Beata Sokołowska-Kulesza (born 10 January 1974 in

Gorzów Wielkopolski Gorzów Wielkopolski (), often abbreviated to Gorzów Wlkp. or simply Gorzów (formerly ), is a city in Geography of Poland, western Poland, located on the Warta, Warta River. It is one of the two principal cities and seats of the Lubusz Voivodes ...

) is a Polish sprint canoer who competed from 1999 to 2004. Competing in two

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

, she won two bronze medals in the K-2 500 m event (

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

). Sokołowska-Kulesza has also been successful at the

ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships The ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships are an international event in canoe racing, one of two top-tier Summer Olympic sport events organized by the International Canoe Federation (the other being the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships). They ...

, winning ten medals. This includes a gold (K-2 500 m:

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

), four silvers (K-2 200 m: 1999,

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

; K-2 500 m: 2001, K-4 200 m:

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

), and five bronzes (K-2 200 m:

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, K-2 500 m: 2003, K-4 200 m: 1999, K-4 500 m: 1999, 2003). For her sport achievements, she received:
Golden Cross of Merit in 2000;
Knight's Cross of the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

(5th Class) in 2004.

References

DatabaseOlympics.com profile
* *

* 1974 births Canoeists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Canoeists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Living people Olympic canoeists for Poland Olympic bronze medalists for Poland Polish female canoeists Olympic medalists in canoeing Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) Sportspeople from Gorzów Wielkopolski Canoeists from Lubusz Voivodeship ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medalists in kayak Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics 21st-century Polish sportswomen {{Poland-Olympic-medalist-stub