KUREK Bartosz

29 Aug 1988
32
Male
2.05/6'8''
WALBRZYCH
 
Poland

Events and Medals

Discipline Event Rank Medal
VVO Volleyball Men 5

Schedule

Change
Start Time Location Event Status
Ariake Arena
POL
Poland
2
IRI
Islamic Rep. of Iran
3
Finished
Ariake Arena
POL
Poland
3
ITA
Italy
0
Finished
Ariake Arena
POL
Poland
3
VEN
Venezuela
1
Finished
Ariake Arena
JPN
Japan
0
POL
Poland
3
Finished
Ariake Arena
POL
Poland
3
CAN
Canada
0
Finished
Ariake Arena
POL
Poland
2
FRA
France
3
Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

:
Olympic Games
RankEventYearLocation
5Men2016Rio de Janeiro, BRA
5Men2012London, GBR

World Championship
RankEventYearLocation
1Men2018
13Men2010Italy

Nations League - Final Round
RankEventYearLocation
2Men2021Italy
5Men2018France

World Cup
RankEventYearLocation
2Men2019Japan

European Championship
RankEventYearLocation
10Men2017Poland
:
Kuras (fanclubbartoszakurka.lt.pl, 2013)
:
Basketball, football. (WeszloTV YouTube channel, 17 Jan 2019)
:
Athlete
:
Sports Marketing - School of Management and Administration, Opole, POL
:
Partner Anna Grejman
:
English, Polish
:
Wolfdogs Nagoya [Japan] since 2020/21
:
Vital Heynen [national], BEL
:
Opposite spiker, Wing spiker (wolfdogs.jp, 01 Jan 2021; tvp.pl, 08 Jul 2016)
:
Right (polsatsport.pl, 08 Nov 2018)
:
His father Adam represented Poland in volleyball, and competed at the 1991 and 1993 European Championship. His partner Anna Grejman has also represented Poland in volleyball, and competed at the World Grand Prix in 2013, 2015 and 2016. (Instagram profile, 14 Dec 2020; golfandroll.pl, 24 May 2013; siatka.org, 02 Sep 2005, 02 Sep 2005, 02 Aug 2015; fivb.ocom, 05 Jun 2016; SportsDeskOnline, 29 Feb 2020)
:
2007 for Poland Against Argentina, World League in Poznan, Poland (lubevolley.it, 2014)
:
His training was disrupted by a back injury in January 2020. (tvp.pl, 17 Jan 2020)

He sustained a lumbar spine injury at the end of the 2018/19 season. He missed the 2019 International Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Gdansk, Poland, and the 2019 European Championship due to the injury, but returned in October 2019 for that year's World Cup in Japan. (radiozet.pl, 01 Jul 2019; eska.pl, 13 Sep 2019)

In late 2017 he suffered a foot injury during a match for Ziraat Bankasi Ankara in Turkey, and was sidelined for half of the 2017/18 season. (wp.pl, 31 Jan 2018; sport.pl, 15 May 2018)

In June 2015 he injured his back in training ahead of a World League match. (wp.pl, 23 Jun 2015)

In October 2012 he sprained his ankle during a Russian Super League match for Dynamo Moscow and was unable to train for a few weeks. (fakt.pl, 05 Oct 2012, 11 Dec 2012; wp.pl, 08 Jan 2013)
:
V.League Division 1 [JPN] (volleyball.world, 23 Feb 2021)
:
He took up volleyball as a child and began training at age eight in Nysa, Poland. (golfandroll.pl, 24 May 2013; weszlo.com, 01 Oct 2018, Ludzie Ze Zlota, 31 Jul 2019)
:
He followed his father Adam into the sport. (golfandroll.pl, 24 May 2013)
:
To win a gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (onet.pl, 07 Jan 2019; natemat.pl, 26 Dec 2018)
:
Winning gold at the 2018 World Championship in Italy and Bulgaria. (wp.pl, 09 Oct 2018; Sport.pl YouTube channel, 14 Dec 2018)
:
Polish volleyball player [and his father] Adam Kurek. (wp.pl, 09 Oct 2018)
:
His parents, and partner Anna Grejman. (WeszloTV YouTube channel, 17 Jan 2019)
:
"I always give my best. I could not imagine a different approach." (fanclubbartoszakurka.lt.pl, 18 Jul 2013)
:
He was voted the 2018 Athlete of the Year in Poland. (onet.pl, 07 Jan 2019)

He was named the 2018 Male Player of the Year by the European Volleyball Confederation [CEV]. (cev.eu, 02 Nov 2018)

In 2018 he was presented with the Officer's Cross of Order of Polonia Restituta by the president of Poland. (9prezydent.pl, 02 Oct 2018)

He was named the Most Valuable Player [MVP] at the 2018 World Championship in Italy and Bulgaria. (przegladsportowy.pl, 30 Sep 2018)

He was named Most Valuable Player [MVP] at the 2012 World League Final in Sofia, Bulgaria, Best Spiker in the 2011/12 European Champions League Final Four in Lodz, Poland, and Best Server at the 2011 European Championships. (cev.lu, 08 May 2013; volleyball-movies.net, 18 Jul 2013)

In 2009 he received the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. (volleyball-movies.net, 24 Sep 2009)

He was named Most Valuable Player [MVP] at the Memorial of Hubert Jerzy Wagner tournament in 2009 and 2012. (fanclubbartoszakurka.lt.pl, 18 Jul 2013)

General Interest

General
RETIREMENT THOUGHTS
He plans to retire from international competition if he wins a medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "We want an Olympic medal in Tokyo 2020. I want gold. With this medal I will proudly end my career in the national team. My time comes to an end and the Olympic Games will be the best moment for a farewell." (onet.pl, 07 Jan 2019; natemat.pl, 26 Dec 2018)

CANCELLED CONTRACT
He initially signed a contract with Japanese club JT Thunders ahead of the 2016/17 season, but was later forced to terminate the contract due to suffering from physical and mental fatigue. He took a one-month break from the sport before joining Polish club PGE Skra Belchatow for the 2016/17 season. "If I had decided to go [to Japan], I would have been lying to myself that I could do it. Volleyball was no longer a pleasure for me. Training on my agenda, did not sound like an interesting experience, but like a sentence. It was a first time when my body and head reacted this way on volleyball. I was really scared. Later, I discussed it with many psychologists. In Japan they understood it. I have always dreamed about playing in Japan and I hope that I will get another chance. I want to repay them for what they did for me in a tough time." He later joined Wolfdogs Nagoya in Japan ahead of the 2020/21 season. (volleyball.world, 23 Feb 2021; polsatsport.pl, 08 Nov 2018; Radio Szczecin YouTube channel, 03 Oct 2018; Ludzie Ze Zlota, 31 Jul 2019; Sport.pl YouTube channel, 14 Dec 2018)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
In 2016 he was selected as a member of the first International Volleyball Federation [FIVB] Athletes Commission. (polsatsport.pl, 09 Jul 2016)

Legend
:
Gold Medal Event
:
Silver Medal Event
:
Bronze Medal Event
Timing and scoring provided by OMEGA. Results powered by Atos