On Sunday, June 19, the second edition of LOTTO Challenge Gdańsk in Poland gets under way. Title sponsor LOTTO has backed the event since its inception in 2021.
Totalizator Sportowy is the owner of the LOTTO brand in Poland. The national lottery brand was originally established in 1956 to collect funds for the financing of renovation and construction of sports facilities and equipment across Poland. For over 60 years, it has been the biggest patron of culture and sport in the country.
At a press conference last year, confirming the second edition of the event, Piotr Grzelak, Deputy Mayor of Gdansk for Sustainable Development, said “We are very pleased with the words of the participants which we heard many times during the warm weekend in Gdansk, that is ‘I will definitely come back’.
“For the city of Gdansk, this is an event that we would like to see again in the coming years. We feel that on the one hand, it is professionally prepared, and on the other, which is also extremely important, it has a universal character.
“It harnesses the excitement and energy of citizens of Gdansk to return to sport after a period of pandemic. [The first] edition was a great, wonderful experience for us and we hope to carry it on.”
Last year James Teagle and Sarissa de Vries won the race. In 2022, the organisers note that Spanish athlete Pablo Gonzalez Dapena seems to be the biggest favourite for the victory. The world-class athlete experienced strong results in 2019 and 2020, but then suffered from injury.
Gonzalez Dapena may expect competition from Bartosz Banach, James McCallum and Keegan Cook, among others. There will also be several local favourites racing, who will want to prove themselves on home turf.
In the women’s race, a tough battle is also expected…. ‘With the likes of Rosie Weston, Shiva Leisner, Hana Koralava and Magda Nieuwoudt at the start, there are no outright favourites for victory. Valentina D’Angeli seems to be the biggest contender, but even she knows a lot can happen during a race at the highest level.’
