Stanisław Kowalski

Stanisław Kowalski (born April 14, 1910) is a Polish supercentenarian Masters athlete who, at the age of 105, became the oldest ever competing athlete in the newly formed M105 age division (105 years and older) in sprinting, shot put and discus.

Stanislaw Kowalski

Personal information
Born	April 14, 1910 Rogówek, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
Occupation	Masters Athlete (M105 age division)
Sport
Country	Poland
Sport	sprinting shot put discus
Event(s)	Polish Veterans Championships in Torun June 28 2015

Early life

Kowalski was born on April 14, 1910, in the village of Rogówek, then part of Congress Poland within the Russian Empire, where he lived until the end of the 1930s. After his marriage, he moved to Brzeźnica. In 1952, due to the broadening of the boundaries of the military training ground, he had to move out of his newly built house and live in Lower Silesia, in the village of Krzydlina Wielka, where he ran a small farm and worked as a railroad lineman. He has been living in Świdnica since 1979.[1] Kowalski's mother lived to be 99. For decades, Kowalski rode to work on a bicycle regardless of the weather outside.[2]

Masters Athlete career

When he competed at the Polish Veterans Championships on June 28, 2015, in Toruń, Poland he became the world's oldest athlete. On that day, Kowalski ran the 100 metres in 34.50, threw the shot put 4.27 m (14 ft 0 in) and the discus 7.50 m (24 ft 7 ¹⁄₄ in).[3]

By competing in those events, he surpassed the accomplishments of American John Whittemore, who competed at 104 years 10 months. By virtue of his age being beyond 105 years old, he necessitated the creation of a new age division for World Masters Athletics, the M105 division was created and he was the only member to have competed. Thus all of his performances are world records. Hidekichi Miyazaki, a Japanese M100 sprinter turned 105 on September 22, 2015 and two days later joined Kowalski as the second competitor in the division,[4] although Kowalski was 77 days older when he competed. Miyazaki died on January 23, 2019.

At the age of 104, Kowalski was lauded as the oldest person in Europe to run 100m after running a race in Wroclaw, Poland, on May 10, 2014[5] and became the European record holder in the event, beating the previous record by a second.[6] He credits his longevity to never going to the physician and doing whatever he wants. He also says not to eat much during the evening.[7][8]

Longevity

Kowalski became the oldest living man in Poland after the death of 108 year old Józef Żurek on March 20, 2018.[9] He became a supercentenarian on April 14, 2020.[10]

References

1. Staff (2018-04-16). "Zaczął karierę sportową, mając 104 lata. Najstarszy lekkoatleta w Polsce obchodzi urodziny" (in Polish). Gazeta Wyborcza. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
2. Małgorzata Moczulska (2018-04-16). "Stanisław Kowalski kończy 108 lat! Jest mistrzem świata i najstarszym biegaczem na Ziemi [ZDJĘCIA]" (in Polish). Gazeta Wrocławska. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
3. http://www.pzwla.eu/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_remository%26Itemid%3D106%26func%3Dfileinfo%26id%3D9&usg=ALkJrhhDF-13pHS1PvWcaS05qvg8b0Gfig
4. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/japans-hidekichi-miyazaki-sets-fresh-record-oldest-competitive-sprinter-n432736
5. "104-Year-Old Man Runs 100-Meter Race". Runner's World.
6. Ian Hughes (12 May 2014). "Stanislaw Kowalski: Pensioner is the oldest person in Europe to run 100m race - Mirror Online". mirror.
7. "Pensioner Stanisław Kowalski becomes oldest man to run 100m in Europe at 104 - Metro News". Metro.
8. http://www.medicaldaily.com/stanislaw-kowalski-104-year-old-runner-breaks-record-100-meter-dash-europe-282362
9. Tomasz Więcławski (2018-03-22). "Pogrzeb najstarszego mężczyzny w Polsce - Józefa Żurka" (in Polish). Interia. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
10. "Stanisław Kowalski ze Świdnicy skończył dziś 110 lat" (in Polish). swidnica24.pl. 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2020-04-14.