Richard Nizielski
Encyclopedia
Richard Nizielski (born 27 July 1968) is an Australia
n short track speed skater
who competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics
, in the 1994 Winter Olympics
, and in the 1998 Winter Olympics
.
, Great Britain
. He immigrated to Australia with his father Jerzy and mother Anne. They sailed on the Australis and arrived on 23 June 1971, in Perth
. They settled in the suburb of Maylands, Western Australia
.
Australia's short track relay team went into the 1992 Olympics as world champions, but the team crashed in the semi-finals. The Australians were in third place when Nizielski lost his footing and knocked over team-mate John Kah
; they finished fourth and failed to reach the final. Nizielski competed in the individual 1,000 m event, but was eliminated in the first round, placing 21st out of 27 competitors.
In 1994, Nizielski was part of the short track relay team won Australia's first Winter Olympic medal, a bronze. They scraped into the four-team final after edging out Japan and New Zealand to finish second in their semi-final. They adopted a plan of staying on their feet as first priority, and remaining undisqualified and beating at least one of the other three finalists. During the race, the Canadians fell and lost significant time, meaning that Australia would win their first medal if they raced conservatively and avoided a crash. Late in the race, Nizielski was fighting with his American counterpart for track position for the silver medal, but took the safe option and yielded, mindful of the lost opportunity following the crash in Albertville. Nizielski recollected "At the last change [American] Eric Flaim got a good push-away and he stepped underneath my feet and stopped me. I thought, well I'm not going to fight him for this. I didn't want to let the team down. And I was very aware that I had taken a fall in Albertville. I just wanted to get through and get the medal." Thus Steven Bradbury
, Nizielski, Andrew Murtha
and Kieran Hansen
became Australia's first Winter Olympics medallists.
Nizielski was also entered in the 500 m and 1,000 m individual events. In the first event, he won his heat in a time of 44.86 s and then came fourth in his quarterfinal in a slower time of 45.57 s to be eliminated. He was classified tenth overall out of 31 competitors. In the 1,000 m event, Nizielski came second in his heat in a time of 1 m 32.42 s. He came fourth in his quarterfinalin a time of 1 m 29.93 s and was eliminated. He came 13th out of 31 competitors.
Bradbury, Nizielski and Kieran Hansen
, three of the quartet that won Australia's maiden medal in 1994 returned with new teammate Richard Goerlitz
, and there were hopes that they could repeat their Lillehammer performance. However, in their qualifying race, they placed third in a time of 7 m 11.691 s and missed the final by one place, even though they had been two seconds faster than their medal-winning performance in 1994. They completed the course four seconds slower in the B final and came last in the race, and thus last out of eight teams overall. Nizielski did not compete in the individual events.
Nizielski was Australia's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
at the Western Australian Institute of Sport
, Nizielski was named the Athlete of the Year for 1993–94. He was the first Western Australian to compete at the Winter Olympics.
. According to their website, Nizielski is a "trained Fight Director. He has performed in tv, commercials and corporate entertainment. Richard is a trainer at The Actors Conservatory". Nizielski also became a golf instructor and writes articles about biomechanical and sporting posture for golf magazines. He remains involved in helping to mentor the next generation of Australian speed skaters.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n short track speed skater
Short track speed skating
Short track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters skate on an oval ice track with a circumference of 111.12 m...
who competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
, in the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
, and in the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
.
Early life
He was born in NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. He immigrated to Australia with his father Jerzy and mother Anne. They sailed on the Australis and arrived on 23 June 1971, in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. They settled in the suburb of Maylands, Western Australia
Maylands, Western Australia
Maylands is a suburb located approximately northeast of Perth centred on the Midland railway line and located on the northern bank of the Swan River....
.
Skating
In 1991, Nizielski was part of the Australian quartet that won the 5,000 m relay at the World Championships in 1991 in Sydney. It was the first time that Australia had won a World Championship in a winter sport.Australia's short track relay team went into the 1992 Olympics as world champions, but the team crashed in the semi-finals. The Australians were in third place when Nizielski lost his footing and knocked over team-mate John Kah
John Kah
John Kah is a former Australian short track speed skater, who represented Australia at the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics in the relay team....
; they finished fourth and failed to reach the final. Nizielski competed in the individual 1,000 m event, but was eliminated in the first round, placing 21st out of 27 competitors.
In 1994, Nizielski was part of the short track relay team won Australia's first Winter Olympic medal, a bronze. They scraped into the four-team final after edging out Japan and New Zealand to finish second in their semi-final. They adopted a plan of staying on their feet as first priority, and remaining undisqualified and beating at least one of the other three finalists. During the race, the Canadians fell and lost significant time, meaning that Australia would win their first medal if they raced conservatively and avoided a crash. Late in the race, Nizielski was fighting with his American counterpart for track position for the silver medal, but took the safe option and yielded, mindful of the lost opportunity following the crash in Albertville. Nizielski recollected "At the last change [American] Eric Flaim got a good push-away and he stepped underneath my feet and stopped me. I thought, well I'm not going to fight him for this. I didn't want to let the team down. And I was very aware that I had taken a fall in Albertville. I just wanted to get through and get the medal." Thus Steven Bradbury
Steven Bradbury
Steven John Bradbury OAM is a former Australian short track speed skater and four-time Olympian, who won the 1,000 m event at the 2002 Winter Olympics after all of his opponents were involved in a last corner pile-up...
, Nizielski, Andrew Murtha
Andrew Murtha
Andrew Murtha is an Australian short track speed skater who competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics and in the 1994 Winter Olympics....
and Kieran Hansen
Kieran Hansen
Kieran Hansen is an Australian short track speed skater who competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics, in the 1994 Winter Olympics, and in the 1998 Winter Olympics....
became Australia's first Winter Olympics medallists.
Nizielski was also entered in the 500 m and 1,000 m individual events. In the first event, he won his heat in a time of 44.86 s and then came fourth in his quarterfinal in a slower time of 45.57 s to be eliminated. He was classified tenth overall out of 31 competitors. In the 1,000 m event, Nizielski came second in his heat in a time of 1 m 32.42 s. He came fourth in his quarterfinalin a time of 1 m 29.93 s and was eliminated. He came 13th out of 31 competitors.
Bradbury, Nizielski and Kieran Hansen
Kieran Hansen
Kieran Hansen is an Australian short track speed skater who competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics, in the 1994 Winter Olympics, and in the 1998 Winter Olympics....
, three of the quartet that won Australia's maiden medal in 1994 returned with new teammate Richard Goerlitz
Richard Goerlitz
Richard Goerlitz is an ice speed skater from Australia.Goerlitz holds the national longtrack records on the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters.-Achievements:*World Sprint Speed Skating Championships for Men :** 2006...
, and there were hopes that they could repeat their Lillehammer performance. However, in their qualifying race, they placed third in a time of 7 m 11.691 s and missed the final by one place, even though they had been two seconds faster than their medal-winning performance in 1994. They completed the course four seconds slower in the B final and came last in the race, and thus last out of eight teams overall. Nizielski did not compete in the individual events.
Nizielski was Australia's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
Honours
Based in Western AustraliaWestern Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
at the Western Australian Institute of Sport
Western Australian Institute of Sport
The Western Australian Institute of Sport is an elite sports institute set up in 1983 by the Government of Western Australia to support athletes in Western Australia...
, Nizielski was named the Athlete of the Year for 1993–94. He was the first Western Australian to compete at the Winter Olympics.
Post sporting career
In retirement Nizielski went into the theatre industry. He works for Way Out Theatreworks, an award-winning company in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. According to their website, Nizielski is a "trained Fight Director. He has performed in tv, commercials and corporate entertainment. Richard is a trainer at The Actors Conservatory". Nizielski also became a golf instructor and writes articles about biomechanical and sporting posture for golf magazines. He remains involved in helping to mentor the next generation of Australian speed skaters.