St. John's University Athletics
Jan Jurkiewicz Qualifies for the 2024 Paris Olympics
4/23/2024 11:43:00 AM | Fencing
The 2023 NCAA Men’s Foil Champion will compete for Poland in the Summer Olympics
QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John's fencing's Jan Jurkiewicz has qualified to compete for his home country of Poland in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
At the end of March, the graduate student decided to forego the NCAA Championships for a chance at the Olympics by competing in the Polish qualifier events. Jurkiewicz finished both the qualifiers in first and second place to earn a spot on the country's Olympic team.
"Amazing achievement from Jan Jurkiewicz who made the Polish Olympic Team as a #1 in the men's foil," said St. John's Fencing Head Coach Yury Gelman. "He showed the best international results among all Polish fencers, taking first and second in the Polish qualifiers."
In his last season in Queens, Jurkiewicz totaled 20 individual triumphs in two regular-season events and claimed the top spot in the men's foil at the NCAA Northeast Regional. The Torun, Poland product captured the 2023 NCAA Men's Foil Championship in his senior season, becoming the first Red Storm national champion since 2019. Jurkiewicz compiled a 22-3 record on the national stage to take home last season's crown.
"Hard work pays off! The most impressive thing is that he did this during his last year of graduate school and did not take a year off like many people do," Gelman continued.
Jurkiewicz is set to graduate from the university in May with a master's degree in Psychology.
The 2024 Paris Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 11. Jurkiewicz will take the international stage on July 27 – August 4 when the fencing competitions will occur at the Grand Palais in the heart of Paris.
At the end of March, the graduate student decided to forego the NCAA Championships for a chance at the Olympics by competing in the Polish qualifier events. Jurkiewicz finished both the qualifiers in first and second place to earn a spot on the country's Olympic team.
"Amazing achievement from Jan Jurkiewicz who made the Polish Olympic Team as a #1 in the men's foil," said St. John's Fencing Head Coach Yury Gelman. "He showed the best international results among all Polish fencers, taking first and second in the Polish qualifiers."
In his last season in Queens, Jurkiewicz totaled 20 individual triumphs in two regular-season events and claimed the top spot in the men's foil at the NCAA Northeast Regional. The Torun, Poland product captured the 2023 NCAA Men's Foil Championship in his senior season, becoming the first Red Storm national champion since 2019. Jurkiewicz compiled a 22-3 record on the national stage to take home last season's crown.
"Hard work pays off! The most impressive thing is that he did this during his last year of graduate school and did not take a year off like many people do," Gelman continued.
Jurkiewicz is set to graduate from the university in May with a master's degree in Psychology.
The 2024 Paris Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 11. Jurkiewicz will take the international stage on July 27 – August 4 when the fencing competitions will occur at the Grand Palais in the heart of Paris.
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