Nearly 800 people participated in the Polish Winter Academic Championships (AMP) in skiing and snowboarding. The best students come from the Academies of Physical Education.

This event is something really special, the atmosphere is really great and very different then other skiing championships. Year after year the participants make up a new covering theme. This time it was “Schlafen AMP”, everything was connected with clothes to sleep. Many people were walking in pajamas, night shirt with teddy bears, and toys, ladies in curlers and men with night caps.

The final competition started from the elimination round, which launched more than 250 male and nearly 200 female students from 57 universities. The 80 best skiers in the men’s and 60 in the women’s competitions were qualified for the giant slalom and slalom.

The best athletes were Jakub Ilewicz (Academy of Physical Education in Katowice) and Anna Berezik (Academy of Physical Education in Krakow), winning both events. Mr Ilewicz extended his series of triumphs - just before the start of the PWACh he won the AZS Winter Cup (for which he received a car). 

Victory in both competitions allowed the Academy of Physical Education Katowice in men and the Academy of Physical Education Krakow in women to win the general classification. Krakow universities have made two more medals: the Jagiellonian University won silver in women and University of Science and Technology bronze in men. Other places on the podium took representatives from Warsaw. University of Warsaw won silver in men, and bronze took ... Academy of Fine Arts! This is the first time ever that a team from art university won a medal in the Polish Academic Championships.

Ski Polish Winter Academic Championships ended with a crazy after party, during which all the awards were given, and once again were delivered mass praise for the organizers, the AZS Srodowisko Warsaw. As every year, the PWACh is great fun and a great atmosphere. It is encouraging that the event is growing and it shows continuous growing, as evidenced mainly new partners and sponsors of the event - commented Mr Jakub Ilewicz.

Polish Academic Championships in snowboarding were held in Bialka Tatrzanska. Compared to Zakopane the slope was determined by the participants as a little bit easier. Weather conditions forced the riders to one hundred percent effort. The participants had to face a morning low temperature of -27⁰C and thickly falling snow. Sliding under these conditions was no easy task.

According to the prevailing tradition, the day before the competition participants were drawn to the elimination baskets east and west. Leading after two preliminary runs in the eastern group was Veronica Biela (Jagiellonian University Kraków) and Tomasz Kowalczyk (Academy of Physical Education Krakow). Magdalena Pasko (Academy of Physical Education Katowice) and Maciej Hanczewski (Academy of Physical Education Poznan) won the western group.

Women's finals have brought a lot of excitement. Already after the first start was expected that the podium will be divided between Ficek, Pasko and Biela, which had a huge advantage over the other. Finally, Veronica Biela won the gold medal, silver went to Natalia Ficek (Academy of Physical Education Krakow), and last year's winner, Magdalena Pasko had to settle with bronze.

In the men's category all medals went to Krakow. Unrivalled was Tomasz Kowalczyk, who finished with the result of 1:29,64. Second place with a three-second gap to the leader took Oskar Bom (Academy of Physical Education). Third on the podium was Jedrzej Derda representing University of Science and Technology.

In the team competition two medals went to Academy of Physical Education Katowice, but Jagiellonian University Krakow and Academy of Physical Education Krakow were holders gold medals. Kracow Academy of Physical Education defended its first place from the last year. The Jagiellonian University was the only medal winner which was a not “Physical Academy”.

After the awarding ceremony the participants went to a well organized party. Competition has been prepared professionally, with lots of prizes and activities for the participants. Participants also took part in the recording of Polish University Sports Association Harlem Shake.

(Photos by skifoto.pl, Szustkosky)