Roman_Polianskyi

Roman Polianskyi

Roman Polianskyi

Ukrainian Paralympic rower

Not to be confused with the filmmaker Roman Polanski.

Roman Polianskyi (Ukrainian: Роман Олександрович Полянський; born September 1, 1986[1]) is a Ukrainian para-rower. He is the 2016 and 2020 Summer Paralympics gold medalist in men's single sculls.

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Early life

Polianskyi is originally from the village Khanzhenkovo near Makiivka in the Donetsk Province of Ukraine.[2] He started doing sports at the age of four, at the urging of his father. Polianskyi started experiencing symptoms of Strumpell disease at the age of ten.[2] He moved to Odesa in spring 2014, at the start of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine.[2]

Polianskyi was training in rowing for two years prior to the 2016 Rio Paralymic Games. During that time he trained with coach Yuri Bondarenko in Dnipro.[3]

When Polianskyi was 18, his father died from a mining accident; his mother died two years later. Polianskyi has a younger sister.[2]

Polianskyi now uses a wheelchair.[4]

Athletic career

Initially Polianskyi competed in para-canoeing but switched to para-rowing once canoeing was not included in the Rio 2016 Summer Paralympics program.[5] Polianskyi competes in men's PR1 single sculls in para-rowing events. The PR1 classification designates those para-rowing athletes who compete while mainly using their arms and shoulders.[6]

Polianskyi has the medical condition called hereditary spastic paraplegia.[7] The condition is also known as Strumpell disease.[8]

Polianskyi's first para-rowing sports race was in 2014 in Gavirate, Italy, where he came fourth.[5]

He won the gold medal in men's single sculls at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.[9][10] In the final race Polianskyi came ahead of the world champion, Erik Horrie of Australia, and the 2008 Paralympic champion, Tom Aggar of Great Britain. In that race Polianskyi also set a new Paralympic record, with the time of 04:39.56.[11][lower-alpha 1]

Polianskyi won the silver medal in men's PR1 single sculls at the 2017 World Rowing Championships at Sarasota[13] and also the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv.[14]

He won the gold medal in the same discipline at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz Ottensheim.[15] There he also set the new world record in PR1 men's single sculls, at 09:12.99, improving the previous world record by almost 4 seconds.[16][17] The victory qualified Polianskyi for participation in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.[18]

Polianskyi won the gold medal in PR1 single sculls at the Para Rowing International Regatta in Gavirate, Italy in 2017, and again in 2018.[19][20]

For his 2016 Paralympic victory, Polianskyi was awarded the Order of Merit, 3-d Class, by the President of Ukraine.[21]

Polianskyi holds the rank of Candidate for Master of Sport of Ukraine.[22]

Notes

  1. In 2017, the event distance was extended from 1,000 to 2,000 metres.[12]

References

  1. [1]
    Roman Polianskyi, athlete profile, International Rowing Federation. Accessed September 1, 2019.
  2. [2]
    Menshova, Valentina (October 14, 2016). ""У меня родственники – по всему миру! И все они меня поддерживают", – золотой призер Паралимпиады в Рио Роман Полянский". Donetskiye Novosti. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  3. [3]
    "Паралимпийский чемпион Роман Полянский: "Днепр – стопроцентно мое место на земле! Хочу остаться здесь навсегда"". fakty.ua. September 26, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  4. [4]
    "Національна паралімпійська збірна команда зразка 2016 року". National Sports Committee for the Disabled of Ukraine. September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  5. [5]
    ROMAN POLIANSKYI (UKR). Athlete of the Month - August 2017, International Rowing Federation. Accessed September 1, 2019.
  6. [6]
    "Para-rowing: What do PR3, PR2 and PR1 mean?". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. August 14, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  7. [7]
    Roman Polianskyi exacts his revenge, paralympic.org, International Paralympic Committee, May 19, 2019. Accessed 2019-09-01.
  8. [8]
    Fletcher-Janzen, Elaine (March 2018). "Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia". In Cecil R. Reynolds; Kimberly J. Vannest; Elaine Fletcher-Janzen (eds.). Encyclopedia of special education, Volume 2. A reference for the education of children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and other exceptional individuals. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-94939-9.
  9. [9]
    Palmer, Dan (September 11, 2016). "Triple gold for Britain at Paralympic rowing finals at Rio 2016". Inside the Games. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  10. [10]
    "Bronze medals for Team GB's Paralympic sailors in Rio". Yachting and Boating World. September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  11. [11]
    "Fast finals for para-rowers at the Rio Paralympics". International Rowing Federation. September 11, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  12. [12]
    "Paralympic Sports Rowing". Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. December 1, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  13. [13]
    Roman Polianskyi. All results. International Paralympic Committee. Accessed September 1, 2019.
  14. [14]
    Moran, Ed (September 16, 2018). "Worlds Sunday: Gold for US Women's Eight, Disappointment For the Men". www.row2k.com. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  15. [15]
    "Polianskyi and Skarstein claim PR1 single sculls titles at World Rowing Championships". Inside the Games. September 1, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  16. [16]
    Live: Final Day of the World Rowing Championships in Linz. row-360.com, September 1, 2019. Accessed 2019-09-01.
  17. [17]
    "Гребля академическая. ЧМ-2019. Полянский выиграл золото!". prosportua.com. September 1, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  18. [18]
    "Linz-Ottensheim 2019: Roman Polianskyi rows to birthday glory". International Paralympic Committee. September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  19. [19]
    "British quartet take gold at opening Para rowing regatta in Gavirate". Inside the Games. May 17, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  20. [20]
    "Paralympic champion Polianskyi emerges triumphant at Para Rowing International Regatta". Inside the Games. May 12, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  21. [21]
    Указ Президента України № 430/2016 від 4 жовтня 2016 року «Про відзначення державними нагородами України» (in Ukrainian), Office of the President of Ukraine, Presidential Decree No. 430/2016 of October 4, 2016 “On Awarding State Awards of Ukraine”. Accessed September 1, 2019.
  22. [22]
    Athlete profile (in Ukrainian), National Sports Committee for the Disabled of Ukraine. Accessed September 2, 2019.
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