Bartosz Kurek
Bartosz Kamil Kurek(born 29 August 1988) is a Polish professionalvolleyballplayer who plays as an opposite spiker forZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźleand thePoland national team.[1]Kurek took part in 4Olympic Games(London 2012,Rio 2016,Tokyo 2020,Paris 2024) winning silver medal in Paris. He also won the2018 World Championtitle as well as the2009and the2023 European Championshiptitles. In 2019, he became the first ever volleyball player to be voted thePolish Sports Personality of the Year.
Personal life
[edit]Bartosz Kurek was born inWałbrzych,but raised inNysa.His father, Adam Kurek, was also avolleyballplayer. Kurek played basketball in his early youth, but later decided to choose volleyball. He has a younger brother – Jakub. Kurek is married to Anna Grejman, former volleyball player.[2]
Career
[edit]Club
[edit]Kurek began his career in a team fromNysa(2004–2005), where he played alongside his father. He spent the next 3 years playing for aPlusLigaclub,ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle(2005–2008).
In 2008, he moved toPGE Skra Bełchatów,one of the most successful teams inPlusLiga,where he quickly became a key player. With Skra, he won the Polish Championship three times: in 2009, 2010 and 2011. On the international stage, he won twoClub World Championshipsilver medals, in2009and2010,and a bronze medal of theCEV Champions Leaguein 2010. On 18 March 2012, they won a silver medal of theCEV Champions Leagueafter losing toZenit Kazanin the final held inŁódź,Poland.[3]Kurek received an individual award for theBest spikerof the tournament.
After the2011–12 PlusLigaseason, Kurek left PGE Skra Bełchatów, and signed a contract with the Russian team,Dynamo Moscow,however, due to injury, he was unable to play for his new team for a large part of the season.[4]
After one season in Russia, Kurek moved toItalianclubLube Banca Macerata.In 2014, they won the Italian Championship, beatingSir Safety Perugiain the final. On 15 October 2014, Lube, including Kurek, won the Italian Super Cup, beatingCopra Elior Piacenza(3–2).[5]
On 4 May 2015, Kurek signed a contract withAsseco Resovia.[6]After winning a silver medal of the Polish Championship in 2016, he left Resovia and signed a contract withJapaneseclubJT Thunders.
On 2 October 2016, he announced suspending his sports career due to physical and mental fatigue. At the same time, he terminated the contract withJT Thunders.[7]In September, he moved back to his former club – PGE Skra Bełchatów.
In 2018, Kurek joined Polish clubStocznia Szczecin.On 29 November 2018, due to club's financial problems, Kurek terminated his contract with Stocznia.[8]On 6 December 2018, he joinedOnico Warsawafter leaving Stocznia Szczecin a few days earlier.[9]
National team
[edit]Kurek was a part of thePoland national teamwhich won a gold medal at the2009 European Championshipheld inTurkey.On 14 September 2009, he was awarded theKnight's Cross of Polonia Restituta.[10]The Order was conferred on the following day by the Prime Minister of Poland,Donald Tusk.
On 10 July 2011, Kurek, alongside his national team, won the Poland's first medal of theWorld League.They won a bronze medal after defeatingArgentina.Kurek received an individual award for theBest scorerof the final tournament. In the same year, Poland took part in theEuropean Championship,where they were the defending champions. Kurek was his team's key player throughout the whole tournament in which the Polish national team won a second medal in 2011 after winning the match for third place againstRussia.At the same tournament, Kurek was awarded with his second individual award in 2011, for theBest serverof the tournament.[11]In November 2011, despite a back injury, Kurek went to Japan to participate at theWorld Cup,and helped his team win a silver medal and therefore qualify for theOlympic Games.
On 8 July 2012, the Polish team won a gold medal of theWorld League.Kurek received an award for theMost valuable player.[12]Kurek was one of the key players of the Polish team at theOlympic Games(London 2012), but nonetheless Poland lost in the quarterfinal toRussia,and was eliminated from the tournament.
In 2014, he was a member of thePolish national teamduring the2015 European Championship qualification.He was not included in the Polish national team for theWorld Championshipheld inPoland.[13]
After a one year break, he came back to the national team on 28 May 2015 during the first match of intercontinental round of theWorld LeagueagainstRussia(3–0).[14]He was a top scorer of the match (15 points).
On 30 September 2018, Poland achieved its third title of theWorld Champion.[15]Poland beat Brazil in the final (3–0), and defended the title from 2014. Kurek received an individual award for theMost valuable playerof the tournament.[16]
On 10 August 2024, he won the silver medal at the2024 Summer Olympic Gamesin Paris.[17]
Honours
[edit]Club
[edit]- CEV Champions League
- FIVB Club World Championship
- CEV Cup
- Domestic
- 2008–09
Polish Cup,with PGE Skra Bełchatów - 2008–09
Polish Championship,with PGE Skra Bełchatów - 2009–10Polish Championship,with PGE Skra Bełchatów
- 2010–11Polish Cup,with PGE Skra Bełchatów
- 2010–11Polish Championship,with PGE Skra Bełchatów
- 2011–12Polish Cup,with PGE Skra Bełchatów
- 2013–14Italian Championship, withCucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata
- 2014–15Italian SuperCup, with Cucine Lube Banca Marche Treia
- 2021–22Emperor's Cup, withWolfdogs Nagoya
- 2022–23Japanese Championship,with Wolfdogs Nagoya
- 2008–09
Youth national team
[edit]
Individual awards
[edit]- 2005:CEV U19 European Championship– Best spiker
- 2009:FIVB Club World Championship– Best scorer
- 2011:Polish Cup – Best spiker
- 2011:FIVB World League– Best scorer
- 2011:CEV European Championship– Best server
- 2012:CEV Champions League– Best spiker
- 2012:FIVB World League– Most valuable player
- 2018:FIVB World Championship– Most valuable player
- 2018:CEV – Male volleyball player of the year[18]
- 2019:Polish Sports Personality of the Year 2018
- 2021:FIVB Nations League– Most valuable player (shared withWallace de Souza)
- 2021:FIVB Nations League– Best opposite spiker
- 2021:Emperor's Cup – Most valuable player
- 2022:FIVB World Championship– Best opposite spiker
- 2023:Japan V.League– Most valuable player & Best SIX
- 2023:Kurowashiki tournament– Most valuable player & Best SIX
State awards
[edit]- 2009:
Knight's Cross of Polonia Restituta - 2018:
Officer's Cross of Polonia Restituta[19] - 2024:
Commander's Cross of Polonia Restituta[20]
Statistics
[edit]- 2015–16 PlusLiga–Best scorer(510 points)
- 2015–16 PlusLiga –Best spiker(430 points)
References
[edit]- ^"Hity transferowe! Bartosz Kurek kapitanem, Andrea Giani trenerem".Przegląd Sportowy(in Polish). 11 June 2024.Retrieved11 June2024.
- ^"Bartosz Kurek i Anna Grejman już po ślubie! Siatkarz pochwalił się zdjęciem z małżonką".Przegląd Sportowy(in Polish). 29 August 2020.Retrieved30 March2021.
- ^"Zenit KAZAN shatters PGE Skra dreams of home glory".CEV.18 March 2012.Retrieved29 March2021.
- ^"Bartosz Kurek w Dynamie Moskwa".PlusLiga(in Polish). 6 May 2012.Retrieved29 March2021.
- ^"Bartosz Kurek z Superpucharem Włoch!".Polsat Sport(in Polish). 15 October 2014.Retrieved29 March2021.
- ^"Megahit stał się faktem. Bartosz Kurek w Asseco Resovii Rzeszów!".SportoweFakty(in Polish). 4 May 2015.Retrieved29 March2021.
- ^"Bartosz Kurek wydał oświadczenie! Polak rozwiązał kontrakt z japońskim klubem".Polsat Sport(in Polish). 2 October 2016.Retrieved29 March2021.
- ^"OFICJALNIE: Bartosz Kurek nie jest zawodnikiem Stoczni Szczecin".Przegląd Sportowy(in Polish). 29 November 2018.Retrieved29 March2021.
- ^"Bartosz Kurek zawodnikiem ONICO Warszawa".PZPS(in Polish). 7 December 2018.Retrieved29 March2021.
- ^"Reprezentacja siatkarzy odznaczona przez prezydenta".prezydent.pl(in Polish). 15 September 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 22 July 2015.Retrieved31 March2021.
- ^"Rosja pokonana! Polacy mają medal ME!".Przegląd Sportowy(in Polish). 18 September 2011.Retrieved31 March2021.
- ^"WL M: Poland beat USA to claim first World League title".WorldofVolley.9 July 2012.Retrieved31 March2021.
- ^"MŚ siatkarzy 2014: Stephane Antiga powołał kadrę, Bartosz Kurek nie jedzie na mundial".Przegląd Sportowy(in Polish). 17 August 2014.Retrieved31 March2021.
- ^"Opening victory for reigning world champions Poland".FIVB.28 May 2015.Retrieved31 March2021.
- ^"Poland triumph over Brazil to retain world title for four more years".FIVB.30 September 2018.Retrieved31 March2021.
- ^"Kurek MVP mistrzostw świata! Nagrody indywidualne dla Kubiaka, Nowakowskiego i Zatorskiego!".sport.dziennik.pl(in Polish). 30 September 2018.Retrieved31 March2021.
- ^"Poland claim Olympic silver in men's volleyball".polskieradio.pl.Retrieved10 August2024.
- ^"The best volleyball player in Europe".PZPS.4 November 2018.Retrieved31 March2021.
- ^"Odznaczenia dla Mistrzów Świata w Piłce Siatkowej Mężczyzn 2018".prezydent.pl(in Polish). 2 October 2018. Archived fromthe originalon 2 October 2018.Retrieved31 March2021.
- ^"Uroczystość wręczenia odznaczeń medalistom oraz trenerom Igrzysk XXXIII Olimpiady Paryż 2024".prezydent.pl(in Polish). 9 September 2024.Retrieved9 September2024.
External links
[edit]
- Player profileat theEuropean Volleyball Confederation
- Player profileatOlympics.com
- Player profileatOlympedia
- Player profileatLegaVolley.it(in Italian)
- Player profileatPlusLiga.pl(in Polish)
- Player profileatVolleybox.net
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| Sportspersonality of The Year |
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| Team of The Year |
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| Coach of The Year |
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| International | |
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| National | |
- 1988 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Wałbrzych
- Volleyball players from Lower Silesian Voivodeship
- Polish men's volleyball players
- Polish Champions of men's volleyball
- Italian Champions of men's volleyball
- Olympic volleyball players for Poland
- Volleyball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Volleyball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Volleyball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Volleyball players at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta
- Polish expatriate volleyball players in Russia
- Polish expatriate volleyball players in Italy
- Polish expatriate volleyball players in Turkey
- Polish expatriate sportspeople in Japan
- Expatriate volleyball players in Japan
- Stal Nysa players
- ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle players
- Skra Bełchatów players
- Volley Lube players
- Resovia (volleyball) players
- Ziraat Bankası volleyball players
- Projekt Warsaw players
- Outside hitters
- Opposite hitters
- Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Olympic silver medalists for Poland
- Olympic medalists in volleyball