Karolina Elżbieta Naja (Polish pronunciation: [karɔˈlina ˈnaja]; born 5 February 1990) is a Polish sprint canoeist who has competed since the late 2000s. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, she won a bronze medal in Women's K-4 500 metres, and silver medal in Women's K-2 500 metres.[1]

Karolina Naja
Personal information
Full nameKarolina Elżbieta Naja
NationalityPolish
Born (1990-02-05) 5 February 1990 (age 34)
Tychy, Poland
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight62 kg (137 lb)
Sport
CountryPoland
SportSprint kayak
Event(s)K-2 200 m, K-2 500 m, K-2 1000 m, K-4 500 m
ClubAZS-AWF
Medal record
Women's canoe sprint
Representing  Poland
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 0 1 3
World Championships 3 6 6
European Championships 6 6 1
European Games 1 0 2
Total 10 13 12
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo K-2 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London K-2 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro K-2 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo K-4 500 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Moscow K-1 4×200 m
Gold medal – first place 2022 Dartmouth K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2022 Dartmouth K-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2011 Szeged K-2 200 m
Silver medal – second place 2013 Duisburg K-2 200 m
Silver medal – second place 2013 Duisburg K-1 4×200 m
Silver medal – second place 2014 Moscow K-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2019 Szeged K-2 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2023 Duisburg K-4 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Poznań K-4 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Szeged K-1 4×200 m
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Duisburg K-2 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Moscow K-2 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-4 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Szeged K-4 500 m
European Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Kraków–Małopolska K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2023 Kraków–Małopolska K-4 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Baku K-4 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Minsk K-4 500 m
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 Zagreb K-2 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-2 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 2015 Račice K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2022 Munich K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2022 Munich K-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-2 200 m
Silver medal – second place 2014 Brandenburg K-2 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2014 Brandenburg K-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2015 Račice K-2 200 m
Silver medal – second place 2015 Račice K-2 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2021 Poznań K-2 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Zagreb K-2 500 m

Career

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She took up canoeing in her home town of Tychy in 2001.[2]

Naja and the Polish K-4 500 m team won the bronze medal at the 2010 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.[3]

At the 2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships Naja and Magdalena Krukowska won the silver medal in the K-2 200 m.[4] The Polish team Naja was a member of also won bronze in the K1 4 × 200m relay.[4]

She won the bronze medal in K-2 500 m event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with Beata Mikołajczyk.[5] The women's K-4 500 m team Naja was part of finished in 4th place in London. At that year's European Championships Naja and Mikołajczyk won gold in the K-2 1000 m and bronze in the K-2 500 m.[6]

Naja and Mikołajczyk won a silver medal in the K-2 200 m event at the 2013 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Duisburg, along with a bronze in the K-2 500 m.[7] The Polish team Naja was a member of also won silver in the K1 4 × 200m relay.[7] At the European Championships that year, Naja and Mikołajczyk won the K-2 500 m and K-2 1000 m.[8] Naja won the silver medal in the K-2 200 m with Magdalena Krukowska.[8]

At the 2014 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, she won a silver medal in the women's K-4 500 m team, with Mikołajczyk, Marta Walczykiewicz and Edyta Dzieniszewska, and a bronze with Mikołajczyk in the K-2 500 m.[9] The Polish team Naja was a member of also won the K1 4 × 200m relay.[2] Naja and Mikołajczyk won silver in the K-2 500 m and were part of the Polish K-4 500 m team that won the silver medal at the 2014 European Championships.[10]

In June 2015, she competed in the inaugural European Games, for Poland in canoe sprint, more specifically, the women's K-4 500m with Ewelina Wojnarowska, Edyta Dzieniszewska, and Beata Mikołajczyk. She earned a bronze medal. That year Naja and Mikołajczyk won the gold medal in the K-2 500 m and silver medals in the K-2 200 m in the K-2 1000 m at the European Championships.[11]

At the 2016 Olympic Games, Naja again won bronze with Mikołajczyk in the K-2 500 m event.[5] This time, the K-4 500 m team Naja was part of finished in 9th.

References

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  1. ^ "Canoe Sprint - NAJA Karolina". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Karolina Naja". ICF - Planet Canoe. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  3. ^ "2010 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships Results". www.canoeresults.eu. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  4. ^ a b "2011 Canoe Sprint World Championship Results". www.canoeresults.eu. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Karolina Naja Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  6. ^ "2012 European Championships". www.canoeresults.eu. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  7. ^ a b "2013 ICF Sprint Canoe World Championships Results" (PDF). results.imas-sport.com. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  8. ^ a b "2013 European Championship Results". www.canoeresults.eu. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  9. ^ "2014 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships Results" (PDF). www.canoeicf.com. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  10. ^ "2013 European Championships Results". www.canoeresults.eu. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  11. ^ "2015 European Championships Results". www.canoeresults.eu. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
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