Maria Żodzik Explained

Maria Żodzik
Birth Name:	Maryia Zhodzik
Native Name:	Марыя Жодзік
National Team:	Belarus (until 2024) Poland (from 2024)
Birth Date:	19 January 1997
Sport:	Athletics
Event:	High jump
Pb:	High jump: 1.97m (Toruń, 2024)

Maria Żodzik (Belarusian: Марыя Жодзік, born 19 January 1997) is a high jumper. She was the national champion of Belarus in 2020. In 2024, she was granted Polish citizenship and represented Poland at the 2024 Summer Olympics.^[1]

Career

She won the high jump at the Belarusian national championships in 2020.^[2] She was named to the Belarusian team for the delayed 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.^[3] However, she was not permitted to compete as she was ruled as not meeting the minimum testing requirements of the Anti-Doping Rules for her country by the Athletics Integrity Unit.^[4]

She moved to Poland in 2022, and became based at Białystok, where she trains with coach Robert Nazarkiewicz at the Podlasie Białystok club.^[5] She jumped a personal best 1.97 metres at the Polish Indoor Championships in Toruń on 17 February 2024.^[6] In March 2024, she was granted Polish citizenship.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Wasiak . Jan . Niemiłe zaskoczenie. Maria Żodzik szybko żegna się z igrzyskami . przegladsportowy.onet.pl . 2 August 2024 . pl . 2 August 2024.
2. Web site: Адкрыты Чэмпіянат Рэспублікі Беларусь па легкай атлетыцы. Belarus National Outdoor Athletics Championships. 2021-07-18. be.
3. Web site: Athletics ZHODZIK Mariya. 2021-07-20. Tokyo 2020 Olympics. en-us.
4. Web site: Three Belarusian athletes declared ineligible for Tokyo 2020. eng.belta.by. 29 July 2021 .
5. Web site: Belarusian high jumper granted Polish citizenship, eyes Paris Olympics. Polskiradio.pl. 3 June 2024. 20 March 2024.
6. Web site: Polish Indoor Championships. 17 February 2024. World Athletics. 3 June 2024.
7. Web site: 3 June 2024 . March 20, 2024 . Maciej . Petruczenko . Another strengthening of Polish athletics. President Duda granted citizenship . Przegladsportowy.