Justyna Kowalczyk


Justyna Maria Kowalczyk is a Polish cross-country skier who has been competing since 2000.
Kowalczyk is a double Olympic Champion and a double World Champion. She is also the only skier to win the Tour de Ski four times in a row and one of two female skiers, who won the FIS Cross-Country World Cup three times in a row. Kowalczyk holds the all-time record for the most wins in Tour de Ski with 14 competitions won and 29 podiums in total. She also won the Vasaloppet women's edition in 2015.
She is a member of cross country ski department of AZS AWF Katowice and is coached by Aleksander Wierietielny.

Career

Born in Limanowa, Southern Poland, Kowalczyk took up cross country skiing at the age of 10. She then competed in her first FIS World Cup race at Cogne in December 2001.
In 2002 she came second in the individual sprint at the World Junior Championships. She finished 31st in the individual sprint event at the 2003 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Recently in Canmore, Canada, on 22 January 2008, Justyna Kowalczyk won the race for her second World Cup triumph. She followed in Canmore with two more bronze medals in the same World Cup event. Kowalczyk was 3rd in the 2007 World Cup. She has also won thirty individual events at various distances and levels since 2001.
At the 2009 world championships in Liberec, Kowalczyk won two gold medals, one in the women's pursuit, and another one in the 30 km mass start. She also secured a bronze medal in the 10 km classical event.
She won the overall 2008–09 Cross-Country Skiing World Cup. On 24 March 2009, Kowalczyk was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
On 27 February 2010, Kowalczyk beat Norway's Marit Bjørgen by 0.3 seconds to win the gold medal in the women's 30 km classical event in the 2010 Winter Olympics. She posted a time of one hour, 30 minutes, 33.7 seconds. She earned two more medals in Vancouver, taking silver behind Bjørgen in the individual sprint classic on February 17, 2010, and bronze in the 15 km pursuit on February 19, 2010.
Kowalczyk won the 10 km classical race in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi on a broken foot. She did not finish 30 km freestyle race.
On February 22, 2015 won bronze medal of the World Championship 2015 in team sprint with Sylwia Jaśkowiec in Falun, Sweden.
She won the Vasaloppet ski marathon in 2015 with a time of 4:41:02. She also won the Birkebeinerrennet long-distance cross-country ski marathon held annually in Norway in 2017 and 2018.

Education

Kowalczyk graduated from the Jerzy Kukuczka University of Physical Education in Katowice with an M.A. and a Ph.D. degree in physical education in 2014 at the Bronisław Czech University of Physical Education in Kraków, where her dissertation was titled "The structure and volume of training load cross-country skiing on the background of the evolution of technology gear and different levels of sports".

The suspension in 2005

At the 2005 World Championships, Kowalczyk competed but was subsequently disqualified for taking dexamethasone at the Under23 OPA Intercontinental Cup competition in Oberstdorf, Germany back on January 23, 2005. Dexamethason is a substance that is allowed Out-of-Competition but prohibited In-Competition. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant. Kowalczyk used the substance to alleviate an Achilles tendon condition.
On 13 June 2005, the FIS Doping Panel issued a two-year suspension for Kowalczyk. In late June 2005 FIS determined that since dexamethasone was a glucocorticosteroid, it was classified as a specified substance on the World Anti-Doping Agency list of prohibited substances, and therefore the period of ineligibility for the first violation is at a maximum, one year's ineligibility. The FIS Doping Panel therefore reduced the suspension to one year.
Kowalczyk appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport which held that Kowalczyk did not use Dexamethason to enhance her sport performance. However, she acted negligently, but the measure of the negligence did not justify a one-year term of ineligibility. According to CAS, a reduced period of ineligibility ending 8 December 2005 provided the fair and proportionate measure of sanction.
CAS criticised the FIS Doping Panel that their decision excluded any consideration of Kowalczyk's defence that she did not use the substance to enhance her sport performance. According to CAS, Kowalczyk had disclosed and substantiated her defence that Dexamethason was not intended to enhance performance. She had submitted corresponding medical certifications to the FIS Doping Panel as proof of use in alleviating an Achilles tendon condition. Upon Kowalczyk's prima facie showing that her use of the substance was for medical reasons, the burden of proof shifted to FIS to prove the contrary.

Criticism of anti-asthma drugs

Kowalczyk criticized Marit Bjørgen and other competitors during the Olympic Games in 2010 for using anti-asthma drugs. Bjørgen won five medals in the Olympics, three of them gold. The drug is allowed by FIS if prescribed by an Olympic team physician. Kowalczyk later apologized for the timing of her statements, since the Games were still going on at the time. The asthma medication Marit Bjørgen is using, Symbicort, has since been removed from WADA's list of banned substances.

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation.

Olympic Games

YearAge10 km
individual		15 km
skiathlon		30 km
mass start		Sprint4 × 5 km
relay		Team
sprint
200623DNF83rd44——
20102753rd1st2ndCross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's 4 × 5 kilometre relay|—
2014311st6DNF—75
201835—171422107

World Championships

YearAge10 kmPursuit30 kmSprint4 × 5 km
relay		Team
sprint
20032048——31——
200522913412——
200724189DNF17——
2009263rd1st1st—6—
2011282nd2nd3rd58—
201330—52nd69—
201532——17453rd
2017348———89
201936————1310

World Cup

SeasonDiscipline
2008–09Overall
2008–09Distance
2009–10Overall
2009–10Distance
2009–10Sprint
2010–11Overall
2010–11Distance
2012–13Overall
2012–13Distance

Individual podiums

No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlace
12005-0607.01.2006 Otepää, Estonia10 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
22006-0727.01.2007 Otepää, Estonia10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
32007-0802.12.2007 Rukatunturi, Finland10 km Individual CWorld Cup3rd
42007-0828.12.2007 Nové Město, Czech Republic3.3 km Individual CStage World Cup3rd
52007-0804.01.2008 Asiago, Italy1.2 km Sprint FStage World Cup3rd
62007-0822.01.2008 Canmore, Canada7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup1st
72007-0822.01.2008 Canmore, Canada1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
82007-0823.01.2008 Canmore, Canada10 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
92007-0816.02.2008 Liberec, Czech Republic7.6 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
102007-0816.03.2008 Bormio, Italy10 km Pursuit FWorld Cup2nd
112008-0929.11.2008 Rukatunturi, Finland1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
122008-0927.12.2008 Oberhof, Germany2.8 km Individual FStage World Cup3rd
132008-0928.12.2008 Oberhof, Germany10 km Pursuit CStage World Cup3rd
142008-0916.01.2009 Whistler, Canada1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup2nd
152008-0917.01.2009 Whistler, Canada7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup1st
162008-0924.01.2009 Otepää, Estonia10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
172008-0914.02.2009 Valdidentro, Italy10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
182008-0908.03.2009 Lahti, Finland10 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
182008-0912.03.2009 Trondheim, Norway1.4 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
202008-0914.03.2009 Trondheim, Norway30 km Mass Start CWorld Cup2nd
212008-0920.03.2009 Falun, Sweden2.5 km Individual FStage World Cup3rd
222008-0921.03.2009 Falun, Sweden5 km + 5 km Pursuit C/FStage World Cup3rd
232008-09 World Cup FinalOverall StandingsWorld Cup1st
242009-1028.11.2009 Rukatunturi, Finland1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
252009-1019.12.2009 Rogla, Slovenia1.0 km Sprint CWorld Cup2nd
262009-1020.12.2009 Rogla, Slovenia15 km Mass Start CWorld Cup1st
272009-1001.01.2010 Oberhof, Germany2.8 km Individual FStage World Cup3rd
282009-1002.01.2010 Oberhof, Germany10 km Pursuit CStage World Cup1st
292009-1003.01.2010 Oberhof, Germany1.6 km Sprint CStage World Cup2nd
302009-1006.01.2010 Cortina–Toblach, Italy16 km Pursuit FStage World Cup2nd
312009-1007.01.2010 Cortina–Toblach, Italy5 km Individual CStage World Cup1st
322009-10 Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup1st
332009-1016.01.2010 Otepää, Estonia10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
342009-1022.01.2010 Rybinsk, Russia1.0 km Sprint FWorld Cup3rd
352009-1023.01.2010 Rybinsk, Russia7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup1st
362009-1005.02.2010 Canmore, Canada10 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
372009-1006.02.2010 Canmore, Canada1.45 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
382009-1006.03.2010 Lahti, Finland7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup2nd
392009-1017.03.2010 Stockholm, Sweden1.1 km Sprint CStage World Cup2nd
402009-1019.03.2010 Falun, Sweden2.5 km Individual CStage World Cup1st
412009-10 World Cup FinalOverall StandingsWorld Cup2nd
422010-1127.11.2010 Rukatunturi, Finland5 km Individual CStage World Cup2nd
432010-1128.11.2010 Rukatunturi, Finland10 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
442010-11 Nordic OpeningOverall StandingsWorld Cup2nd
452010-1111.12.2010 Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
462010-1118.12.2010 La Clusaz, France15 km Mass Start FWorld Cup2nd
472010-1131.12.2010 Oberhof, Germany2.5 km Individual FStage World Cup1st
482010-1101.01.2011 Oberhof, Germany10 km Pursuit CStage World Cup1st
492010-1102.01.2011 Oberstdorf, Germany1.2 km Sprint CStage World Cup2nd
502010-1106.01.2011 Cortina–Toblach, Italy16 km Pursuit FStage World Cup1st
512010-1106.01.2011 Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km Mass StartStage World Cup1st
522010-11 Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup1st
532010-1122.01.2011 Otepää, Estonia10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
542010-1104.02.2011 Rybinsk, Russia5 km + 5 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup1st
552010-1105.02.2011 Rybinsk, Russia1.3 km Sprint FWorld Cup3rd
562010-1119.02.2011 Drammen, Norway10 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
572010-1112.03.2011 Lahti, Finland5 km + 5 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup2nd
582010-1118.03.2011 Falun, Sweden2.5 km Individual CStage World Cup2nd
592010-1119.03.2011 Falun, Sweden5 km + 5 km Pursuit C/FStage World Cup2nd
602010-11 World Cup FinalOverall StandingsWorld Cup2nd
612011-1217.12.2011 Rogla, Slovenia10 km Mass Start CWorld Cup1st
622011-1229.12.2011 Oberhof, Germany2.5 km Individual FStage World Cup1st
632011-1230.12.2011 Oberhof, Germany10 km Pursuit CStage World Cup1st
642011-1231.12.2011 Oberstdorf, Germany1.2 km Sprint CStage World Cup1st
652011-1201.01.2012 Oberstdorf, Germany5 km + 5 km Skiathlon C/FStage World Cup2nd
662011-1203.01.2012 Toblach, Italy3 km Individual CStage World Cup2nd
672011-1204.01.2012 Toblach, Italy1.3 km Sprint FStage World Cup3rd
682011-1205.01.2012 Toblach, Italy15 km Pursuit FStage World Cup2nd
692011-1207.01.2012 Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km Mass Start CStage World Cup1st
702011-1208.01.2012 Val di Fiemme, Italy9 km Pursuit FStage World Cup2nd
712011-12 Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup1st
722011-1221.01.2012 Otepää, Estonia1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
732011-1222.01.2012 Otepää, Estonia10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
742011-1202.02.2012 Moscow, Russia1.5 km Sprint FWorld Cup1st
752011-1205.02.2012 Rybinsk, Russia7.5 km + 7.5 km Skiathlon C/FWorld Cup2nd
762011-1211.02.2012 Nové Město, Czech Republic15 km Mass Start CWorld Cup2nd
772011-1218.02.2012 Szklarska Poręba, Poland10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
782011-1204.03.2012 Lahti, Finland1.4 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
792011-1207.03.2012 Drammen, Norway1.2 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
802011-1211.03.2012 Oslo, Norway30 km Mass StartWorld Cup2nd
812011-1217.03.2012 Falun, Sweden10 km Mass Start CStage World Cup1st
822012-13 Nordic OpeningOverall StandingsWorld Cup2nd
832012-1313.12.2012 Canmore, Canada10 km Mass Start CWorld Cup1st
842012-1316.12.2012 Canmore, Canada7.5 km + 7.5 km Skiathlon C/FWorld Cup1st
852012-1329.12.2012 Oberhof, Germany3 km Individual FStage World Cup3rd
862012-1330.12.2012 Oberhof, Germany9 km Pursuit CStage World Cup1st
872012-1303.01.2013 Cortina–Toblach, Italy15 km Pursuit FStage World Cup1st
882012-1304.01.2013 Toblach, Italy3 km Individual CStage World Cup1st
892012-1304.01.2013 Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km Mass Start CStage World Cup1st
902012-13 Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup1st
912012-1312.01.2013 Liberec, Czech Republic0.85 km Sprint CWorld Cup2nd
922012-1319.01.2013 La Clusaz, France10 km Mass Start CWorld Cup3rd
932012-1316.02.2013 Davos, Switzerland1.5 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
942012-1317.02.2013 Davos, Switzerland10 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
952012-1310.03.2013 Lahti, Finland10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
962012-1313.03.2013 Drammen, Norway1.3 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
972012-1317.03.2013 Oslo, Norway30 km Mass Start FWorld Cup2nd
982012-1320.03.2013 Stockholm, Sweden1.1 km Sprint CStage World Cup1st
992013-1429.11.2013 Rukatunturi, Finland1.4 km Sprint CStage World Cup1st
1002013-1430.11.2013 Rukatunturi, Finland5 km Individual CStage World Cup1st
1012013-1407.12.2013 Lillehammer, Norway10 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
1022013-1421.12.2013 Asiago, Italy1.25 km Sprint CWorld Cup1st
1032013-1419.01.2014 Szklarska Poręba, Poland10 km Mass Start CWorld Cup1st
1042016-1704.02.2017 Pyeongchang, South Korea7.5 km + 7.5 km Skiathlon C/FWorld Cup1st

Team podiums

No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlaceTeammate
12014-1518.01.2015 Otepää, Estonia6 × 1.2 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup3rdJaśkowiec