Legendary Polish snowboarder wishes Beijing 2022 success

WARSAW - Once in charge of Poland's bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, legendary Polish snowboarder Jagna Marczulajtis-Walczak told Xinhua on Wednesday that she is keeping her fingers crossed for China to organize best-ever Winter Olympics.

In 2013 Poland sent an application to organize the Winter Olympics 2022 in the city of Krakow. Marczulajtis-Walczak was the chairman of the Polish organizing committee. "I believed we had a very good chance of success. It is a pity that several organizations in Poland put up resistance and created a negative image around the event," she said.

"Of course, I congratulate China on being given the right to host. They face a great challenge, so I keep my fingers crossed for them. I wish these were the best Games that have been held so far. And I wish the Polish athletes health and that they would bring as many medals home as possible. I will be cheering for them," Marczulajtis-Walczak said.

The snowboarder participated in the Olympic competitions in Nagano, Salt Lake City and Turin.

"In 1998 we made our debut at the Olympics in Nagano as snowboarders. There were great hopes for us in Poland, because we were among the world's best, but not in giant slalom. Our result was received with disappointment. However, I gained valuable experience," said the 42-year-old.

"The Olympics are a series of great memories. I dreamed of an Olympic medal, but each Winter Olympics was a beautiful experience that influenced my life. Performing at such an event is a reward for an athlete. Usually there is talk of a four-year preparation cycle, but after all, you work for the Olympics all your life," she added.

In 2002 the Pole was close to taking an Olympic medal but she took fourth place.

"The Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City was a breakthrough for me. I had to compete in a discipline in which I was not at my best, I had to work very hard to train in something that wasn't my specialty. It's as if the skater who does the best at 500 meters has to switch to 5,000 meter races. Therefore, after the Olympics in Salt Lake City, I felt unsatisfied. On the other hand, I see fourth place as a great achievement."

Marczulajtis-Walczak is considered as the greatest legend of the Polish snowboarding. The country is still waiting for her successors.

"I am proud of my every success. From the age of two, I was led by my parents in sports and snowboarding was love at first sight. As a 16-year-old I won the Polish Cup, and then I won the European Senior Championship as a youth. In total, I won 14 Polish championship titles. I do not count bronze and silver medals," Marczulajtis-Walczak said.

With Beijing 2022 approaching, the Polish ski jumpers remain the main hope for standing on the Olympic podium. However, Marczulajtis-Walczak believes that in her discipline the Poles have made some small steps and could jump to the highest level in the future.

"We have several promising snowboarders, for example Michal Nowaczyk or Oskar Kwiatkowski, who showed a high level in the World Cup. If Polish Alpine skiing and snowboarding were as well funded as ski jumping, we could count on an Olympic medal. However, I hope that we will be successful in Beijing. Nowaczyk and Kwiatkowski will surely fight for medals," the former snowboarder said.