Bartosz Kurek Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Bartosz Kurek

Personal information

Full name

Bartosz Kamil Kurek

Nickname

Kuraś

Born

29 August 1988 (age 36)
Wałbrzych, Poland

Height

2.05 m (6 ft 9 in)

Weight

105 kg (231 lb)

Spike

370 cm (146 in)

Block

340 cm (134 in)

Volleyball information

Position

Opposite / Outside hitter

Current club

ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle

Number

Career

Years	Teams
2004–2005 2005–2008 2008–2012 2012–2013 2013–2015 2015–2016 2016–2017 2017–2018 2018 2018–2019 2019–2020 2020–2024 2024–2025	Stal Nysa ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle Skra Bełchatów Dynamo Moscow Volley Lube Asseco Resovia Skra Bełchatów Ziraat Bankası Ankara Stocznia Szczecin Onico Warsaw Vero Volley Monza Wolfdogs Nagoya ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle

National team

2007–

POL

Honours

Men's volleyball

Representing Poland
Olympic Games
Silver	2024 Paris	Team
FIVB World Championship
Gold	2018 Bulgaria/Italy
Silver	2022 Poland/Slovenia
FIVB World Cup
Silver	2011 Japan
Bronze	2015 Japan
FIVB World League
Gold	2012 Sofia
Bronze	2011 Gdańsk
FIVB Nations League
Gold	2023 Gdańsk
Silver	2021 Rimini
Bronze	2022 Bologna
Bronze	2024 Łódź
CEV European Championship
Gold	2009 Turkey
Gold	2023 Italy/Bulgaria/North Macedonia/Israel
Bronze	2011 Austria/Czech Republic
Bronze	2021 Poland/Czechia/Estonia/Finland

Bartosz Kurek's hand prints and signature at the Avenue of Volleyball Stars in Katowice.

Bartosz Kamil Kurek (born August 29, 1988) is a famous Polish professional volleyball player. He plays as an opposite spiker, which means he's usually the main attacker on the team. He plays for ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle and is a key player for the Polish national team.

Bartosz has played in four Olympic Games (London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024). He won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He also helped Poland win the World Championship in 2018. He has won the European Championship twice, in 2009 and 2023. In 2019, he made history by becoming the first volleyball player to be named the Polish Sports Personality of the Year.

Bartosz Kurek playing for PGE Skra Bełchatów in 2011.

Bartosz Kurek in 2013.

Polish volleyball players celebrating a win in Katowice. Bartosz Kurek is in the middle.

About Bartosz Kurek
Bartosz Kurek's Career
- Club Teams
- National Team
Awards and Honors
See also

About Bartosz Kurek

Bartosz Kurek was born in Wałbrzych, Poland, but he grew up in Nysa. His father, Adam Kurek, was also a volleyball player. When Bartosz was younger, he played basketball. But he later decided to focus on volleyball. He has a younger brother named Jakub. Bartosz is married to Anna Grejman, who used to be a volleyball player too.

Bartosz Kurek's Career

Club Teams

Bartosz started his volleyball journey in 2004 with a team from Nysa. He even played alongside his father there! After that, he spent three years with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle from 2005 to 2008.

In 2008, he joined PGE Skra Bełchatów, one of the top teams in Poland. He quickly became a very important player for them. With Skra, he won the Polish Championship three times (2009, 2010, and 2011). He also helped them win two silver medals at the Club World Championship in 2009 and 2010. In 2012, his team won a silver medal in the CEV Champions League. Bartosz was named the Best Spiker of that tournament.

After the 2012 season, Bartosz moved to a Russian team, Dynamo Moscow. However, he had an injury that kept him from playing much that season.

Next, he played for the Italian club Lube Banca Macerata. In 2014, they won the Italian Championship. They also won the Italian Super Cup in 2014.

In 2015, Bartosz signed with Asseco Resovia in Poland. After winning a silver medal in the Polish Championship in 2016, he moved to a Japanese club, JT Thunders.

In October 2016, Bartosz decided to take a break from volleyball because he was feeling very tired, both physically and mentally. He ended his contract with JT Thunders. Later that year, he returned to his old club, PGE Skra Bełchatów.

In 2018, Bartosz joined another Polish club, Stocznia Szczecin. But due to money problems at the club, he left in November 2018. A few days later, he joined Onico Warsaw.

He later played for Wolfdogs Nagoya in Japan, where he won the Emperor's Cup in 2021 and the Japanese Championship in 2023. He was named the Most Valuable Player for both achievements. He returned to ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle in 2024.

National Team

Bartosz Kurek has been a big part of the Polish national team for many years. In 2009, he helped Poland win a gold medal at the European Championship in Turkey. For this achievement, he received a special award called the Knight's Cross of Polonia Restituta.

In 2011, Bartosz and his team won Poland's first medal in the World League, a bronze. Bartosz was the Best Scorer in that tournament. Later that year, Poland won another bronze medal at the European Championship. Bartosz was recognized as the Best Server there. In November 2011, even with an injury, he helped Poland win a silver medal at the World Cup. This helped Poland qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games.

In 2012, the Polish team won a gold medal in the World League. Bartosz Kurek was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. He was a key player for Poland at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

In 2018, Poland won its third World Champion title. They beat Brazil in the final. Bartosz Kurek was named the Most Valuable Player of the entire World Championship!

On August 10, 2024, he won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, which was a huge achievement for the Polish team.

Awards and Honors

Club Achievements

CEV Champions League
- Silver medal: 2011–12 (with PGE Skra Bełchatów)
FIVB Club World Championship
- Silver medal: 2009, 2010 (with PGE Skra Bełchatów)
CEV Cup
- Silver medal: 2017–18 (with Ziraat Bankası Ankara)
Domestic (National) Championships and Cups
- 2008–09 Polish Cup, with PGE Skra Bełchatów
- 2008–09 Polish Championship, with PGE Skra Bełchatów
- 2009–10 Polish Championship, with PGE Skra Bełchatów
- 2010–11 Polish Cup, with PGE Skra Bełchatów
- 2010–11 Polish Championship, with PGE Skra Bełchatów
- 2011–12 Polish Cup, with PGE Skra Bełchatów
- 2013–14 Italian Championship, with Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata
- 2014–15 Italian SuperCup, with Cucine Lube Banca Marche Treia
- 2021–22 Emperor's Cup (Japan), with Wolfdogs Nagoya
- 2022–23 Japanese Championship, with Wolfdogs Nagoya

Youth National Team Achievements

2005 Gold medal: CEV U19 European Championship

Individual Awards

2005: CEV U19 European Championship – Best Spiker
2009: FIVB Club World Championship – Best Scorer
2011: Polish Cup – Best Spiker
2011: FIVB World League – Best Scorer
2011: CEV European Championship – Best Server
2012: CEV Champions League – Best Spiker
2012: FIVB World League – Most Valuable Player (MVP)
2018: FIVB World Championship – Most Valuable Player (MVP)
2018: CEV – Male Volleyball Player of the Year
2019: Polish Sports Personality of the Year 2018
2021: FIVB Nations League – Most Valuable Player (MVP) & Best Opposite Spiker
2021: Emperor's Cup – Most Valuable Player (MVP)
2022: FIVB World Championship – Best Opposite Spiker
2023: Japan V.League – Most Valuable Player (MVP) & Best SIX
2023: Kurowashiki tournament – Most Valuable Player (MVP) & Best SIX