Szymański clocked 7.40 seconds in the final, beating Spain’s Enrique Llopis, who took silver in 7.42, and American Trey Cunningham, who secured bronze in 7.43.
“This is exactly how I imagined and planned this day,” Szymański said, adding he was overcome with emotion after the race. He said the victory made up for disappointment at last year’s championships in Nanjing, where he failed to reach the final.
Bukowiecka equalled her Polish record with a time of 50.83 seconds to take silver in the 400 metres, her first individual medal at a major indoor championships. The race was won by the Czech Republic’s Lurdes Gloria Manuel in 50.76, with the Netherlands’ Lieke Klaver third in 51.02.
She said the medal was her biggest indoor achievement, noting she had previously only reached the podium in relay events. Bukowiecka also criticised the competition format, which saw the final decided across two separate races rather than a single head-to-head run.
Earlier, Poland’s mixed 4x400 metres relay team won bronze, bringing the country’s total to three medals at the championships.
The World Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń conclude on Sunday.
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Source: PAP