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Last group of Polish athletes takes Olympic oaths ahead of Paris Games

23.07.2024 23:00
The last group of Polish athletes has taken their Olympic oaths at a ceremony in Warsaw ahead of the Paris Games. 
Members of Polands team for the Paris 2024 Summer Games take an Olympic oath at a ceremony in Warsaw on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.
Members of Poland's team for the Paris 2024 Summer Games take an Olympic oath at a ceremony in Warsaw on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

During the event in the Polish capital on Tuesday, athletes pledged to compete fairly and with sportsmanship ahead of their departure for France, news outlets reported.

The group included fencers, canoeists, volleyball players, cyclists and wrestlers, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Photo: Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

A group of officials including Sports Minister Sławomir Nitras congratulated the athletes on being selected to represent Poland at the Olympics and wished them success in Paris.

"I would like to congratulate you all," Nitras said. "I know how much work it took to obtain your Olympic qualifications. The best of the best are going to Paris. We will be happy with every success you achieve."

Polish Olympic Committee head Radosław Piesiewicz said: "Together with all Poles, we will be rooting for you to bring us as much joy as possible at the Games."

A total of 213 Polish athletes, 100 men and 113 women, have been selected to compete in the Paris Games, which take place from July 26 to August 11.

But Piesiewicz said on Tuesday that the Polish contingent in Paris would be smaller than initially planned because tennis player Hubert Hurkacz is still recovering from a recent knee injury and high jumper Norbert Kobielski has been dropped from the team after testing positive for prohibited substances.

Hurkacz was scheduled to compete in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles in Paris.

Poland will be represented at the Games by athletes competing in 22 Olympic sports, including more than 60 track-and-field contestants and 20 swimmers.

Three-time Olympic hammer champion Anita Włodarczyk and 3x3 basketball player Przemysław Zamojski have been named as the flag bearers for the Polish delegation at the opening ceremony of the Games on Friday.

Poland has a chance of winning 15 medals at the Summer Olympics in Paris, according to a prediction last month by sports data provider Gracenote.

Polish athletes brought home 14 medals, four gold, five silver and five bronze, from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games, the national team's best haul this century.

At the Rio Summer Olympics in 2016, Poland won 11 medals, two gold, three silver and six bronze.

At the London Olympics in 2012, Team Poland scooped 10 medals, three gold, two silver and five bronze.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, olimpijski.pl