- Robert Maćkowiak
MedalGold| 1999 Seville | 4x400 m relayThe USA 4x400 team originally finished first in 4x400 m relay but was disqualified in 2008 due to
Antonio Pettigrew confession of using human growth hormone and EPO between 1997 and 2003.]Robert Maćkowiak (born
May 30 ,1970 inRawicz ,Wielkopolskie ) is a Polish sprinter. Together withTomasz Czubak ,Jacek Bocian andPiotr Haczek he won a silver medal in 4 x 400 metres relay at the1999 World Championships in Athletics . Maćkowiak has also won other relay medals as well as individual medals in the200 metres and 400 metres.He belonged to the most famous and successful Polish relay team in 90's together with
Tomasz Czubak ,Piotr Haczek andPiotr Rysiukiewicz . Unfortunately many injuries stayed on their way to join the best relays of all time. The worst thing happened to them in the Olympic Games in Sydney. The Polish team was one of the favourites to get medal (after unstoppable U.S. really there were two main rivals:Jamaica andBahamas . On the second leg (first ran Rysiukiewicz) Maćkowiak was leading but he had run into a starting box (Polish team run on the eight lane) and Poland lost their medal chances. The relay finished seventh in the competition.Maćkowiak was also starting in the individual race in which he finished fifth. He was the only white athlete in the race and he started on the first lane so his result was a big success.
Maćkowiak was also one of the favourites on the World Championships in Edmonton 2001). The main rival was German runner
Ingo Schultz who had best times in qualification runs. Maćkowiak was a candidate for silver but he got an injury few days before final and he lost chances to fight for medals. He also didn't start in the relay run which took place few days after individual start.Officially retired at the end of 2006 season.
Achievements
Personal bests
*
200 metres - 20.61 s (1996)r
*400 metres - 44.84 s (2001)ree also
*
Polish records in athletics Notes
References
*iaaf name|id=7858|name=Robert Maćkowiak
* [http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/robert-mackowiak-1.html sports-reference]
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