Natalia Maliszewska

Club / Team

Juvenia Bialystok: Poland

Famous relatives

Her older sister Patrycja competed in short track at the Olympic Winter Games in 2010, 2014, and 2022. Her partner Piotr Michalski represented Poland in speed skating at the 2018 and 2022 Olympic Winter Games. (Piotr Michalski Instagram profile, 16 Sep 2022; SportsDeskOnline, 28 Oct 2022; sportowefakty.wp.pl, 05 Aug 2020; Athlete, 12 Jan 2017)

Reason for choosing this sport

"My sister is a short track skater and I followed her into the sport."

Hero / Idol

US short track skater John Celski. (Athlete, 12 Jan 2017)

www.facebook.com/nataliamaliszewskaofficial/

Name of coach

Urszula Kaminska [national], POL; Gregory Durand [national], FRA

Memorable sporting achievement	Winning the overall classification in the 500m in the 2018/19 World Cup season, and claiming gold in the 500m at the 2019 European Championships in Dordrecht, Netherlands. (Athlete, 05 Dec 2019)
Most influential person in career	Her older sister Patrycja. (Athlete, 05 Dec 2019)

When and where did you begin this sport?

She took up short track in 2004 in Bialystok, Poland.

Sporting philosophy / motto	"Have fun." (Athlete, 12 Jan 2017)
Milestones	She became the first Polish short track skater to win a medal at the world championships by claiming silver in the 500m at the 2018 edition of the tournament in Montreal, QC, Canada. She is also the first Polish short track skater to have claimed a European title, triumphing in the 500m at the 2019 European Championships in Dordrecht, Netherlands. (SportsDeskOnline, 20 Mar 2019; isu.org, 03 Feb 2019) She became the first short track skater representing Poland to finish on the podium at a World Cup event when she placed second in the 500m in 2015 in Montreal, QC, Canada. She then became the first Polish short track skater to claim victory in any discipline at a World Cup event when she won the 500m in 2018 in Calgary, AB, Canada. (SportsDeskOnline, 16 Nov 2018; isu.org, 12 Nov 2018)

twitter.com/nmaliszewska

Nicknames	Kurczak ['Chicken' in English]. (weszlo.com, 24 Nov 2018)
Other information	BEIJING DISAPPOINTMENT She was unable to compete in the 500m at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing after testing positive for COVID-19. She was initially released from isolation in time for the qualifying race, but then tested positive again and was ruled out of the event. After a further negative test result, she was able to compete in other events in Beijing. "I know a lot of people do not understand this situation. Positive and negative tests, tests confirming isolation, suddenly positive tests. Later, good results again and a chance to be released. Then a total flop. No possibility and hope is dead." (eurosport.com, 06 Feb 2022, 05 Feb 2022; insider.com, 07 Feb 2022) SISTER'S INFLUENCE She got into the sport through the influence of her older sister Patrycja, who has also represented Poland in short track. "For years I would see the face of Patrycja on the posters and billboards at our ice rink, and I kept telling myself that one day I wanted my image to be on the billboards too. She has always been one of my idols, it was always so awesome seeing her come home from the European championships with medals. I felt so proud that we had these medals at home and that I could look at them. She was a trailblazer for Polish skating, and being her sister I know I have the same blood in my veins, so I want to push the boundaries as well." (tvn.pl, 09 Mar 2019; wp.pl, 17 Feb 2019; weszlo.com, 24 Nov 2018) NICKNAME Her first skating coach gave her the nickname 'Kurczak', meaning 'chicken' in English. "As a small child I had long legs, like thin sticks, and my parents bought me a yellow puffy jacket, which made me look like a baby chicken, so my first coach called me 'chicken'. Everyone else started to use it, so to this day I am still known as 'chicken'. I'm so used to hearing it that I react more when I hear it compared to my real name. It's funny because even when I talk about myself I sometimes use it and say, 'Chicken is doing this, or chicken is doing that'. It's just so widely used. I like it, it helps me return to memories of racing as a child." (weszlo.com, 24 Nov 2018)
Awards and honours	She received the 2020 Best Athlete award at the annual sports awards of Bialystok, Poland. (bialystokonline.pl, 27 Sep 2021)