Roman Polianskyi

Roman Polianskyi (Ukrainian: Роман Олександрович Полянський; born September 1, 1986[1]) is a Ukrainian para-rower. He is the 2016 and 2020 Summer Paralympics gold medalist in men's single sculls.

Not to be confused with the filmmaker Roman Polanski.

Roman Polianskyi
Personal information
Full nameРоман Олександрович Полянський
Born (1986-09-01) September 1, 1986
Home townKhanzhenkovo, Ukraine
Sport
SportPara-rowing
Event(s)PR1 Men's single sculls
Medal record
Men's pararowing
Representing  Ukraine
Summer Paralympics
Gold medal – first place2016 Rio de JaneiroAS single sculls
Gold medal – first place2020 TokyoPR1 single sculls
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2019 Linz OttensheimPR1 single sculls
Gold medal – first place2022 RačicePR1 single sculls
Gold medal – first place2023 BelgradePR1 single sculls
Silver medal – second place2017 SarasotaPR1 single sculls
Silver medal – second place2018 PlovdivPR1 single sculls
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2020 PoznańPR1 single sculls
Gold medal – first place2021 VaresePR1 single sculls
Silver medal – second place2022 MunichPR1 single sculls
Silver medal – second place2023 BledPR1 single sculls

Early life

Polianskyi is originally from the village Khanzhenkovo near Makiivka in the Donetsk Province of Ukraine.[2] He started doing sports at the age of four, at the urging of his father. Polianskyi started experiencing symptoms of Strumpell disease at the age of ten.[2] He moved to Odesa in spring 2014, at the start of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine.[2]

Polianskyi was training in rowing for two years prior to the 2016 Rio Paralymic Games. During that time he trained with coach Yuri Bondarenko in Dnipro.[3]

When Polianskyi was 18, his father died from a mining accident; his mother died two years later. Polianskyi has a younger sister.[2]

Polianskyi now uses a wheelchair.[4]

Athletic career

Initially Polianskyi competed in para-canoeing but switched to para-rowing once canoeing was not included in the Rio 2016 Summer Paralympics program.[5] Polianskyi competes in men's PR1 single sculls in para-rowing events. The PR1 classification designates those para-rowing athletes who compete while mainly using their arms and shoulders.[6]

Polianskyi has the medical condition called hereditary spastic paraplegia.[7] The condition is also known as Strumpell disease.[8]

Polianskyi's first para-rowing sports race was in 2014 in Gavirate, Italy, where he came fourth.[5]

He won the gold medal in men's single sculls at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.[9][10] In the final race Polianskyi came ahead of the world champion, Erik Horrie of Australia, and the 2008 Paralympic champion, Tom Aggar of Great Britain. In that race Polianskyi also set a new Paralympic record, with the time of 04:39.56.[11][lower-alpha 1]

Polianskyi won the silver medal in men's PR1 single sculls at the 2017 World Rowing Championships at Sarasota[13] and also the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv.[14]

He won the gold medal in the same discipline at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz Ottensheim.[15] There he also set the new world record in PR1 men's single sculls, at 09:12.99, improving the previous world record by almost 4 seconds.[16][17] The victory qualified Polianskyi for participation in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.[18]

Polianskyi won the gold medal in PR1 single sculls at the Para Rowing International Regatta in Gavirate, Italy in 2017, and again in 2018.[19][20]

For his 2016 Paralympic victory, Polianskyi was awarded the Order of Merit, 3-d Class, by the President of Ukraine.[21]

Polianskyi holds the rank of Candidate for Master of Sport of Ukraine.[22]

Notes
  1. In 2017, the event distance was extended from 1,000 to 2,000 metres.[12]

References
  1. Roman Polianskyi, athlete profile, International Rowing Federation. Accessed September 1, 2019.
  2. Menshova, Valentina (October 14, 2016). ""У меня родственники – по всему миру! И все они меня поддерживают", – золотой призер Паралимпиады в Рио Роман Полянский". Donetskiye Novosti. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  3. "Паралимпийский чемпион Роман Полянский: "Днепр – стопроцентно мое место на земле! Хочу остаться здесь навсегда"". fakty.ua. September 26, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  4. "Національна паралімпійська збірна команда зразка 2016 року". National Sports Committee for the Disabled of Ukraine. September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  5. ROMAN POLIANSKYI (UKR). Athlete of the Month - August 2017, International Rowing Federation. Accessed September 1, 2019.
  6. "Para-rowing: What do PR3, PR2 and PR1 mean?". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. August 14, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  7. Roman Polianskyi exacts his revenge, paralympic.org, International Paralympic Committee, May 19, 2019. Accessed 2019-09-01.
  8. Fletcher-Janzen, Elaine (March 2018). "Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia". In Cecil R. Reynolds; Kimberly J. Vannest; Elaine Fletcher-Janzen (eds.). Encyclopedia of special education, Volume 2. A reference for the education of children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and other exceptional individuals. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-94939-9.
  9. Palmer, Dan (September 11, 2016). "Triple gold for Britain at Paralympic rowing finals at Rio 2016". Inside the Games. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  10. "Bronze medals for Team GB's Paralympic sailors in Rio". Yachting and Boating World. September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  11. "Fast finals for para-rowers at the Rio Paralympics". International Rowing Federation. September 11, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  12. "Paralympic Sports Rowing". Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. December 1, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  13. Roman Polianskyi. All results. International Paralympic Committee. Accessed September 1, 2019.
  14. Moran, Ed (September 16, 2018). "Worlds Sunday: Gold for US Women's Eight, Disappointment For the Men". www.row2k.com. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  15. "Polianskyi and Skarstein claim PR1 single sculls titles at World Rowing Championships". Inside the Games. September 1, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  16. Live: Final Day of the World Rowing Championships in Linz. row-360.com, September 1, 2019. Accessed 2019-09-01.
  17. "Гребля академическая. ЧМ-2019. Полянский выиграл золото!". prosportua.com. September 1, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  18. "Linz-Ottensheim 2019: Roman Polianskyi rows to birthday glory". International Paralympic Committee. September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  19. "British quartet take gold at opening Para rowing regatta in Gavirate". Inside the Games. May 17, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  20. "Paralympic champion Polianskyi emerges triumphant at Para Rowing International Regatta". Inside the Games. May 12, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  21. Указ Президента України № 430/2016 від 4 жовтня 2016 року «Про відзначення державними нагородами України» (in Ukrainian), Office of the President of Ukraine, Presidential Decree No. 430/2016 of October 4, 2016 “On Awarding State Awards of Ukraine”. Accessed September 1, 2019.
  22. Athlete profile (in Ukrainian), National Sports Committee for the Disabled of Ukraine. Accessed September 2, 2019.
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