Inside Polish Sports

In Part 2 of our lookback on the career of Andrzej Gołota, we'll talk about his two homecomings in Poland, the mafia ties with the infamous Pershing gang of Pruszków, the two times he should've won the heavyweight title and the inevitable in-ring decline into a comfortable retirement and, in the end, universal admiration.

Hide behind your Foul Poles, because this is Part 1 of a two-part retrospective on the most famous and controversial of Polish Heavyweights. This is the story of the many Boxing peaks and valleys of Andrzej Gołota(Please don't call him Andrew!)

Another Winter Olympics have come and gone, a surprisingly good fortnight for Team Poland. Kamila Sellier's short track crash has made international headlines, but happily it wasn't as serious as we feared. Eliza Rucka-Michałek came back from health scares, forced retirement and motherhood to finish 8th in cross country's marathon equivalent. And I must do a mea culpa regarding the men's hockey fi...

Irish Dave joins me again as we finally get our bad weather revenge for the 1974 World Cup semifinal with Tomasiak and Wąsek winning the team event silver instead of the Germans after it was cut short due to a Narnia-like amount of snow. Also, Andżelika Wójcik accuses Speed Skating bosses of not giving her coach(turns out she went freelance on her own behest) and Dave rants about Curling taking up...

We're doing so well in Milan that I'm giving you a second episode this week! In Speed Skating, Vladimir Semirunniy repays the faith of us adopting him from Russia and of his own Olympic dreams almost ruined by Putin's invasion by winning silver in the 10000 metres. Whilst Kacper Tomasiak added to his growing legend by adding a bronze on the large hill.

Turns out these Winter Olympics won't be a lost cause for Poland after all! 19-year-old Kacper Tomasiak becomes our youngest ever medalist at the Winter Games with a silver on the normal hill. All of this in spite of the storm surrounding Adam Małysz and the PZN as well as the president. Also, where can I order our figure skaters' plush pierogis? Why Warsaw should actually bid for the 2036 Summer...

In our last pre-Winter Olympics episode Irish Dave joins me again to talk about all the cameras at the Australian Open, Iga's funny comments about it, and why she is still more likeable than war apologist Sabalenka. Also, why Ekstraklasa is the closest league in Europe, soon-to-be-promoted Wisła will welcome Wrexham to Kraków in July and Ola Mirosław retires from Sports Climbing.

In Episode 9 the Poles go a full 6-for-6 in the first round of the Australian Open, a "happy slam" even more so for us than for other nations. Polish Handball meanwhile is going in the opposite direction, as the national team loses all three group games at the Euros. And my historical deep dive on the Dakar Rally and Poland's contributions to motorsport's toughest event.

In Episode 8, Klaudia Zwolinska used her social media to the fullest extent to become Poland's Sports Personality of the Year and Mariusz Czerkawski did a rookie of the year performance as host. Also, Lewy puts Xabi Alonso in the job office, Iga and Co. win the United Cup, Kamil Stoch's farewell in Zakopane, Speed Skating wonders in Tomaszów Mazowiecki and how Damian Knyba was robbed of the interi...

In Episode 7 I am joined by my friend Irish Dave for a more rose-tinted glasses' review of 2025. On tap we'll have the US Open hat snatcher, Nawrocki's hooligan allegations, Polish Olympic Committee's ludicrous crypto sponsorship and Lewy reaching 100 Champions League goals. Also how even in defeat, Krzysztof Ratajski made us all proud at the Ally Pally.

In Episode 6 we take a historical deep dive on, to this day, the most universally beloved Polish athlete of all time. This is how Adam Małysz launched Małyszomania 25 years ago this week, and how its spirit still runs wild in our love of Ski Jumping.

In Episode 5 it's the awards season as I give out the first annual Kubbies(the name I made up myself) to the best and worst performers of our sporting year. Also, Marek Papszun has turned Raków Częstochowa into a domestic and Conference League powerhouse, and Dartsmas has also spread to our parts with three Poles in the Ally Pally draw.

In Episode 4, The L in Legia stands for endless losses. Join me as we catch up on their European and Domestic results. Also, with the end of the year in sight, the Polish Sports Personality of the Year(voting for the whole Top 10 in our case) is celebrating its centenary. I will talk about the tradition of the afterparty ball and how you have to stay on the dancefloor until the eggplant is served...

POLAND HAVE WON THE WORLD CUP! The World Socca Cup, that is. But we'll take six-a-side glory over any hope of winning the FIFA equivalent. The one for which a draw just took place, but we don't know whether we've qualified for. I'll wait until March to assess our playoff chances at length.  Also in Episode 3 we've had a pretty good week in (short course) swimming in Lublin, whilst in Holland a Rus...

In Episode 2 I will be talking about how the UEFA Conference League is the best thing to ever happen to the Ekstraklasa(Unless you're a Legia fan because now not only can't you win a raffle but Michał Probierz could be your next manager!). Our basketball guys did a reverse blackjack on the Dutch coming back from 21 down. Whilst Piotr Lisek is taking a break from pole vaulting for.........an MMA fi...

On this inaugural episode of Inside Polish Sports I will be talking about Robert Lewandowski's 1000th career match(If you count all the friendlies), how, despite his stardom and goals the Polish national team is still in purgatory on the road to the World Cup finals and why although this is a seemingly golden era the beautiful game isn't really our national sport. Ski Jumping would be closer to th...