Marek Twardowski (born October 6, 1979 in Białystok) is a Polish

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 sprint canoer

Canoe racing

This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....

 who has competed since the late 1990s. He won fifteen medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with two golds (K-1 500 m: 2006, K-2 500 m: 1999

1999 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1999 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Milan, Italy at the Idroscalo.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events. Women competed in eight events, all kayak....

), nine silvers (K-2 200 m: 2002

2002 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 2002 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Seville, Spain.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events...

, 2003

2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held September 10–14, 2003 in Gainesville, Georgia, United States at Lake Lanier. Located north of Atlanta, this was also where the canoe sprint and rowing events for the 1996 Summer Olympics took place....

, 2006; K-2 500 m: 2002, 2005; K-2 1000 m: 1999, K-4 200 m: 1999, K-4 1000 m: 2006, 2007), and four bronzes (K-1 500 m: 2007, K-2 200 m: 1999, 2005; K-4 1000 m: 2007).

Twardowski also competed in three Summer Olympics, earning his best finish of fourth in the K-2 500 m

Canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's K-2 500 metres

These are the results of the men's K-2 500 metres competition in canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics. The K-2 event is raced by two-man canoe sprint kayaks.-Medalists:-Heats:...

 event at Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

 in 2004

2004 Summer Olympics

The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...

.

Nicknamed Twardy, he is 182cm (6'0) tall and weighs 85kg (187 lbs). Twardowski is a member of the Sparta Augustów club where he is coached by Andrzej Siemion.

On July 9, 2008 he was named the Polish national flag bearer for the 2008 Summer Olympics

2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...

 in Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

.