Introduction

Despite being relatively young, Miroslaw (née Rudzinska) is something of a veteran competitor; she first competed in a Speed World Cup in 2010. An early World Cup win in Chamonix in 2012 was followed by another the following year in Chongqing and it appeared that a glittering career beckoned. 

Miroslaw’s glittering career eventually arrived, but not at the time and in the manner that had been expected—podiums came in the three seasons following the Chongqing win, but a victory proved elusive and she all but retired in 2017. She decided to come back in 2018 but focus only on the biggest competitions; an unusual plan but clearly an effective one. She won the only World Cup she entered in 2018, was 1st and 2nd in the two she entered in 2019 and won back to back World Championships in those two years as well.

A 4th place finish alongside setting the first-ever women's Olympic Speed record—also a world record—of 6.84 seconds at Tokyo 2020 entered Miroslaw into the Olympic history books. A win in the Speed round was expected despite the strong Speed field represented, but Miroslaw's Lead and Boulder rankings denied her a podium place. 

Since Tokyo, Miroslaw has won nine out of the twelve international events she has competed in (two of the three 'losses' were World Championship events).

Qualification route

IFSC European Qualifier Rome 2023 - 1st Place

A disappointing and tense competition in Bern ended in an empty-handed third-place finish. Miroslaw wrote about a change in mindset that enabled her to earn her ticket in Rome just weeks later, ahead of her compatriots the Kalucka twins—who were also vying for one of the two Polish quota places—having set a new world record of 6.24s in the process.

Trivia

Miroslaw achieved the same numerical score (64) as Olympic silver medallist Akiyo Noguchi in Tokyo 2020, but finished 4th on countback due to Noguchi's superior score in two out of the three discipines.

UKC prediction

As holder of the last eight women's Speed world records, Miroslaw would be a safe bet for a medal in Paris. Having come so close to the podium in Tokyo and as the highest-placed Speed specialist, Miroslaw will no doubt have her eyes on the biggest prize. However, she has occasionally succumbed to pressure in the biggest events—can she keep a cool head?