“Biggest thing we ever did before he went in was a trip to Chicago in 1937 to see our first baseball game and ride on the El,” his brother said Minneapolis motorcycle cops escorted 12-year-old Walter Shimshock and his 13-year-old brother Bernie to the Great Northern Depot along with the other outstanding Tribune carriers about to embark on an all-expenses-paid trip to Chicago Nazis executed Walter in Poland — pouring bullets into the 19-year-old U.S Army Air Force rear gunner from northeast Minneapolis Shimshock had bailed out of his burning B-17 bomber that was dropping supplies for Polish resistance fighters who were then locked in a two-month clash with occupying German forces He broke his leg parachuting down to the waiting Nazis who interrogated and tortured him before killing him Bernie clung to memories of that Chicago trip with Walter His brother was just a kid when he entered World War II “Biggest thing we ever did before he went in was a trip to Chicago in 1937 to see our first baseball game and ride on the El,” Bernie said despite dying as a teenager 80 years ago this September Walter Shimshock will further cement the ties between sister cities nearly 4,700 miles apart — Columbia Heights and Lomianki A memorial to Shimshock and his nine airlift crewmates will be unveiled next month at Huset Park in Columbia Heights a couple miles north of Walter and Bernie’s childhood home in northeast Minneapolis mirrors a similar monument that Polish leaders erected two years ago at the crash site of Shimshock’s bomber outside Lomianki Never mind that Shimshock’s B-17 was the only one of 107 Allied bombers shot down while dropping hundreds of canisters of food ammunition and medicine on beleaguered Warsaw on Sept during a mission called Operation Frantic 7 “One plane might seem to mean nothing in the complex scheme of a terrible war but to us that one plane meant that they were coming — freedom was near,” Lomianki’s village priest said at the dedication of a granite memorial to the B-17 crew in the city’s war cemetery in 1987 Tim Pawlenty paid his respects at that memorial in 2004 Lomianki Mayor Lucjan Sokolowski said: “We will never forget the courage of these magnificent fallen American airmen They gave their lives out of a sense of duty Karkula, a former Columbia Heights resident, helped secure a grant that led to the English translation of a Polish book, “Frantic 7,″ that details Shimshock’s 13th and final mission After German anti-aircraft fire hit the bomber — named “I’ll Be Seeing You,” after a Bing Crosby hit — three of the 10 crew members At least six and possibly seven of the crew members died when the blazing plane exploded on its way down Shimshock is believed to have survived briefly before being questioned The other two crew members who successfully bailed were taken as prisoners “Frantic 7″ includes a telegram sent a week after the bomber crashed from a Polish resistance commander who offered what is now a largely accepted account of Shimshock’s fate He said an unidentified airman with a broken leg was captured and questioned without getting medical assistance After being tested he was shot,” the underground leader reported about 22 years old” and carrying “a photograph of a young girl.” Shimshock’s draft card listed him as 5-10½ with brown hair though Bernie said he was blond in a 1986 interview with the Minneapolis Star and Tribune And Shimshock was known to carry a photo of his younger sister Bernie said Walter’s death was wrenching for their father — framemaker and World War I vet Frank Szymczak — and Walter’s three siblings “But it was Mother that suffered the most,” said Bernie When Walter’s remains were returned for reburial in 1949 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery it helped her to know that Walter was “back here with us” — where he played baseball and street hockey and grumbled about the early wake-ups his paper route required not too long after he graduated from DeLaSalle,” Bernie said in 2004 The public is invited to two ceremonies honoring Shimshock on Sept wreath-laying at his grave at Fort Snelling National Cemetery and the unveiling of the crew memorial at 12:45 p.m Curt Brown’s tales about Minnesota’s history appear every other Sunday. Readers can send him ideas and suggestions at mnhistory@startribune.com. His latest book looks at 1918 Minnesota, when flu, war and fires converged: strib.mn/MN1918. Curt Brown is a former reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune who writes regularly about Minnesota history. Twin Cities Suburbs Conservative board members had questioned the content of the books and curricula prompting criticism from the teachers union Doğukan Günaydin was arrested March 27 by plainclothes officers from the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis James Duane Ortley made his first appearance on four counts of second-degree murder and remains jailed on $2 million bail Three men were charged in a separate slaying that took place four blocks away several hours later Polish Para Dance Sport Open competition in Lomianki Poland is ready to get back on track from 9 to 10 October the Polish Open was postponed to a later date in 2021 due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak With 55 female and 40 male athletes from 15 countries over three continents the competition in Lomianki is set to be a very strong and competitive one “The World Para dance sport community is very happy to go back to Poland after two years and see so many athletes and teams joining it,” said Camila Rodrigues “The Local Organising Committee (LOC) is a traditional and experienced organiser and we are looking forward to the weekend,” added Rodrigues Single events will take place on Saturday (9 October) together with the growing junior competition after a small opening ceremony starting at 10:00 am (CEST time) Combi and duo events are reserved for Sunday (10 October) starting at the same time as the programme on Sunday A star-studded line-up will participate in Lomianki with Belgium’s Sofie Cox defending two titles in the women’s single and single freestyle 2 events Cox will go up against Austria’s Sanja Vukasinovic who ended up in second place on both occasions in 2019 Ukraine’s Natalia Chekhonatska took golds in women’s single and duo freestyle combi 1 two years ago Chekhonatska will look to retain her title only in the single event Chekhonatska’s compatriot Olena Chynka is another name worth highlighting She is the Bonn 2019 World Championships gold medallist in the women’s single freestyle 2 event Chynka will have a busy schedule on Saturday competing in the women’s single conventional 2 as well This year’s Polish Open in Lomianki will be organised following the comprehensive health and safety protocols due to the pandemic Full results will be available on World Para Dance Sport’s website A familiar place to the best Para dancers in the world Lomianki will welcome nearly 60 athletes from 10 countries as the Polish Open celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023 Altogether 41 female and 19 male athletes will be in action in Poland this weekend (3 and 4 June) aiming to dazzle with their dancing moves in single A strong competition expected in the singles events with some top names lining up in the second international World Para Dance Sport event of the year The home challenge will be led Joanna Reda a former world champion in 2010 and European champion at Kosice 2016 who will compete in two women’s single events the single conventional 2 and the single freestyle 2 Reda will be accompanied by the experienced Pawel Karpinski also a 2010 world champion besides silver and bronze medallist at the championships He will be eager to put up a strong performance at home Prague 2022 European champion pair of Katarzyna Nowokunska and Michael Ciok will also be aiming at putting the hosts on top of the podium in Lomianki after their gold medal winnings moves last year The international line-up at the Polish Open 2023 includes regular visitors such as Israel’s Tomer Margalit who has had an incredible run in Poland so far whose two gold medals in women’s single 1 and combi freestyle 1 events helped her country finish on top last season will be hoping to continue her fairy-tale run this year as well Besides a strong medal contender in single freestyle and conventional 1 the 27-year-old Israeli will be among the favourites in combi freestyle 1 and combi Latin 1 events Worlds and European Championships medallist Vital Zinger is another top dancer from Israel to watch out for this weekend She competes in single Freestyle 1 and combi events alongside Sean Ziv Slovenia’s Lara Nedeljkovic will be hoping to improve the colour of her medal in women’s single conventional event this time following her bronze medal last year the Para Dance Polish Open 2023 will serve as a comeback event as the Belgium star returns to action this season after a gap following surgeries The weekend in Lomianki will also mark the international debut for four new dancers from Poland (Ewa Mlot) Slovenia (Tamara Mahoric) and Italy (Eugenio Migliaccio and Enzo Palombo) the World Para Dance Sport action will shift to Asia for the Tokyo 2023 Para Dance Sport International Competition in Japan starting 5 August But the sole focus will be on the Genoa 2023 Para Dance Sport World Championships in Italy scheduled to take place from November 24 to 26 You can follow the action on the World Para Dance Sports social media channels The lights will dim and the music will cue the start of the 2018 World Para Dance Sport European Championships on Friday (9 November) in Lomianki Three action-packed days will feature 95 athletes from 14 countries dancing across 17 medals events “The European Championships is a colourful sporting event rich in emotions of fight and combat,” said Organising Committee President Iwona Ciok “This is a very big challenge for the Polish organising committee Thanks to involvement of many officials and companies I hope this sport event provides viewers and competitors with an unforgettable experience and remain in the memory for a long time There is a special occasion to celebrate due to 100th anniversary of Polish Independence.” Six freestyle events will fill the opening day It is a discipline that has expanded since making its World Championships debut in 2015 Olena Chynka’s performance is not to be missed The Ukrainian will try to prove why she is the reigning world and European champion in the women’s singles freestyle class 2 Challenging her will be Austria’s Sanja Vukasinovic who just missed the podium at the 2017 World Championships the Austrian will still be hoping to improve on her silver from the last Europeans in 2016 The home crowd will have their own favourite in Katarzyna Bloch All eyes will be on Helena Kasicka in the class 1 equivalent The Slovakian has mastered the couples dances – she swept all three combi events at the last European Championships with partner Peter Vidasic – and is aiming to transfer that success to singles Three couples freestyle events will then follow The combi 1 features two strong Ukrainian couples Reigning world champions Natalia Chekhonatska and Pavlo Ivliushkin; and silver medallists Veronika Pedchenko and Valeriy Bevzyuk could steal the show Competition heats up on day two with four Latin events (combi 1 and 2; duo 1 and 2) especially with Poland’s power couples expected to dazzle Home favourites Joanna Reda and Pawel Karpinski will try to defend their crown in the duo Latin 2 But they must be flawless with the likes of Ukrainian 2017 world champions Chynka and Oleksandr Onishchenko vying for the same prize “I feel motivated and ready to fight,” said Karpinski The competition will be strong with the Ukrainian dancing couple.” The 30-year-old is also competing in the combi Latin 2 with standing partner Nadine Kinczel The couple took silver at the 2016 Europeans and bronze at the 2017 Worlds a couple from Ukraine will threaten the Poles’ golden hopes; Olena Dankevych and Ivan Zamiga were outstanding two years ago in Kosice The evening will close with the women’s singles standard Chynka (class 2) and her compatriot Illona Slugovyna (class 1) own both the latest European and Worlds golds in their respective classes Both combi standard class 1 and 2 events are Belarus’ for the taking Hanna Harchakova and Roman Usmanov have danced to the 2016 Europeans and 2017 world titles in the combi 2 and their elegance makes them strong favourites again The class 1 equivalent could see Veranika Kasach and Aliaksei Zukhtsikau produce a golden performance The crowd will cheer when Reda and Karpinski take centre to defend their gold in the duo standard 2 World champions Chynka and Onishchenko have other plans in mind Men’s singles action will conclude Lomianki 2018 Karpinski will try to have his solo moment But the singles class 2 gold medal favourite is Ukraine’s world champion Ivan Sivak whose emotional victory a year ago in Malle All three days at Lomianki 2018 will be live streamed on World Para Dance Sport’s website and Facebook page. You can also follow the results on Instagram and Twitter If there is one couple who sets the standard it is Belarus’ freshly crowned continental champions Hanna Harchakova and Roman Usmanov Together they produced a golden performance on Sunday (11 November) at the 2018 World Para Dance Sport European Championships in Lomianki The final day of Lomianki 2018 had a graceful conclusion from the Belarusians who won back-to-back titles in the combi standard 2 Waltzing with elegance and quick stepping with a joyous smile Harchakova and Usmanov proved why they are the reigning world champions but also other dancers were encaptivated and applauding their performance “For me every competition is like a show,” said Usmanov and maybe that is why the results are so great.” she’s just enjoying it—maybe not just enjoying it communicating with the audience and seeing them enjoying it.” A tearful Hannah Ivanova and her standing partner Mikhail Zhyhalau joined their compatriots on the podium with the silver medal; they finished ninth at the 2017 Worlds and Sunday marked their first major medal together Slovakia’s Maria Dutkova and Martin Solc completed the podium It has been a while since Belarus’ Veranika Kasach and standing partner Aliaksei Zukhtsikau tasted gold But the 2014 European champions were back on top in the combi standard 1 They held off a strong Ukrainian couple in 2017 Worlds silver medallists Illona Slugovyna and Andrii Tovstyi Finland’s Harju Tuuli and Timo Pyykkonen took home the bronze medal knowing they needed to be sharp with a Ukrainian couple also on the floor “Veranika has danced since 2010,” he added winning four of the six medals on offer Sunday Reigning world champion Ivan Sivak was full of charisma on the dance floor charming the judges from corner to corner to win the men’s singles 2 His compatriot and defending European champion Ivan Zamiga joined with the silver Home favourite Pawel Karpinski drew the loudest cheers when he took home the bronze medal “This gold medal means a lot of things,” Sivak said institutes who helped me get here and win the gold medal.” Reigning world champions Olena Chynka and Oleksandr Onishchenko won their third gold medal together in Lomianki They spoiled a hopeful home gold from Poland’s runners-up Joanna Reda and Karpinski Israel’s Maytal Wax and Shlomo Dahan came in third World champions Illona Slugovyna and Valeriy Bevzyuk maintained their status as the best in the class 1 Compatriots Snejana Kernichnaya Snejana and Vladimir Kernichny were second; and Hungary’s Tunde Ferenczi and Laszlo Mester Csiki were third Bevzyuk was the undisputed winner in the men’s singles 1 Turkey’s Abdul Kadir Unal and Slovenia’s Amir Alibabic went two-three Complete results from Lomianki 2018 can be found on World Para Dance Sport's website Edelyn de Asis of the Philippines was in fine form winning four gold medals at the Polish Para Dance Sport Open held in the city of Lomianki The rising star topped the podium in three single and one duo events De Asis defeated Bonn 2019 World Championships gold medallist Olena Chynka from Ukraine in the women’s single freestyle 2 and single conventional 2 events She proved her domination in the single events winning another gold in the rising junior competition de Asis won the fourth gold in Lomianki on Sunday in the duo freestyle 2 event Ukraine’s Illona Slugovyna and Valeriy Bevzyuk also triumphed in four events each at the latest edition of the Polish Open They won two titles together in the duo standard 1 and duo freestyle 1 events Slugovyna celebrated another gold on Sunday together with Andrii Myronchuk in the combl latin 1 while Bevzyuk paired with Veronika Pedchenko to triumph in the combi freestyle 1 event They opened the programme at the Polish Open on Saturday with a win in the single conventional 1 events Ukraine was the most successful nation during a two-day competition in Lomianki winning eight golds in senior events while the Philippines took home six victories the Russian Paralympic Committee’s (RPC) Maksim Sedakov also shone with two golds won on Saturday in the men’s single conventional 2 and single freestyle 2 events Kazakhstan’s Ardak Otarbayev returned to the sport after a two-year absence and took home two silver medals in the men’s single conventional 1 and single freestyle 1 events Israel left Lomianki with four medals including one gold won by Tomer Margalit in the women’s single freestyle 1 event Polish Open in Lomianki was organised following the comprehensive health and safety protocols due to the pandemic the Polish Para Dance Sport Open was postponed to a later date in 2021 with 55 female and 40 male athletes from 15 countries over three continents competing in Lomianki Full results are available on World Para Dance Sport’s website The Polish Open returns to Lomianki for the 2022 edition on Saturday and Sunday (18 and 19 June) hosting 52 athletes (31 women and 21 men) from 11 countries across Americas and Europe with dancers showing their best choreographies to impress the judges Some of the world’s best will be in Poland for the first international World Para Dance Sport event of the year The local stars will be ready to dazzle the dancefloor gold medallist at the 2010 World Championships she will compete in two women’s single events Another home athlete in action will be Pawel Karpinski who celebrates two decades of international events this year he also has a silver and five bronze medals at World Championships He will a one to watch defending the host nation Tomer Margalit of Israel will compete in two events in Poland the single conventional 1 and the single freestyle 1 She will also accompany Orel Halaf in the combi freestyle 1 event Margalit has two medals from the last World Championships at Bonn 2019 She is familiar with Lomianki as she took a silver medal at the 2018 European Championships competing with her twin sister Liron Other athlete to compete in single and duo events will be Ukraine’s Volodymyr Kernychnyi gold medallist at the Malle 2017 World Championships He will take on the dancefloor in the men’s single conventional 2 before joining Snizhana Kernychna in the duo standard 1 The combi Latin 1 will see a new duo coming from USA Lomianki 2022 will also mark the first participation of Estonia in an international Para dance sport competition The Lomianki audience were treated to incredible dance moves and skills as Para dancers returned to one of their favourite competitions Not just the familiar names dazzled with their dancing styles newcomers made a mark as 60 dancers from 10 nations graciously swayed and danced to the tunes of hit numbers in the second World Para Dance Sport competition of the season Israel’s Tomer Margalit clinched two gold medals in women’s single 1 and combi freestyle 1 events and continued her winning streak at the Polish Open that celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023 silver medallist in the Bonn 2019 World Championships combined with Halaf Orel to take the combi gold ahead of her compatriots Sean Ziv & Vital Zinger and Mazor Gil & Vashbein Anna the Worlds and European Championships medallist Local dancer Matusiak Magdalena finished in third place Israel’s gold medal winning show continued as Wax Meital claimed the first place in the women's single 2 event finishing ahead of big names like Belgium’s Sofie Cox and Austria’s Sanja Vukasinovic the silver medal was a comeback boost as she was returning after a gap following surgeries Israel’s impressive show was equally matched by local stars as they claimed three gold medals in combi the 2010 world champion besides silver and bronze medallist at the championships lived to the expectation of the home audience claiming the gold in men’s single 1+2 final Karpinski had the company of Ciok Michal - Nowokunska Katarzyna at the top of the podium as the Prague 2022 European champion pair put up a captivating show for the gold medal in the combi 2 final Poland dominated with Katarzyna Bloch – Malgorzata Bloch taking the gold followed by Bartlomiej Kurek – Sara Staszyszyn The Polish Open 2023 also witnessed the international debut of four dancers with Italy’s Enzo Palombo impressing with his dance moves He went on to clinch his first international medal As the curtain came down on the 2018 World Para Dance Sport European Championships let us look back at some takeaways from the competition in Lomianki and there is no question who the strongest dancers are in Europe with their dancers winning 13 of the 19 events Olena Chynka’s ability to dance beautifully and win five events over three days was the highlight for the Ukrainains That includes performing through heats and changing costumes in between her compatriot Oleksandr Onishchenko should also receive best dance partner they won three duo events (in which both dancers are in wheelchairs) Onishchenko then joined standing partner Svitlana Onopa for an entertaining freestyle performance in the combi 2 category to take the gold One can get lost watching Hanna Harchakova and standing partner Roman Usmanov move gracefully across the floor The two are so perfectly in sync that they are like one and it was no surprise they won a consecutive combi standard 2 gold Their fellow Belarusians Veranika Kasach and Aliaksei Zukhtsikau mimicked similar results in the class 1 equivalent Usmanov said Belarus’ success in standard perhaps represents their personality in staying calm and relaxed in various situations After a one-year hiatus from the World Para Dance Sport scene Slovakia’s Helena Kasicka returned to the competitive floor The multi-world and European champion reached a compromise with her then-dance partner now coach Peter Vidasic to return to dancing The class 1 athlete earned her first singles gold medal in a major Championships Vidasic said there is much to improve ahead of the 2019 World Championships Exciting newcomers came away with medals in their first full season in the sport landed double silver in the women’s singles freestyle and standard 1 the Israeli’s energy and raw talent has potential to develop into gold The host nation also introduced promising talent in 20-year-old Julia Sadkowska The swimmer-turned-dancer bronze medallist also put on a routine that challenged Margalit’s in the standard Competitors at the Euros may have gone head to head on the dance floor but described the atmosphere as more like a family party Nowhere was that illustrated more than when the Belarusian team loaned a chair to Ukraine’s Nataliia Bespalova The music had to stop during the combi standard 2 after her wheel broke off After she returned to the floor and completed the final The Para dance world welcomed Turkey into the growing family The nation made their first appearance at a European Championships with two male athletes in the class 1 category Abdul Kadir Unal danced to gold in the singles freestyle and silver in standard “I am very grateful for a lot of things in my life but mainly for doing what I love That is her motivation for November’s World Para Dance Sport European Championships in Lomianki She hopes to continue the winning tradition she had with long-time dance partner Peter Vidasic as a solo artist with her former partner now acting as her full-time coach “I had a big respect because Peter is also my coach for years so I didn’t want to disappoint him,” said Kasicka about her gold from the Kosice World Cup in October which was her first World Para Dance Sport competition in two years Their last major competition together was a dramatic occasion In front of their home crowd at the 2016 European Championships the tandem won gold in the combi standard and combi freestyle class 1 But their Achilles heel had been the Latin discipline At the last four World Championships and in the last two European Championships So when they were declared combi Latin European champions in 2016 Kasicka will only dance the women’s freestyle singles She tested her routine at the World Cup earlier this month in Kosice and secured the gold medal “Every time he has his own idea what he wants me to perform.” He was also the drive to her returning to competitive form since the 2016 European Championships But when Vidasic received an invitation for a well-known Para dance competition called the Continents Cup in Russia With the Kosice World Cup also confirmed for this year she had more motivation to get back to dancing all together “Peter has tried to convince me and all the sudden I was signed for the [World Para Dance Sport] competition,” she said but you do not have to follow such a hard discipline.” Polish dancers Nadine Kinczel and Pawel Karpinski shone at home Europeans One day before Poland celebrated 100 years of independence they enjoyed a historic moment for their top couple Nadine Kinczel and Pawel Karpinski at the 2018 World Para Dance Sport European Championships on Saturday (10 November) in Lomianki Kinczel and Pawel have danced together through three World and three European Championships But they won their first major gold medal together by taking the combi Latin 2 on home soil It was a fitting way to rejoice in Polish pride ahead of a landmark day on Sunday “Everyone wanted to listen to the Polish anthem and before the competition people were telling me ‘Nadine please this weekend is very special for Poland So please win this gold so that we can listen to the national anthem,” Kinczel said “This is one of the happiest days of my life.'” Anxiety and silence filled the venue after Belarus’ Darya Kulsh and Aliaksandr Liakhovich were announced the third-place finishers It followed with an eruption of cheers after Ukraine’s Olena Dankevych and Ivan Zamiga were named the silver medallists “What I love is dancing and fighting for medals Karpinski added: “For me it is absolutely amazing Hanna Siratsiuk and Ihar Kuliashou reclaimed their title from four years ago Siratsiuk and Kuliashou entered the second day of competition fired up They displayed the best moves in all five Latin styles – samba “Twenty-two years ago I didn’t even imagine it was possible to live in a wheelchair,” said Siratsiuk who was the only one injured in a car accident with her family “I knew nothing about dancing and I knew nothing about living with an impairment then “It (our strong partnership) comes from our friendship our mutual understanding and our personalities,” she added “Of course we are going to participate in the 2019 World Championships It is the only prize we have not won yet.” Ukraine’s Veronika Pedchenko and Valeriy Bevzyuk took silver ahead of Israel’s Vital Zinger and Sean Zin It was an otherwise golden day for Ukraine Olena Chynka won two more to become a quadruple champion in Lomianki She and Oleksandr Onishchenko won their second gold medal together in Lomianki who also enjoyed the dancing of Poland’s Joanna Reda and Karpinski Samba and rhumba gave the Ukrainians the advantage over Poland’s runners-up Israel’s Maytal Wax and Shlomo Dahan were third Chynka outshined the rest of the field in the women’s singles standard 2 Belgium’s Sofie Cox had stronger performances in the tango rhumba and jive to win the silver ahead of Austria’s Sanja Vukasinovic in bronze Snejana Kernichnaya and Vladimir Kernichny added to Ukraine’s golden haul in the duo Latin 1 Slovenia’s Nastija Fijolic and Amir Alibabic were second Finland’s sister-brother duo of Karin and Gustav Antell completed the podium Ukraine’s reigning world champion Illona Slugovyna was the undisputed top dancer in the women’s singles standard 1 But the category has shown talents on the rise Israel’s Tomer Margalit won her second medal of these Championships with silver Swimmer-turned-dancer Julia Sadkowska did likewise by winning her first major career medal with the bronze thus giving more reason to wave the Polish flag with pride Competition concludes on Sunday (11 November) with men’s singles 1 and 2; combi standard 1 and 2; and duo standard 1 and 2 Lomianki 2018 is being live streamed on World Para Dance Sport’s website and Facebook page. You can also follow the results on Instagram and Twitter. Poland's Joanna Reda and Pawel Karpinski will try to defend their duo Latin 2 title on home floor at the 2018 European Championships The 2018 World Para Dance Sport European Championships will be an action-packed three days of competition in Lomianki 95 athletes from 14 countries will compete across 19 medal events The Slovakian’s last major competition was two years ago at her home European Championships in Kosice Together with her standing partner Peter Vidasic the couple swept all three combi class 1 events (standard But Kasicka will have the dance floor to herself in Lomianki Joanna Reda and Pawel Karpinski will be the duo class 2 couple who can light up the venue They are the reigning European champions in the duo Latin and silver medallists in the duo standard Golds went to Ukraine’s Olena Chynka and Oleksandr Onishchenko who are expected to put on golden performances The judges and audience can expect top-class performances from Ukrainian dancers Double Malle 2018 world champion Chynka will compete in the women’s singles standard and freestyle class 2 The women’s singles standard 1 could see a Ukrainian dance off for the top spot Reigning world champion Illona Slugovyna and world bronze medallist Snejana Kernichnaya are strong dancers World champion Ivan Sivak will have to dance his heart out as a determined Karpinski would also like a gold in the men’s singles standard 1 The country is also a powerhouse in the sport Watch for world champions Hanna Harchakova and Roman Usmanov in the combi standard 2 Malle 2018 silver medallists Hanna Siratsiuk and Ihar Kuliashou are also an energetic couple who can follow the Latin rhythms in the combi 1 category Ukrainian world champion Ivan Sivak was in top form as he secured two golds in the men’s 1/2 category at the Polish Para Dance Sport Open held in the city of Lomianki between 4 and 6 October The 38-year-old showed his class with just weeks away from the Opening Ceremony of the World Championships in Bonn Sivak is looking to win his sixth World title later this year At the last edition of the Worlds in Malle he had claimed gold in the single freestyle 2 and bronze in single class 2 His main challenger in Bonn will be home crowd favourite Erik Machens Belgium’s Sofie Cox was another standout dancer in Lomianki also claiming two golds in the women’s singles and singles freestyle 2 events She was followed by Austria’s Sanja Vukasinovis on both occasions in what appears to be another interesting head-to-head going into Bonn 2019 Natalia Chekhonatska took golds in women’s singles and duo freestyle combi 1 Chekhonatsha paired with Pavlo Illiushkin to give Ukraine another title at the Polish Open The hosts celebrated a 1-2 in the duo freestyle combi 2 with Nadine Kinczel and Piotr Iwanicki coming in first ahead of Bloch Katarzyna and Marek Zaborowski Full results are available on World Para Dance Sport’s website.  Helena Kasicka took gold at the 2018 European Championships “I said to Helena this morning that I am so nervous Before Helena Kasicka accepted her gold medal the Slovakian went over to hug her coach in a memorable return to the spotlight at the 2018 World Para Dance Sport European Championships on Friday (9 November) in Lomianki Kasicka won the women’s singles freestyle 1 Of her eight major gold medals (five European and three world titles) Her former dance partner-turned-coach Peter Vidasic was filming the medal ceremony from the side before stepping into the dance floor briefly to receive Kasicka’s hug “I was nervous because it was my first Championships without a partner,” said Kasicka who did not compete at the 2017 World Championships but admitted she is targeting the 2019 Worlds Vidasic retired from dancing but wanted Kasicka to continue; they agreed on only the singles freestyle and it paid off I feel like I’m in a competition,” Vidasic said Israel’s silver medallist Tomer Margalit displayed promising talent in her first full season Ukraine’s Snejana Kernichnaya rounded off the podium Opening night was otherwise blue and yellow with Ukrainian dancers taking five of the seven gold medals on offer Her Frida-inspired performance awarded her a second straight gold in the women’s singles freestyle 2 Austria’s Sanja Vukasinovic captured silver “My coach suggested me to dance to Frida’s (famous Mexican artist) personality and I started to read about her,” Chynka said When you are in a hard situation and something goes wrong I think this also influenced my dance impersonation Duo freestyle events were contested for the first time at a European Championships with the class 2 category being a close affair Chynka teamed up with Oleksandr Onishchenko to hold off silver medallists Vukasinovic and Robert Pleininger The Austrian’s scored higher on choreography presentation and tied on difficultly level But Ukraine’s technical skill was too much to match Slim margins also separated the gold and silver medallists in the combi freestyle 1 Ukraine’s Veronika Pedchenko and Valeriy Bevzyuk captured the title A Bollywood performance by Israel’s silver medallists Vital Zinger and Sean Ziv got the judges and audience grooving along But perfection was needed to top the Ukrainians Finland’s Tuuli Harju and Timo Pyykkonen came in third “We heard the judges and the audience with us in the performance and they enjoyed it as much as we did in the dance Onishchenko had his breakthrough at the 2016 Europeans the couple displayed a mix of elegance and entertainment to win the combi freestyle 2 Slovakia’s Maria Dutkova and Martin Solc won the silver; and their compatriots Maria Gazdikova and Maros Olejar joined with bronze Illona Slugovyna and Bevzyuk were the judges’ clear favourites to become the first European champions in the duo freestyle 1 followed by Ukraine’s Kernichnaya and Vladimir Kernichny Abdul Kadir Unal gave Turkey more reason to celebrate in the country’s first European Championships Turkey’s Osman Ertoz rounded off the podium Competition continues on Saturday (10 November) with six medal events: combi Latin 1 and 2; duo Latin 1 and 2; and women’s singles standard 1 and 2 Lomianki 2018 is being live streamed on World Para Dance Sport’s website and Facebook page. You can also follow the results on Instagram and Twitter Preparations for the 2017 World Championships will continue for many at the Para Dance Sport Polish Open from Saturday (20 May) in Lomianki Around 30 athletes from 10 countries will perform over two days at the second competition of the season with home favourites Joanna Reda and Pawel Karpinski expected to delight the spectators The Polish couple will pair up for the duo standard and duo Latin class 2 as well their respective individual singles events the reigning European silver medallists would hope for the top prize in the duo standard after a second-place finish in the season opener in Cujik Karpinski will also join compatriot Nadine Kinczel in the combi Latin class 2 where the reigning European silver medallists look to repeat their winning success from Cujik fellow compatriots and European bronze medallists Katarzyna Bloch and Marek Zaborowski are also targeting the top of the podium in the same event after taking second to Kinczel and Karpinski in April’s competition Austria – whose team bus caught fire en-route to Cujik – will try to get back in the groove; Brigitte Kroell and Werner Kaiser were the only ones from the team to compete in Cujik and can build off their third-place finish in the duo standard class 2 The Austrian couple will have to surpass the home favourites Kinczel and Karpinski who took bronze to at the 2016 European Championships Maria Gazdikova will try to take home prize for Slovakia when she takes on the women’s singles class 1 the Slovakian couple are expected to be the strongest in the combi standard and freestyle class 1 as they took podium finishes in both events at the 2016 European Championships Chinese Taipei will be well represented in Lomianki; Kuo Wen-sheng and Huang Yi-Jung took gold in the duo Latin class 2 at the inaugural Asian Championships last November and will get to see how they match up with their European counterparts ahead of the 2017 World Championships in Malle Hung Chin-Tang and Lin Hsin-Yu were runners-up to their compatriots and will try to overtake at the Asian Championships but will challenge for the top of the podium; as well as in the duo standard class 2 The Polish Open runs until Sunday (21 May), and can be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ParaDanceSport Worldwide stars and newcomers brought all the moves and dazzle to start off the 2022 international season in Lomianki Singles and couple events were contested at the 2022 Para Dance Sport Polish Open over the weekend with Israel topping the medals table Donning her Wonder Woman costume and dancing to Sia's hit "Unstoppable" Israeli dancer Tomer Margalit helped her country rise to the top by winning the women’s single 1 event and the combi freestyle 1 event with dance partner Orel Halaf The medals continued Margalit's success streak in Poland - she also won a gold medal in the women’s single 1 event at the 2021 Para Dance Sport Polish Open Israel took the lead ahead of host Poland (two golds one silver and one bronze) and Turkey (one gold Slovenian dancer Lara Nedeljkovic won three medals in Lomianki in the combi freestyle 2 and the combi standard 2 The Ukrainian team finished in fourth place Snizhana Kernychna was the force behind both of these medals Dancing in a bright pink dress with partner Ihor Bozhenko she finished second in the combi freestyle 1 event She also won a gold medal with dance partner Volodymyr Kernychnyi in the duo event The Estonian team finished the weekend with one bronze medal in its first participation in a major international competition One of the youngest athletes of the competition 15-year-old Matvey Serednitskiy secured the milestone medal for his country This Polish Open 2022 was also an occasion for World Para Dance Sport to start implementing paperless classification This new online system facilitates the process of notation Next Para Dance sport stop will be in Germany for the 2022 Para Dance Sport Mainhatten Cup Next European Championships will be held in Czech Republic for 28 to 30 October A star-studded line-up braces up for the penultimate event of the season - Polish Para Dance Sport Open competition that gets underway in Lomianki The event is the final dress-rehearsal ahead of the grand finale - 2019 World Para Dance Championships keep a close watch on Cheryl Angelelli of the United States She returned to the pool in 1998 and competed in her first Paralympics but after being in the sport for well over a decade decided to end her swimming career in 2013 it did not take long for Angelelli to switch her attention towards ballroom dancing Angelelli was quick to excel in her newly acquired career she was ranked as the World’s seventh-highest wheelchair ballroom dancer The USA dancer will be keen to make a telling statement in Poland in the combi latin e freestyle category Germany’s Pamela Heymanns will also be looking to impresses with her partner Jean Marc in the Female 2 dual standard ahead of her home finale Miha Rednak of Slovenia will be keen to build on his talent and achieve new success His compatriot Nastija Fijolic is another competitor to look forward too Fijolic will be competing in the Female SC2 category and will be keen to make an impression before heading to Bonn the home of the Paralympic Movement that houses the headquarters of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) PORTSMOUTH — Magdalena Tabak decided to make drastic changes in her lifestyle so she could improve her basketball skills who just finished her junior year at Portsmouth High School jumped at the chance to attend SMS Lomianki near Warsaw which translated means sports school for champions a boarding school with a total enrollment of 24 girls Tabak would not have been able to attend the school 4,104 miles from Portsmouth without her dual citizenship in the United States and Poland the latter of which she has through her mother “I really like playing basketball and I want to go to the highest level I can “If I continued my basketball here at Portsmouth I would have been able to go to a Division III school play at a good college and it would have been fun “But I wanted to see if there were any other opportunities for me to get a higher experience.” The Tabak family annually visits relatives in Poland who turned 17 in April and is fluent in Polish wanted to participate in basketball camps or clinics while vacationing “My dad and I contacted one of the head coaches at the University of Gdansk and he ended up doing some one-on-one lessons with me,” Tabak said “We built up a friendship and I contacted him this spring about sports schools in Europe that are kind of more intensive “We asked him if there were any he would recommend or any we should look at Tabak emailed her application early last month to beat the June 14 deadline and got a response six days after the deadline “At about 8 in the morning I hear my notification for my email,” Tabak said “I checked it and I reread it at least five times “I had to read it five times before I told my mom and before I called my dad who was at work.” “It’s a supporting school with the athletic facilities right there,” said Stefan Tabak “The coach told us it’s the best one there is The only thing it costs me as a dad is $110 a month for food.” Tabak will be a Portsmouth High School student studying abroad She is completing math and English courses this summer so that she can graduate at Portsmouth Tabak will be a fifth-year senior at SMS Lomianki next year “It’s an unusual thing,” Stefan Tabak said “She’s going to graduate as a Portsmouth High School senior in 2018 For recruiting purposes she’s reclassifying and doing two years at (Lomianki) Tabak was not a starter for the 2016-17 Portsmouth girls team the 5-foot-10 forward was one of the first two players off the bench But she recently finished her second season of AAU ball with the RI Breakers and has been working with a trainer and bettering her game through Chris Herren’s Hoops Dreams program “I usually go to the gym on the (Newport Naval) base to go shoot around,” Tabak said “Brian Doyle helped me with shooting and dribbling The gym is a perk of my job because I work at the Officer’s Club “Ryan Kelley has been helping me with my workout plan He makes a specific plan so I can get stronger I go to the weight room a couple days a week I put more weight and less reps to increase my strength.” has given Tabak more confidence and improved her game “I used to be just a passive shooter kind of girl,” Tabak said “I just wouldn’t take the ball to the basket I wouldn’t really drive even if I was open “My coaches and my dad would help me notice that I had an open spot there and I could drive Throughout AAU season I definitely improved that.” Tabak watched a lot of video footage her father shot at her games my dad films the games because the coaches have to see how I play,” Tabak said there was a missed opportunity — I could have driven to the basket or passed to someone,’ or see how the whole court lays out because it’s a lot different perspective.” Tabak’s perspective on the court most likely will change when she plays against the other girls who attend SMS Lomianki because I’m used to being one of the taller girls,” Tabak said getting ready for a different position than what I’m used to.” have been Tabak’s AAU coaches the past two years and she gives them credit for helping improve her game The father-daughter coaching duo has faith Tabak will prove her worth in Poland a great student and she has a big heart,” Andre Thomas said “That same desire and focus she uses on her studies She has to apply the best of her abilities “As long as someone can give her proper care and teach her right She just has to keep her nose to the grindstone.” Tabak leaves the country the first day of September and begins school two days later She’s anxious to start a new chapter in her life and to prove any doubters wrong “The big reason I am going to the school is because people didn’t see the hard work I put in,” Tabak said “They didn’t see how much I actually work on basketball whether it’s me playing or if it’s supporting my teammates and getting them ready for a game or a season “If they don’t see that I put in the hard work The people that support me know how hard I work Sports@NewportRI.com Ukraine’s Olena Chynka has been voted the Allianz Athlete of the Month for November after dazzling at the 2018 World Para Dance Sport European Championships Chynka danced to five European titles over three days in Lomianki becoming the competition’s most decorated dancer The Ukrainian won both her singles standard and freestyle class 2 events Together with dance partner Oleksandr Onishchenko the duo were the judges’ top favourites in the standard Chynka received 67 per cent of the public votes China’s snowboarder Sun Qi was second with 20 per cent and wheelchair fencer Haiyan Gu came in third with seven per cent Finnish snowboarder Matti Suur-Hamari and South Korean judoka Soohee Choi were also nominated March (Best Female) – Ekaterina Rumyantseva March (Best Team) – Chinese wheelchair curling team Czech Republic will host the next edition of the Para Dance Sport European Championships from 28 to 30 October The announcement was made by World Para Dance Sport on Monday (11 April) The competition will be held at the Clarion Congress Hotel It will be the first edition of the European Championships since Lomianki 2018 in Poland The competition was set to take place in Genoa Italy in 2020 but had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Lomianki 2018 saw 124 athletes from 16 countries in action a number that expected to increase at Prague 2022 Latin and Single conventional dance are expected to determine who are the best European dancers Junior boys and girls will also be present to show their skills and try to grab the gold after four years without European Championships The Czech capital first hosted an official Para dance sport competition in August last year with the two-day Prague International Competition “We are delighted to see Prague and Czech Republic being awarded as hosts of the next European Championships We have seen the continuous development of the sport in the country which hosted its first international competition with great success last year Prague is a city that breathes dance and we look forward to a historical event in October.”  the Prague 2022 Local Organising Committee (LOC) "We are proud and excited to announce the organisation of the Prague 2022 Para Dance Sport European Championships to be held in October We look forward to welcoming all of the European Para dance athletes to our lovely city and sharing such an extraordinary event with the Clarion Congress Hotel."  Ukraine topped the medals table at the last European Championships winning 13 of the 19 events The 2013 IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport World Championships were held in Tokyo IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport is calling for potential organisers to come forward to host the most prestigious competition on the calendar - the 2015 World Championships Following the recent success of the 2014 IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport European Championships in Lomianki the sport is asking for expressions of interest by 10 March The 2013 World Championships were held in Tokyo and attracted over 160 athletes from 20 countries That competition led to the addition of the very first Asian Pacific Cup in Beijing believes that potential organisers have an opportunity to raise the profile of their cities and venues and be part of the growth of wheelchair dance “Lomianki 2014 attracted great interest from the public including the attendance of one of the biggest news agencies in the world national TV coverage and the Patronage of the First Lady of Poland “The potential for cities and countries to be part of this legacy and enter the history books of wheelchair dance by organising the biggest competition on the calendar is huge.” in 2015 the competition programme will include singles and freestyle which made successful major international debuts at Lomianki 2014 Organisers have until 10 March to submit their expressions of interest to host the 2015 IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport World Championships Interested parties can find the expressions of interest form at the Wheelchair Dance Sport website The World Championship season kicks off this weekend as Cujik hosts the Para Dance Sport International Competition Some of the biggest names in dance will be hoping to dazzle in the three-day season opener as the countdown to November’s Worlds in Bonn Ukraine bring a crew of reigning world and European champions that include Olena Chynka It is Chynka’s first competition since sweeping an incredible five gold medals at the 2018 European Championships last November The Ukrainian danced her winning 2017 Worlds freestyle routine in Lomianki But Cuijk could see Chynka introduce a new routine in the women’s class 2 category She will join forces with sitting partner Oleksandr Onishchenko a proven duo who are the reigning world and European champions in the Latin and standard disciplines They partnered for the first time in the duo freestyle class 2 in Lomianki which also proved to be a glittering performance The women’s class 1 side will be highlighted by Slugovyna the 34-year-old is also looking to pick up where she left off at Lomianki 2018 where she captured a trio of gold medals Two of those she won with sitting partner Bevzyuk and they are looking to put on another dazzling show in the duo freestyle and standard class 1 events Belarus’ Hanna Harchakova and standing partner Roman Usmanov will return to the dance floor with judges highly anticipating their combi standard 2 performance The tandem was flawless at Lomianki 2018 and Malle 2017 setting the standard high ahead of the Worlds in Bonn Finishing behind the Belarusians on the podium were Joanna Reda and Pawel Karpinski at their home Europeans The young Polish couple will aim to perfect their routine ahead of Bonn 2019 and are a dynamic duo to watch in the Latin event Asian freestyle class 2 champion Yermek Kalymbetov will also be a talent to watch closely in Cuijk as the dancer from Kazakhstan will be hungry for another gold following a win at the Beigang Open in Chinese Taipei last October The Cuijk International Competition will see 85 dancers from 15 countries participate Italy is set to host the 2020 European Para Dance Championships from 17-21 December The announcement was made on Wednesday (5 August) by World Para Dance Sport and the Genova Wheelchair Dance Sport 2020 – the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the two organisations have agreed to monitor the situation about the coronavirus outbreak in Italy and in Europe and to set up a deadline to cancel the competition if necessary A letter of intent will be sent out to the teams and must be submitted by those who intend to compete no later than 15 September Entries by name and accommodation deadlines are set to 30 October the same date World Para Dance Sport and the LOC will confirm if the event is going ahead In case the European Championships is cancelled all costs paid by the teams to the LOC until 30 October will be reimbursed Camila Rodrigues said: “We are delighted to announce the European Championships in Genoa following an amazing World Championships in Bonn last year Italy is a country passionate about dance sport and we are sure our athletes will have all they need to produce fantastic performances and entertain the fans “This has been a difficult year for our sport community with many events postponed and cancelled and for this reason we have agreed with the LOC to set up a deadline and minimise the impact of the participant nations in case the COVID-19 pandemic forces us to cancel the event.” the LOC said: “Genova Wheelchair Dance Sport 2020 is pleased to invite you to the Genoa 2020 World Para Dance Sport European Championships which will take place in December with the support of the World Para Dance Sport – whom we thank for the trust they place in us sports facilities and the Liguria Region are looking forward to your arrival and enthusiasm.” It will be the first time Italy hosts the European Championships The Italian capital Rome hosted the World Championships in 2015 The last edition of the Euros took place in Lomianki Poland with 150 dancers from 20 countries.