Wlodarczyk wins gold, earns lifetime honor in native Poland
ORANGE, Calif. – Longtime international track and field star – and Chapman University’s own – Anna Wlodarczyk returned to competition this summer and, literally, hasn’t lost a step. The Panthers’ cross country and track head coach shook off a four-year absence from international scene and captured three gold medals in the 55-59 age group this summer at the Polish Masters Track & Field Championships in Torun, Poland and at the Oceania Masters Athletics Championships in Tahiti.
The 59-year old Wlodarczyk was also honored with a lifetime achievement medal from the Polish Olympic Committee while visiting her home country in June. In July she was featured as a guest speaker at a symposium in Tahiti.
Wlodarczyk is a former Olympian for her native Poland in the long jump, finishing fourth in the 1980 Olympic Games. She has won world championships in both the long jump and triple jump in her career and is currently still the Polish national record holder in the indoor long jump. She won five straight Polish national long jump championships and was ranked in the international top-10 in long jump four times from 1980 to 1984. She has earned 19 international masters championship medals, including 15 gold.
“Even though I have moved far away from Poland it feels good that they have remembered all of my accomplishments,” said Wlodarczyk. “I received this big cup that summarized all of my achievements and I had the honor of raising the flag at the beginning of the championships.
“And now I had to jump and prove that I still know how. All my years of competing in masters, it was the first time I felt pressure.”
Not a problem. Wlodarczyk recorded a jump of 4.32 meters and finished first in the long jump in June at the Polish Masters Championships. She followed that up with two gold medals at the Oceania Masters Championships this July in both the triple jump (9.15 meters) and the long jump (4.17 meters). The return to the track for Wlodarczyk serves as a primer for next summer’s World Masters Championships in Sacramento in July, where she will compete in the next age group 60-64.
“After four years of not competing, to have my body cooperate, it feels a lot better psychologically,” said Wlodarczyk. “I hope that I have the time this year and my body cooperates enough for me to prepare for the World Championships next summer.”
Wlodarczyk has since returned to the Chapman campus and is gearing up for her 18th year as head coach for the Panthers’ men’s and women’s cross country and women’s track and field teams when school begins later this month.
by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director