Piotr Markiewicz (born September 23, 1973 in Sejny

Sejny

Sejny is a town in north-eastern Poland, in Podlaskie Voivodeship, close to the border with Lithuania and Belarus. It is located in the eastern part of the Suwałki Lake Area , on the Marycha river, being a tributary of Czarna Hańcza...

, Podlaskie) 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 competed from the early 1990s to the early 2000s. At the 1996 Summer Olympics

1996 Summer Olympics

The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....

 in Atlanta, he won the bronze medal in the K-1 500 m event.

Known for his devastating sprint finish, Markiewicz won his first national champion 1993. Initially representing in the K-4 event, he won two medals in the K-4 events at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with silvers in 1993

1993 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1993 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Copenhagen, Denmark for the third time. The Danish city had hosted the event previously in 1950 and 1970....

 (K-4 10000 m) and 1994

1994 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1994 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Mexico City, Mexico for the second time at neighboring Xochimilco. The Mexican city had hosted the event previously in 1974 at the same venue that hosted the canoeing and rowing competitions for the 1968 Summer Olympics.The men's...

 (K-4 1000 m).

Markiewicz's personality better suited him to the individual K-1 events where he won the K-1 200 m and K-1 500 m events at the 1995

1995 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1995 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Duisburg, Germany for the third time. The German city had hosted the event previously in 1979 and 1987 when it was part of West Germany....

As reigning world champion, he went to the 1996 Games as favorite in the K-1 500 m event, but did not live up to expectations. Markiewicz ended up settling for bronze in the K-1 500 m event after finishing fourth in the K-4 1000 m event.

After the Olympics, he won his last medal in 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....

 with a silver medal in the K-4 200 m event. Markiewicz retired in 2001 after a car accident

Car accident

A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...

.

Markiewicz was a member of the Sparta Augustów club. He is 184cm (6'0") tall and raced at 84kg (185 lbs).

For his sport achievements, he received:

Silver Cross of Merit in 1996.