Rafał Omelko Explained
| Rafał Omelko |
| Fullname: | Rafał Konrad Omelko |
| Nationality: | Polish |
| Sport: | Running |
| Event: | Sprints |
| Birth Date: | 18 January 1989 |
| Birth Place: | Wrocław, Poland |
| Height: | 1.95 m |
| Weight: | 82 kg |
| Education: | Academy of Physical Education[1] |
| Club: | AZS AWF Wrocław |
| Coach: | Marek Rożej |
Rafał Omelko (Polish pronunciation: ; born 16 January 1989) is a retired Polish athlete who specialised in the 400 metres. He won two medals in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the European Athletics Championships.
Career
Omelko finished fourth at the 2013 Summer Universiade and reached the semifinals at the 2014 World Indoor Championships.
His personal bests in the event are 45.14 seconds outdoors (2016) and 46.08 indoors (2017).
Omelko and his teammates qualified to the 4 × 400 metres relay final at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Polish quartet of Karol Zalewski, Rafał Omelko, Łukasz Krawczuk, Jakub Krzewina broke the world indoor record in the men's 4x400m with a stunning finish to the final track event of the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham. Krzewina overtook the leaders from the beginning - Americans on the last straight and achieved the greatest success in their career.[2]
Competition record
| Representing |
|---|
| 2008 | World Junior Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 5th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:08.65 |
| 2010 | European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 24th (h) | 400 m hurdles | 52.54 |
| 2011 | European U23 Championships | Ostrava, Czech Republic | bgcolor=silver | 2nd† | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.96 (h)† |
| 2013 | European Indoor Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | – | 4 × 400 m relay | DQ |
| Universiade | Kazan, Russia | 4th | 400 m | 45.69 |
| World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 7th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.73 |
| 2014 | World Indoor Championships | Sopot, Poland | 9th (sf) | 400 m | 46.94 |
| 4th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:04.39 |
| IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 19th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.16 |
| European Championships | Zürich, Switzerland | 21st (sf) | 400 m | 46.69 |
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:59.85 |
| 2015 | European Indoor Championships | Prague, Czech Republic | 3rd | 400 m | 46.26 |
| bgcolor=silver | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.97 |
| IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 9th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:03.23 |
| Universiade | Gwangju, South Korea | 13th (sf) | 400 m | 46.62 |
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:07.77 |
| World Championships | Beijing, China | 11th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:00.72 |
| 2016 | European Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 6th | 400 m | 45.67 |
| bgcolor=silver | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.18 |
| Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 19th (sf) | 400 m | 45.28 |
| 7th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:00.50 |
| 2017 | European Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | 400 m | 46.08 PB |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.99 |
| IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 9th (h) | 4 × 200 m relay | 1:24.78 |
| 3rd (B) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:07.89 |
| World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 18th (sf) | 400 m | 45.37 |
| 7th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.59 |
| Universiade | Taipei, Taiwan | 3rd | 400 m | 45.56 |
| – | 4 × 400 m relay | DNF |
| 2018 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 8th (sf) | 400 m | 46.39 |
| bgcolor=gold | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.77 WIR |
| European Championships | Berlin, Germany | 5th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.27 |
| 2019 | European Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 4th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:08.40 | |
†: Competed only in heat.
Notes and References
- http://www.gwangju2015.com/IRS/eng/zb/engzb_athletics_biography_overview_n6307971_omelko_rafal.htm 2015 WSG profile
- Web site: Report: Men's 4X400m final – IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018 . 4 March 2018 . iaaf.org . IAAF . 4 March 2018.
