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At the time of the farewell service at the Warsaw Cathedral of the Polish Army, with the participation of Irena Szewińska's closest relatives, there was a crowd at the house. Main entrance to Powązki Military Cemetery. Entering the area of the necropolis, for which the funeral procession was supposed to reach for several tens of minutes, the police looked on. On the main square of the entrance, all the benches were occupied. Someone brought small flowers, huge wreaths. "Queen of Polish sport, outstanding athlete and wonderful woman" – we wrote about it from our editorial office.
In small groups, necessarily standing in the shade because of the overwhelming heat, old friends met at the stadium and as if they had come down yesterday, they remembered specific competitions. – Irenka, the relay teams have always run in the second quarter, but there were exceptions – you could hear. In a breath, they mentioned who in what stadium and what type of treadmill he was in Poland's record years. They remembered clubs, names, even exact times.
The youngest do not remember, but on Thursday they also stood in the shadows. Just next to the oldest. Representatives from one of the schools have verified that their institution is actually embroidered in the impressive banner. It was a school for them. Olympic athletes. The reporter photographers changed focus, as did the TV reporters, who were diligently learning the name of the president of the International Olympic Committee today in Warsaw. – Thomas Bach, Thomas Bach – repeated until his arrival in Powązki. Irena was before him. Worn in the hands, befitting a queen
– Bye my friend – yes, in our language, he finished the speech of more than four minutes the most important sports activist. He spoke to her as if he was talking about his sister and indeed – this term in the context of the Olympic family has fallen several times.
There was no such funeral in Polish sport, and Andrzej Kraśnicki, head of the Polish Olympic Committee, rightly pointed out that the presence of so many guests is the best testimony of the size of an athlete. The ceremonies were also attended, among others IAAF chief Sebastian Coe, President Andrzej Duda, but most importantly, the athletes – Szymon Ziółkowski, Anita Włodarczyk, who in the church read a fragment of it. Apocalypse of Saint. Jan, Władysław Kozakiewicz, Jacek Wszoła, Sebastian Chmara, and even Edward Skorek, Adam Korol, Wojciech Fortuna and the great rival Mrs. Irena Marita Koch. – She did it privately, with a sense of need. It's a wonderful and elegant gesture – commented later in a private Bach conversation.
Representatives sent dozens of sports associations, but there were also ordinary Varsovans who just wanted to thank Mrs. Irena. The army was ready for the flocks, an orchestra for a funeral march, and before that Mazurka Dąbrowskiego
The moment to leave the coffin seemed to last indefinitely, as before the sight of her husband Janusz drowned in the portrait of his wife. It's hard to tell if there is something more unpleasant in the world, but the family did not expect any condolences. These will be available from today for the entire week in a book published at the Olympic Center. He was lowered slowly, as if back at the speed with which he was able to run on the treadmill. Then a long and confident step, with a roller on the finish line, to cut the finish as soon as possible. This time, the weather stopped for a moment and the wind stopped blowing. The trees have not moved. Only the sun was shining. Someone passed out …
– It looks like they'd not want that to happen at all costs. They did not want to say goodbye forever – they were whispering. In addition, there was absolute silence, and the speeches amplified by the speakers reached the ears quite clearly. In the last moments of Szewińska, as in the past, there were stadium crowds, which this time were separated by ribbons like treadmill stands. The first lady of Polish sport has attracted people from the first exit of the blocks to the last right life.
Szewińska was among his Olympians. It was felt on Thursday that the ceremony closely followed the first Olympic gold medalist Kamila Skolimowska, Tadeusz Slusarski buried side by side with Władysław Komar, multipurpose Wacław Kuchar, runner Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak and javelin Janusz Sidło. There is no doubt that the skater Elwira Seroczyńska or the experienced series Witold Woyda or Marian Kuszewski hid somewhere in the crowd. and Kazimierz Deyna. Maybe someone else was standing behind one of the trees, for example Piotr Rybowski, the chairman of the Polish Olympic Committee who died tragically in 2010? Nevertheless, the closest neighbors will be boxers Józef Grudzień and Jan Szczepański. This is a sufficient guarantee that Ms. Irena will have decent care here.
A few weeks ago, we were wondering if she would accept an interview. It was supposed to be about Olympic sport, traveling, like in Pjongchang and Tokyo, where in two years the torch will be fiery again. Our lady from the treadmill was going to take an active part in the preparations, because Tokyo is one of those places on earth that were special to her. "We will not forget how she told us about her career," said her son at the ceremony. If she wanted to, maybe we would even talk about computer games, which the IOC seems more willing to see in the Olympic program and wait until the next hundred meters, swimming or wrestling will be an equal element of each of the events. Unfortunately, we have not been able to ask. She had no time to answer, even though she was still at the time, where it was happening. Just as in Rio de Janeiro, where his great successor Anita Włodarczyk took away a gold medal for a hammer throw contest. Just like recently in South Korea, where he was – probably not by chance – destined for the decoration of ski jumpers. And as many times before, with many athletes before. She was a mentor, an interlocutor, and for many of our aces – a confidant of little secrets. Idol. Since the world learned of his death on the weekend, he does not seem to end an avalanche of memories.
The Olympic fire that Szewińska saw in winter in Asia was his penultimate. From now on, the torch will only burn in Powązki's army, and the honor of his shooting will be able to reach all those who will feel that it is worth choosing. Choose and worship in front of the legend
Headquarters "G", row "Tuje", falls 39. Entrance on the side of ul. Ostrowiecka and immediately to the left …
Michał Chmielewski
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