Polish sprinter Kornelia Lesiewicz retires from athletics at 23 after recurring injuries

Retirement decision at age 23

Polish 400-metre sprinter Kornelia Lesiewicz announced the conclusion of her professional athletic career on Wednesday morning, 30 September 2026. The 23-year-old athlete revealed her decision in a video published on Instagram, explaining that chronic physical problems and recurring injuries made further competition impossible. Born on 14 August 2003 in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Lesiewicz had spent recent seasons undergoing rehabilitation in attempts to regain competitive fitness. In her retirement statement, she directly addressed the supporters, family members, friends and coaching staff who assisted her throughout her career and recovery efforts.

There are decisions you do not want to make, and there are dreams you would not want to give up, but when you know it is the only right decision, you simply have no choice.

Breakthrough years and medal success

Lesiewicz broke through at national level in 2020 at age 17, when she broke a Polish under-18 400-metre record that had remained unbeaten for nearly 46 years. Her ascent continued through the 2021 indoor campaign, where she established national junior indoor records and earned a silver medal at the senior Polish indoor championships. Her senior international breakthrough arrived in March 2021 at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń, where she won a bronze medal in the 4x400-metre relay alongside Natalia Kaczmarek, Małgorzata Hołub-Kowalik and Aleksandra Gaworska. Later that summer, she captured the 400-metre gold medal at the European Athletics U20 Championships before claiming two silver medals at the World Athletics U20 Championships in the individual 400 metres and the mixed 4x400-metre relay.

Olympic selection and national records

Following her medal collection in 2021, Lesiewicz travelled to Japan as a member of Poland's Olympic team for the Tokyo Games, serving as a reserve for the relay pool. Her personal best time of 52.56 seconds stood as the national under-18 standard over 400 metres for four seasons. That mark was broken in 2024 at the European Athletics U18 Championships in Banská Bystrica, where fellow Polish sprinter Anastazja Kuś took gold with a time of 51.89 seconds. Despite ongoing physical setbacks, Lesiewicz maintained hope as late as December 2025 that her peak sporting condition would return, but persistent injuries ultimately prevented any return to major track competition.

Responses from Polish teammates

The announcement prompted widespread reaction across Polish track and field, with teammates from national relay squads publishing public messages of support. Olympic medallist Natalia Bukowiecka wrote that teammates would miss her while noting that new opportunities lie ahead, and Justyna Święty-Ersetic shared words of encouragement on social media. Małgorzata Hołub-Kowalik, who shared the podium with Lesiewicz at the 2021 European Indoor Championships in Toruń, expressed pride in having been part of her competitive journey. Additional messages came from Polish competitors across multiple disciplines, including hurdler Pia Skrzyszowska alongside sprinters Justyna Jelska, Aleksandra Formella, Magdalena Stefanowicz, Marika Popowicz and Alicja Sielska. In her closing remarks, Lesiewicz apologized that her sporting career could not last longer and confirmed she would seek fulfillment on a new path outside professional athletics.