Szymon Kołecki Athlete

Szymon Kołecki (born October 12, 1981 in Oława) is a Polish weightlifter, silver medallist at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He is around 6'1" (1.85 m). Kołecki represents the team of Górnik Polkowice, his career was put on hold in early 2000s (decade), because of a serious back injury. He qualified for the 2004 Polish team, but was disqualified from Olympic competition after a urine sample he provided tested positive for a banned steroid. He returned to weightlifting in late 2005, winning European Championships a few months later. He was also a member of the Polish team for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, during which he claimed that his recently shaved head had a covert political message. For his sport achievements, he received: Golden Cross of Merit in 2000; Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (5th Class) in 2008.