On Sunday at 2 PM, the Silesian Stadium will become the centre of the athletics universe. Nearly 50 Olympic medalists have already arrived in Poland. Everything is ready for the 15th Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial. - This is a special place, I feel great here – said the world record holder Armand Duplantis. On Saturday the Swede was a guest at the pre-meeting press conference.
The Silesian Stadium has already been decorated. The state-of-the art equipment that has been placed aroung the track is awaiting the champions, all plugged in. The heroes have checked in at their hotels. Some even got a chance to try a birthday cake. The edition of the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial coming up on Sunday is shaping up to be the best ever. In all 20 events on the Diamond League programme, medalists from Paris will appear.
– It is roughly 50 names in total and in many events we have the entire top threes. Nobody has ever been able to make that claim in Poland before. Now we can witness it – stated the happy sports director of the meeting Piotr Małachowski.
Countdown to the athletics feast. Champions driving champions
– The brightest stars? I cannot even choose. We have great abundance of them – said the communications director Marek Plawgo.
And yet we need to attempt to do that. The attendance record, which is likely to fall at the Silesian Stadium this year (the mark to beat is 41,200 from six years ago), is possible thanks to the presence of the greatest names in athletics. Those include the pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis and the fastest one-lap hurdler of all time, Karsten Warholm. Others are the European record holder Femke Bol, Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, as well as Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Marco Arop – the two new kings of the 800 metres, who came within 0.2 seconds of the world record in Lausanne on Thursday.
– I saw them and they look fresh. They will try to attack the record again here – that was the prediction coming from Marcin Lewandowski, who acts as a chauffer to the stars here. It was he who drove Warholm from the airport.
– Apart from that? A fantastic field in the women's hurdles, with the last two world record setters, the Paris champion and our Pia Skrzyszowska. There are also strong 100 metre races, with Kishane Thompson and Fred Kerley leading the men's field and Ewa Swoboda going for a national record in the women's. The 200 is just as good, with Letsile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek, new stars of the event. Going further, we have the entire Olympic podium in the women's 400 metres, naturally including Natalia Kaczmarek. The top vaulters will be here, as well as high jumpers including Gianmarco Tamberi, shot putters including Ryan Crouser and of course hammer throwers, as that is the main memorial event. Honestly? I could go on and on, the start list is loaded. But I will say one thing. You simply cannot miss it. We broke through our own ceiling yet again – Małachowski said.
One day before the meeting, the final countdown is under way. At the same time tacit expectations are growing. When the boards labelled with various type of records arrived in the organising committee's offices on Friday, the entire team went silent. Especially upon seeing the one with „World Record” on it. Last year, when the „Kama” Memorial placed second in the World Athletics rankings, 29 records of all kinds were set.
– No athlete will promise that the most important record will be set. However, it is no accident that Duplantis himself asked to switch the runup for the vaulters to the longest possible one. This clearly suggests what he has come here for – Plawgo stated.
No one has done it before. MVP ring awaits
Silesia is waiting to thank Natalia Kaczmarek for her medal on Sunday. Apart from her, we will see other stars of our national team. Three Polish records have been set so far in the history of the Memorial. That may be about to change this weekend.
– I love the stadium and its atmosphere. And the track, which is really fast. I am not just saying this as a Silesia native. That is simply the truth. You drive us to push our limits – Swoboda stated. - My PB was set here, 10.94 is just one hundredth away from the Polish record. This is my last appearance of the summer. I want to say goodbye in style.
Kaczmarek also talked of the cult surrounding the Silesian Stadium.
– Every one of us dreamed of competing here when we were juniors. And now? The last two years I broke my own barriers here. I count on the crowd carrying me again – she admitted. Last year Natalia was victorious. She beat the great Paulino. The only time it happened in their 16 head-to-head races so far.
As the only Polish medalist from Paris, Natalia will be given a hero's welcome, but she also faces a major challenge.
– I admit the field is spectacular. Paulino? Naser? It is basically a repeat of the Olympic final from the Stade de France. But I like racing against strong opposition. This race is really important for me – she said. She regrets only one thing. Bol chose to race over the hurdles this time.
Although the Polish runner will be the centre of attention on Sunday, the day before the event it was mostly Duplantis who attracted a crowd to the stadium. He, along with several other headliners, took part in a press conference. It was there that a special prize on offer was revealed: the MVP ring, which will go to the athlete achieving the best result of the day on points, along with 10 thousand dollars.
– We are the first in the world to do this. Results from each event will be graded on the World Athletics point tables. Whoever achieves the highest score, will receive two prizes. Money is one thing. We wanted the hero of the day to return home with a special trophy. It is a signet ring with a diamond in it – Piotr Małachowski revealed.
– It is nice. It would look good on my shelf – Duplantis said with a wink after the conference where the trophy was presented.
A possible world record (6.26 clearance) would be nearly certain to guarantee him the MVP title. The 1339 points that the mark is worth is equivalent to 2.48 in the high jump (the current world record stands at 2.45), 23.68 in the shot put (the record is 23.56) or 49.87 in the women's 400 metres hurdles, a mark that looks unrealistic from today's perspective.
– That is impossible. How much does it cost? I will rather buy myself a ring like this than jump 2.48! - Gianmarco Tamberi said, laughing. - Maybe you want to try to run the 3000 with me? The world record there has to be broken by just a couple of seconds – Jakob Ingebrigtsen joked.
Hammer throwers entering a new era. Poles wanting a revenge for Paris
The ring, provided by the company Exclusive Time, has certain symbolics – the diamond is placed in an indentation shaped like a mark left by hammers landing in the field.
– I have the feeling that, despite the abundance of stars from various events, no one forgets what and whom the meeting commemorates. Kamila Skolimowska, whose large-scale portrait will be seen in the stands, was a hammer thrower – stated Paweł Fajdek, the author of a hip-hop anthem of the event. He is a legend himself. It was he who has competed in the largest number of editions of the Memorial, at 13. He scored nine wins and hopes to make it a round number. It was at the Memorial that he set a national record. - I also hope to make up for Paris here – he admitted.
The same thing could be said by Wojciech Nowicki, although, just like in France, the Poles will have to face the new king of the hammer, Ethan Katzberg. Regardless of the Canadian's form, the competition will surely mark the start of a new era. In all editions to date, the hammer has flown a total of 39,825.47 metres. The 40-kilometre mark will most probably be reached after the third measured throw.
Event of the Year last time. Even better this time
In 2023, the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial was the best one-day meeting in the world according to World Athletics rankings, based on the results achieved and the fields assembled. Four world-leading marks were achieved and the Diamond League gave to Silesia a score above 9, meaning „excellent”. That scoring was confirmed in the anonymous surveys completed by the athletes. These opinions resulted in the meeting receiving the Event of the Year award in the „Przegląd Sportowy” poll.
– We have not reached our ceiling yet. We still want to develop the meeting and I hope we confirm this on Sunday – Małachowski assured.
Tickets to the Diamond League are still available for purchase on the eBilet.pl site. On Sunday, the ticket offices at the Silesian Stadium will also be open. The meeting will be broadcast by Telewizja Polska and Polsat. The competition starts at 2 PM and the stadium gates open at 12:30 PM.
