Poland extends reward of free apartments to Olympic silver medalists after winning only one gold

A sponsor of Poland’s Olympic team has announced that it is extending its reward of a free apartment – which was promised only to winners of gold medals – to those who took silver.

The decision comes after a disappointing Paris games in which Poland won just a single gold – its worst result since 1956. At the previous Olympics in Tokyo, Poland returned with four golds.

Poland has finished @Paris2024 with just one gold and 10 medals in total – its worst result since 1956.

The prime minister has suggested there are failings in how Polish sport is managed. But the head of the Olympic committee has blamed the government https://t.co/iS9OqF1RuB

— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) August 11, 2024

Before the Olympics, sponsor Profbud, a property group, had pledged to give a two-bedroom apartment at one of its Warsaw properties that is under development to each winner of gold in individual events.

Until yesterday, it was assumed that this meant only Aleksandra Mirosław – who became Olympic champion in women’s speed climbing, setting a new world record in the process – would benefit from the prize.

But on Monday, the firm announced that it was “changing the rules of the game” and will “additionally fund apartments for each of our three silver warriors”: boxer Julia Szeremeta, canoeist Klaudia Zwolińska and cyclist Daria Pikulik.

“For us, they are all absolute winners in their disciplines and deserve support!” wrote the firm. “As a token of this gratitude, with undisguised pride, we provide the security of new apartments to the Olympic vice-champions from Paris.”

News website Business Insider Polska notes that such apartments in Warsaw can cost up to 1 million zloty (€233,332), though the precise value will depend on the location and form of the properties, which are yet to be announced. The Polish Olympic Committee says the apartments are scheduled to be ready in 2026.

Poland also won silver in the men’s volleyball, with a squad of 13 players. However, Profbud’s offer did not extend to team events.

Poland’s sports ministry offers its own awards to medallists, with 100,000 zloty for individual gold, 70,000 zloty for silver and 55,000 zloty for bronze. The athletes will also receive two-year stipends of 15,000 zloty per month as well as a special Olympic pension (currently around 4,200 zloty per month) after turning 40.

Meanwhile, the men’s volleyball team will share a team prize of 1.5 million zloty between them, which works out at 115,000 zloty per player.

Z naszymi bohaterkami i bohaterami. Wszyscy są z Was bardzo dumni! pic.twitter.com/64YIzO3HFe

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) August 12, 2024

After Poland’s Olympic athletes returned home, Prime Minister Donald Tusk invited the medal winners to his chancellery, where he congratulated them on their achievement but also, reports the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna newspaper, asked them about any problems they had faced.

Last week, Tusk responded to Poland’s poor performance at the Olympics by criticising the way in which sport is managed in Poland, saying it has become a “kind of closed system” and “a way for politicians and officials to earn a lot of money”. He promised changes would be made.

However, the head of the Polish Olympic Committee, Radosław Piesiewicz, blamed the government for “a lack of dialogue” and accused it of failing to provide funding for preparations for the Paris games.

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Main image credit: Dawid Zuchowicz / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.