Marek Galiński (cyclist) facts for kids

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Marek Galiński

Personal information
Full name	Marek Galiński
Born	(1974-08-01)1 August 1974 Opoczno, Poland
Died	17 March 2014(2014-03-17) (aged 39) Jędrzejów, Poland
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	63 kg (139 lb)
Team information
Discipline	Mountain biking
Role	Rider
Rider type	Cross-country

Marek Galiński (born August 1, 1974 – died March 17, 2014) was a famous Polish professional mountain biker. He also competed in road cycling. Marek was known for winning nine Polish national championship titles. He also earned a silver medal in cross-country mountain biking at the 2003 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Germany.

Marek Galiński proudly represented Poland in four Olympic Games. He competed in men's mountain biking, which became an official Olympic sport in 1996. After retiring from racing in 2011, Marek became an assistant coach. He worked with both the Polish and Russian national mountain bike teams. Sadly, Marek Galiński passed away in a car accident in 2014.

Marek Galiński's Racing Journey

Marek Galiński started his international career at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. This was the first time mountain biking was part of the Olympics. He finished in twenty-ninth place in the men's cross-country race.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Marek improved his performance. He finished twenty-first in the same event.

In 2001, Marek became a professional rider. He joined the Lotto-PZU cycling team. Later, he rode for other teams like CCC and ORB MTB. A big moment in his career was winning a silver medal at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Sankt Wendel, Germany. He was just eleven seconds behind the winner, Christoph Sauser.

Marek competed in his third Olympics at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He achieved his best Olympic result, finishing fourteenth in the men's cross-country race. In the same year, he won his first Polish national championship title in mountain biking. He also placed in the top five at the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships in France.

Twelve years after his first Olympics, Marek Galiński qualified for his fourth Olympic Games. He was 34 years old and the captain of Poland's cycling team. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he finished thirteenth. This was his highest position ever in an Olympic race. He completed the tough cross-country course in just over two hours.

After the Beijing Olympics, Marek continued to race for the JBG2 Professional MTB Team. He later accepted an offer to become an assistant coach. He helped both the Polish and Russian national mountain bike teams. He even coached the women's national team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Marek Galiński's Passing

On March 17, 2014, Marek Galiński was driving home after a training camp in Cyprus. He was near Jędrzejów when his car went off the road and hit a tree. Rescuers helped him, but his injuries were very serious. Marek Galiński sadly passed away in the accident at the age of 39.

Career Achievements