(MAR 13) Karolina Anna Michalczuk
took her Gold medal tally to 12 as the 13th Polish Amateur
Women’s Championships drew to a close at the Hala Mosir in
Lublin at the weekend. Indeed the former 54kg World champion,
from the Paco Lublin club also won a silver medal at her first
Championships. This year she fought - and won - once more at her
favourite 54kg having competed in the flyweight division at the
2012 Olympics.
Coached by Wadysaw Maciejewski,
the 33 years old will be required under AIBA rules to retire
when she reaches 34 on June 12th but she is hopeful that the age
limit will be extended to 40 at the AIBA’s congress in June as
she would like nothing more than to participate in the 2016
(Rio) Olympic Games.
In London 2012 she went out to India’s Mery Kom 19:14 in their
last 16 bout. Her coach added that if there was no rule change
he believed that she would became an excellent trainer.
In taking her 12th Gold, Karolina surpassed the previous Polish
record of 11 Gold she had shared her male compatriots, Zbigniew
Pietrzykowski and Andrzej Rany but the ever modest Karolina
declared “I am very happy that I went into the history books of
Polish boxing, but I did not even dare to compare with these two
great fighters “adding “I hope that AIBA will raise the age
limit and that I will be able to compete in the Olympic Games in
Rio de Janeiro. I would add that I am also ready for more Polish
national team appearances”.
In the hard fought final she was a clear winner against the
promising Martyna Letkiewicz of GUKS Carbo Gliwice winning the
final 3:0 (judges unanimous decision) after having stopped
Paulina Zdanowicz in the third round of their semi-final
encounter.
In the 60kg lightweight division, Karolina Graczyk gained a
first round knock-out verdict over Natalia Kowalska in their
semi-final battle and in Sunday’s final overcame the worthy
challenge of Magdalena Stelmach-Wichrowska taking a 2:1 majority
decision of the judges. Graczyk like Michalczuk – and the other
Champions – will now be hoping to represent their country in the
2013 European Union Championships which will take place in
Keszthely, Hungary from 30 May to 7th June.
Graczyk had in fact only two weeks earlier returned from Ireland
where she had fought a gallant fight in a televised
international exhibition bout against Ireland’s Olympic, World
and European champion Katie Taylor. Though Taylor emerged
victorious 28:5 , the seven times Polish champion put up a brave
showing but no doubt will be hoping to avoid Taylor should the
two meet in Keszthely as they did two years ago in the 2011
final in Katowice. Taylor won then 25:9
The 51kg crown went this time to the experienced Sandra Drabik,
a convincing winner on all three judges’ scorecards against Żaneta
Cie¶la whilst at 57kg, Sandra Kruk took the title once again at
the expense of Jadwiga Stańczak when the referee stopped the
contest in the fourth and final round.
No surprise either that the 75kg champion once more is Lidia
Fidura who also gained her title by virtue of a fourth round
stoppage over Wioleta Michalska . Though there are several up
and coming young women in Polish boxing once more it was the
‘old warriors’ who stole the show and none more so than Karolina
Michalczuk.
Zbigniew Gorski, President of Polski Zwiazek Bokserski (PZB),
described the event as a ‘ very successful tournament’ both in
terms of quality and organization. More than 80 boxers took part
and he felt – and who would disagree - that a few of the bouts
would have graced any national championship in the world.
Semi-Finals: 9 March
(Results courtesy: http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl
48kg Patrycja Bednarek Agnieszka Słomska 3:0
48kg Sandra Brodacka Magdalena Józak 3:0
51kg Żaneta Cie¶la Klaudia Sibiga RSC 4
51kg Sandra Drabik Paulina Bogoń WO.
54kg Karolina Michalczuk Paulina Zdanowicz RSC 3
54kg Martyna Letkiewicz Aleksandra Paczka 3:0
57kg Sandra Kruk Aleksandra Banak RSC 4
57kg Jadwiga Stańczak Sylwia Pel 3:0
60kg Magdalena Stelmach-Wichrowska Dorota Kusiak 3:0
60kg Karolina Graczyk Natalia Kowalska KO 1
64kg Kinga Siwa Katarzyna Krukowska 3:0
64kg Beata Koroniecka Sylwia Maksym 2:1
69kg Natalia Hollińska Ewa Gawenda 3:0
69kg Hanna Solecka Magdalena Konarska 2:1
75kg Lidia Fidura Wioleta Michalska RSC 4
75kg Katarzyna Cichosz Justyna Sroczyńska 2:1
81kg Patrycja Woronowicz Anna Szpoton 3:0
81kg Karolina Koszela Anna Maksim WO.
+81kg Sylwia Kusiak Magdalena Flak RSC 1
+81kg Marlena Gawrońska Natalia Stasiewicz RSC 2
Finals: 10 March
48kg Sandra Brodacka Patrycja Bednarek 2:1
51kg Sandra Drabik Żaneta Cie¶la 3:0
54kg Karolina Michalczuk Martyna Letkiewicz 3:0
57kg Sandra Kruk Jadwiga Stańczak RSC 4
60kg Karolina Graczyk Magdalena Stelmach-Wichrowska 2:1
64kg Kinga Siwa Beata Koroniecka 3:0
69kg Natalia Hollińska Hanna Solecka WO.
75kg Lidia Fidura Katarzyna Cichosz 3:0
81kg Karolina Koszela Patrycja Woronowicz 3:0
+81kg Sylwia Kusiak Marlena Gawrońska 3:0
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