FIODOROW Joanna

General
SURGERY
She decided to undergo knee surgery after learning that the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo had been postponed. "A four-year cycle of preparations turned into five years. When I found out about the postponement I made a decision about surgery. My knee had to be fixed as soon as possible, because it would prey on my mind. All went according to plan and I hope that it will be reflected in my results, especially at the Games." (tvp.pl, 20 Mar 2021)

TEAM SPIRIT
She trains with Wojciech Nowicki, who won bronze in hammer at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and believes their friendly rivalry brings out the best in her. "We have our small team, my coach Malwina Wojtulewicz, my friend Wojciech Nowicki and our physiotherapist. It's a great group and we spend 300 days per year together. I love to train with Wojciech. We have a lot of bets between each other and this motivates us. If Wojciech is doing his personal best on the barbells or in hammer throw, then I want to do better too. This fuels and powers me. I am happy that I have him, because I am a social animal and I need people to talk and joke with. It helps me to achieve better results." (SklepBiegacza YouTube channel, 09 May 2021)

COACH CHANGE
She considered retiring after the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro but decided instead to start working with a new coach, Malwina Wojtulewicz. "If it wasn't for her [Wojtulewicz], I probably would have ended my career because I wasn't getting any pleasure from the sport anymore. Returning to my hometown, Bialystok, and starting to work with her were the most important decisions in my life. We both have strong personalities, and sometimes we clash, but we get over it quickly. We know each other very well." (rp.pl, 29 Sep 2019)