, Marta Walczykiewicz (KTW Kalisz) – world champion in the relay and runner up in the K2 and K4 – underwent a posterior collateral ligament reconstruction. Beata Mikołajczyk (Kopernik Bydgoszcz) had a knee arthroscopy on Tuesday.

'For Marta, this was an overuse injury. She had been complaining about ankle pain throughout the entire last season. Like any other injury, it must be taken seriously; however, there is no point in exaggerating it. On Thursday the Kalisz athlete is going to visit the doctor and if everything is OK, she will get rid of her crutches and start gently jogging’, said Kryk. 

On Sunday, he is going on the third group outing since the summer break with the women's team. 'We've already been to Cetniewo and Wałcz, and are planning to go to Szczyrk, Poznań, and skiing in Livigno, Italy. I'm taking 18 people to Szczyrk, because the seniors will be joined by talented juniors', the Poznań coach added. In his opinion, in autumn the kayakers don't have to do long distances on the water, but instead need to have a lot of movement and watch their weight.

'It's a period during which you have to move to avoid gaining weight, and to feel the hunger for rivalry on the water. That's why we will spend the majority of the time at the week-long outing in Szczyrk in the pool. We have played table tennis, so maybe this time we will play football or volleyball. The convalescents will probably also spend some time on rubber ball exercises', the kayaking team manager explained.

At the last World Championships in Moscow, our female representatives got four medals (the men didn't get any) – a gold, two silvers and a bronze. First place on the podium was taken by Karolina Naja (AZS AWF Gorzów Wlkp), Edyta Dzieniszewska (Sparta Augustów), Walczykiewicz and Ewelina Wojnarowska (Warta Poznań) in the K1 200. However, the relay race isn't part of the Olympic programme. The three remaining medals were won by the Poles in Olympic events. Naja, Beata Mikołajczyk, Walczykiewicz and Dzieniszewska got silver in the K4 500, Walczykiewicz got silver in the K1 200, and Naja and Mikołajczyk got bronze in the K2 500.

'For many years I have believed that the key to success is rivalry within the group. That's why I don't want anything being certain for anyone on the team. Next year there will be a new selection and a new hand will be dealt; this means that changes to team boats are likely. The men's volleyball team was similar. Stephan Antiga acted on the assumption that he had no holy cows, and everyone knows how that ended', Kryk recalled.

His team's goal for the upcoming season will be to get six Olympic qualifications at the World Championships in Milan in August. 'Perhaps after this there will be another opportunity to secure passes to Rio de Janeiro, but it's best not to count on that. The course in Milan is fair and pleasantly remembered by Polish kayakers, so I'm optimistic', Kryk ended.