Natalia Kaczmarek is a Polish athlete sprinter who competed in the 400m. She won the silver medal in the event at the 2022 Munich European Championships. Natalia Kaczmarek earned several global medals as part of 4×400 m relays, including gold in the mixed event and silver in the women’s event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Natalia Kaczmarek was born on January 17, 1998, in Drezdenko, Lubusz Voivodeship, Poland. She started in athletics at an early age and quickly showed her talent. She is the 2019 Gavle European U23 Championships gold medalist in the 400m and 4x400m relay.
Natalia Kaczmarek started her competitive career in 2014. She won the gold at the local Bialogard Meeting and Wroclaw Meeting in 400m, as well as the gold in 100m hurdles in Inowroclaw, Bialogard, and Zielona Gora.
In 2015, Natalia Kaczmarek competed at the Cali IAAF World Youth Championships in the 4x400m relay, finishing 5th in the final, as well as 400m individually, where did not reach the final. During the season she won the gold at the Lodz Polish U18 Championships in 400m, and silver in 100m hurdles. She also earned the gold at the Torun Polish U18 Indoor Championships in 300m.
Natalia Kaczmarek continue being one of the top Polish young talent athletes in 2016. She competed at the Bydgoszcz IAAF World U20 Championships, finishing 6th in the 4x400m relay and remaining out of the final in the 400m individual. In 400m, she won gold at the Spala Polish Junior Indoor Championships and Suwalki Polish Junior Championship. Moreover, during the season she earned a lot of other honors in different disciplines locally.
In 2017, Natalia Kaczmarek finished 7th in the 400m final at the Grosseto European U20 Championships and 4th at the Bydgoszcz European Athletics Festival. She also finished 4th in the 4x400m relay at the Grosseto European U20 Championships. Natalia Kaczmarek won the gold at the Torun Polish U20 Indoor Championships and Torun Polish U20 Championships in 400m.
In 2018, Natalia Kaczmarek competed at the Berlin European Athletics Championships and Birmingham IAAF World Indoor Championships in the 4x400m relay, but remained out of the finals. She competed already at the senior Polish championships but remained a step from the honors.
Natalia Kaczmarek won her first major gold medals in 2019, winning the Gavle European U23 Championships in 400m and 4x400m relay. She won silver at the Polish U23 Championships in the 4x400m relay and gold in the 400m. In 400m, she won the bronze at the Irena Szewinska Memorial and remained 6th at the ORLEN Memorial Janusza Kusocinskiego.
In 2020, Natalia Kaczmarek again won the bronze at the Irena Szewinska Memorial in 400m but also earned the bronze at the Polish Indoor Championships. She grabbed the gold at the 4x400m relay in the Polish Championships. She competed at the ORLEN Copernicus Cup but remained th in the final.
In 2021, Natalia Kaczmarek achieved her biggest success so far, winning the gold at the 4x400m mixed relay at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and silver at the 4x400m relay. She also won the gold at the Chorzow European Athletics Team Championships, silver at the Chorzow World Relays and the bronze at the Torun European Athletics Indoor Championships in the 4x400m relay, as well as the silver at Copernicus Cup and the gold at the European Athletics Team Championships Super League in 400m. She won the gold at the Polish Championships in 400m. During the season, Natalia Kaczmarek debuted in the Diamond League.
In 2022, Natalia Kaczmarek competed at the Eugene World Athletics Championships, remaining 4th in the 4x400m mixed relay, but winning bronze at the 4x400m relay. She also won the silver at the Munich European Athletics Championships in the 4x400m relay. Natalia Kaczmarek won her first Diamond League honors during the season, winning the silver medals at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Chorzow and Meeting de Paris in 400m. During the season she earned the gold at the 61st Golden Spike, 68° ORLEN Janusz Kusocinski Memorial, 24. Internationales Leichtathletik Meeting “Anhalt 2022” and Meeting International de Sotteville 2022 in 400m. She also won gold at the Polish Championships and Polish Indoor Championships in 400m.
Natalia Kaczmarek continues being one of the top European athletes in 2023, winning the gold at the European Athletics Team Championships First Division in a 4x400m mixed relay. In 400m, she won the gold at the Diamond League events Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Firenze and Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, as well as 62nd Ostrava Golden Spike, 25th International Athletics Meeting Anhalt 2023 and 69° ORLEN Janusz Kusocinski Memorial. She also won the Polish Indoor Championships.