At the age of 10, her adventure with short track began one of the youngest disciplines in winter sports. As she admits, it was quite accidental. Nikola Mazur, a first-year full-time student of Economics at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Gdańsk, became the Polish vice-champion in short track last weekend, which ended the 2020/21 start season, at distances of 500 and 1000 metres.

Nikola Mazur, a student of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Gdańsk, represents the sports club Stoczniowiec Gdańsk, but trains and spends most of her time at the national team training camps in various places in Poland and abroad. Last weekend, she won the title of the Polish vice-champion in short track, at distances of 500 and 1000 metres, as well as three bronze medals - in the multisport event, the mixed relay and the women's relay. However, the greatest success of Nikola Mazur a fortnight ago is her performance in the World Championships, in which she took 8th place twice on distances of 500 and 1000 metres and 5th place in the women's relay.

- 'Ever since I can remember I have liked movement, so a sports class was a natural choice, as it soon turned out, with an ice-skating profile, which I had no idea about before. This is how, at the age of 10, my adventure with sport began, quite accidentally with short track,' says Nikola Mazur. - 'It is a winter sports discipline, which consists of fast skating around the lap measuring about 111 metres. Speed, contact between competitors, overtaking, blocking, frequent falls and disqualifications make this sport very spectacular and exciting. It is the place at the finish line that counts, not the time, hence the many fascinating duels for position between groups of 4 to 8 riders.'

As the UG student admits, combining studies with professional sport is quite a challenge.

- 'It is not easy, the more so because I did not start studying at a sports university. However, I have met with a lot of understanding and support at the University of Gdańsk, for which I am very grateful, and without which studying as a professional sportsman would seem to be almost impossible.' - adds N. Mazur.

The UG student can also boast about her achievements at the European Championships, where she took 7th place in the 500-metre distance and 6th place in the women's relay, setting the Polish record in the women's relay.

Big progress and top places in competitions of the championship rank are a very good prognosis before the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.

Congratulations and we wish you further success.