Speed skating: Poland's Żurek claims World Cup bronze on home ice

Polish speed skater Damian Żurek claimed his first World Cup medal when he finished third in the men's 1000 metres on home ice on Sunday.

Damian Żurek

PAP/Grzegorz Michałowski

The 23-year-old clocked in at 1:09.85, finishing behind Kjeld Nuis and Hein Otterspeer of the Netherlands in front of a cheering home crowd at the Tomaszów Mazowiecki Ice Arena in central Poland.

Damian Żurek przed własną publicznością 🇵🇱 TRZECI 🥉na 1000 metrów w Pucharze Świata! Wielka robota Damian! Brawo! @Grupa_PGE

𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎𝐦 𝐌𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀
1. Hein Otterspeer 🇳🇱 1:09.24
2. Kjeld Nuis 🇳🇱 1:09.52
3. Damian Żurek 🇵🇱 1:09.85
18. Piotr Michalski 🇵🇱 1:10.89 pic.twitter.com/gMwTxvoiZY

— Polski Związek Łyżwiarstwa Szybkiego (@pzls_pl) February 12, 2023

Poland's Piotr Michalski, who is setting his sights on the 2026 winter Olympics in Italy after narrowly missing out on a medal at the Beijing 2022 Games, finished 18th, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Żurek is a native of the central Polish town of Tomaszów Mazowiecki, some 110 kilometres southwest of the capital Warsaw.

Pierwszy medal Damiana Żurka
🙂💪📻🎧🎤@RadiowaJedynka @sportradiopl @pzls_pl pic.twitter.com/x6gqAAZIax

— Cezary Gurjew (@CezaryGurjew) February 12, 2023

Around 200 speed skaters from more than 30 countries competed in a range of World Cup events at the Tomaszów Mazowiecki Ice Arena at the weekend, according to officials.

Czas na ostatni dzień Pucharu Świata #5! @Grupa_PGE pic.twitter.com/760xrFTOG6

— Polski Związek Łyżwiarstwa Szybkiego (@pzls_pl) February 12, 2023

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, TVP