Competition
Team
Michal Smolen
| Hometown | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Events | MK-1 , Extreme Slalom |
| Years On Team | 13 (since 2011) |
| Club | Nantahala Racing Club |
| Born | 09/13/1993 |
| Schools/Work | DeVry University |
| Hobbies | Playing guitar , traveling and coaching |
6 Things You Didn't Know about Michal Smolen
- Michal was born and raised in Krakow, Poland where he lived until he was 10 years old before moving to the United States.
- Both of his parents were part of the Polish National Team - his father for kayaking and his mother for team handball, but both fell just short of the Games.
- Michal wanted to follow in his father's footsteps but was afraid of the water. To get over his fear, he decided to take up swimming. He eventually became more comfortable and decided to take up competitive swimming, and eventually gave kayaking another try.
- Michal was diagnosed with epilepsy after having a seizure in his sleep.
- Michal was the U.S. national champion in 2011, but was unable to race for the U.S. in the 2012 Olympics because his citizenship had not passed yet. Once he became a U.S. citizen in 2013, he began racing with the U.S. national team.
- Michal currently resides in Paris, France.
Sponsors
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Olympic Games
2020 Tokyo Games (in 2021)
5th MK1
2016 Rio Games
12th MK1
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World Championships
2015 World Championships, London, UK
3rd MK1
2014 U23 World Championships, Penrith, Australia
1st MK1
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World Cups
2021:
5th MK1, Prague, Czech Republic
7th MK1, Markkleeberg, Germany
2017:
2nd MK1, Ivrea, Italy
2014:
3rd MK1, Prague, Czech Republic
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U.S. Team Trials
2021 Charlotte, NC
1st MK1
2019 Oklahoma City, OK
1st MK1 -
Other Results
2015 Pan American Games, Toronto, Canada
Gold Medalist MK1