Zuzanna Mazurek (born May 15, 1991, in Świdnik) is a Polish swimmer, who specialized in backstroke events.[1] She represented her nation Poland, as a 17-year-old, at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and has claimed multiple Polish records in both 100 and 200 m backstroke, which were eventually broken by Alicja Tchorz in the succeeding decade. Mazurek also swam as a member of UKP Fala Kraśnik, under the tutelage of her coach Sławomir Pliszká.

Zuzanna Mazurek
Personal information
Full nameZuzanna Mazurek
National team Poland
Born (1991-05-15) 15 May 1991 (age 33)
Świdnik, Poland
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBackstroke
ClubUKP Fala Kraśnik
CoachSlawomir Pliszka
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing Poland
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2008 Monterrey 200 m backstroke
European Junior Championships)
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Antwerp 200 m backstroke

Mazurek made her swimming history at the 2007 European Junior Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, claiming the bronze medal in the 200 m backstroke over her teammate Iwona Lefanowicz by 0.29 of a second with a time of 2:16.36.[2] By the following year, she won a gold medal in the same discipline at the 2008 FINA Youth World Swimming Championships in Monterrey, Mexico, smashing a meet record in 2:12.56.[3][4]

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Mazurek was selected to the Polish Olympic team in the pool, competing in a backstroke double. Four months before the Games, she threw down a scorching time of 2:12.65 (200 m backstroke) to shave 1.78 seconds off the national record (2:14.43) previously set by Aleksandra Miciul in 2000 and clear the insurmountable FINA A-cut (2:12.73) by 0.08 of a second at the Polish Championships in Ostrowiec.[5] In the 100 m backstroke, Mazurek pulled away from the field to crush the Polish record in 1:02.77 for a victory over Guatemala's Gisela Morales in heat two by a 0.15-second margin, but finished farther from the semifinal field in thirty-sixth overall.[6][7] In the 200 m backstroke, Mazurek could not produce a similar effort from the initial half of the backstroke double, as she lost in a sprint challenge to Ireland's Melanie Nocher for the top spot in heat two, but managed to finish with a new national record in 2:12.46. Mazurek missed the semifinals by nearly two seconds, as she placed twenty-first overall in the prelims.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Zuzanna Mazurek". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  2. ^ Rusticus, Oene (19 July 2007). "Daniel Gyurta, Emese Kovacs Provide Spark at European Junior Championships". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  3. ^ "World Youth Championships: Assorted Countries Hear Anthems on Third Night". Swimming World Magazine. 10 July 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Zuzanna Mazurek złotą medalistką mistrzostw świata w pływaniu" [Zuzanna Mazurek: Gold medalist at the World Swimming Championships] (in Polish). Polish Radio Lublin. 11 July 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Polish Championships: Zuzanna Mazurek Crushes National Record in 200 Back". Swimming World Magazine. 3 April 2008. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Swimming: Women's 100m Backstroke Heat 2". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  7. ^ "Zuzanna Mazurek odpadła na 100 metrów grzbietem" [Zuzanna Mazurek was eliminated in the 100 metre back] (in Polish). Wiadomości. 10 August 2008. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  8. ^ "Swimming: Women's 200m Backstroke Heat 2". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
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