Star Sailors League Final team introduction #1: “The stars from Poland"

Nassau Bahamas, November 15th 2013 - With Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Dominik Życki, Poland will be one of the countries represented in the first edition of the Star Sailors League Finals in Nassau-Bahamas that will take place from December 3-8. It is an invitational event with 18 teams of world-class champions, an event really challenging and exciting at the same time for Kusznierewicz: "In this particular moment of my career I could not think of a better venue to sail our boat once again. Since I decided to finish my Olympic career, I’ve never expected that my first sailing competition since the London Olympics would be the race amongst the best international Star champions. It's going to be fun!". 

 

The northeastern European country has 775 km of coastline on the south side of the Baltic Sea, four important commercial ports, and a dozen cargo and/or passenger smaller ports. Despite a stronger heritage in sea transport than in sailing, and with just twelve sailors comprising the Polish fleet in the SSL rankings, these two sporting pearls shine on the sailboat queen.

The skipper is the internationally famous Mateusz Kusznierewicz, an authentic sport legend in his country, with five Olympics under his belt and holder of a Polish Knighthood and Officer's Cross. His best Olympic achievements with the Finn were a gold in 1996 and bronze in 2004. He then campaigned the Star in London and Beijing with a fourth and eighth respectively. His best results in the Star, together with Dominik Życki, were winning Kiel Week in 2005, then the 2008 Worlds and the 2012 Europeans.

His crew Dominik, also from Warsaw, not only has had some Finn experience, but is a passionate match racer - in 1999 he was vice-european champion crewing with Karol Jablonski. He earned his Master in Engineering at Warsaw University of Technology in 2001. His career as a journalist began in Zagle in 2002, and before starting to sail the Star with Mateusz he was a TV commentator for the 2003 America’s Cup and 2004 Olympics in Athens.