Roman Polianskyi

Polianskyi is originally from the village Khanzhenkovo near Makiivka in the Donetsk Province of Ukraine.{{cite news|url=https://dnews.dn.ua/news/521389|work=Donetskiye Novosti|first=Valentina|last=Menshova|title="У меня родственники – по всему миру! И все они меня поддерживают", – золотой призер Паралимпиады в Рио Роман Полянский|date=October 14, 2016|access-date=September 1, 2019}} He started doing sports at the age of four, at the urging of his father. Polianskyi started experiencing symptoms of Strumpell disease at the age of ten. He moved to Odesa in spring 2014, at the start of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine.

Polianskyi was training in rowing for two years prior to the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. During that time he trained with coach Yuri Bondarenko in Dnipro.{{cite news|url=https://fakty.ua/223084-paralimpijskij-chempion-roman-polyanskij-dnepr-stoprocentno-moe-mesto-na-zemle-ya-hochu-ostatsya-zdes-navsegda|title=Паралимпийский чемпион Роман Полянский: "Днепр – стопроцентно мое место на земле! Хочу остаться здесь навсегда"|work=fakty.ua|date=September 26, 2016|access-date=September 1, 2019}}

When Polianskyi was 18, his father died from a mining accident; his mother died two years later. Polianskyi has a younger sister.

Polianskyi now uses a wheelchair.{{cite web|url=http://www.2014.paralympic.org.ua/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=64&Itemid=149|work=National Sports Committee for the Disabled of Ukraine|title=Національна паралімпійська збірна команда зразка 2016 року.|date=September 1, 2016|access-date=September 4, 2019}}

Initially Polianskyi competed in para-canoeing but switched to para-rowing once canoeing was not included in the Rio 2016 Summer Paralympics program. Polianskyi competes in men's PR1 single sculls in para-rowing events.

The PR1 classification designates those para-rowing athletes who compete while mainly using their arms and shoulders.{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20170814/para-rowing-what-do-pr3-pr2-and-pr1-mean|title=Para-rowing: What do PR3, PR2 and PR1 mean?|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|date=August 14, 2007|access-date=September 3, 2019}}

Polianskyi has the medical condition called hereditary spastic paraplegia.[https://www.paralympic.org/news/roman-polianskyi-exacts-his-revenge Roman Polianskyi exacts his revenge], paralympic.org, International Paralympic Committee, May 19, 2019. Accessed 2019-09-01. The condition is also known as Strumpell disease.{{cite book |last=Fletcher-Janzen |first=Elaine |editor1=Cecil R. Reynolds|editor2=Kimberly J. Vannest|editor3=Elaine Fletcher-Janzen|title=Encyclopedia of special education, Volume 2. A reference for the education of children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and other exceptional individuals|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wQdQDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Strumpell+disease%22+%22Hereditary+spastic+paraplegia%22&pg=PT885 |date=March 2018 |chapter=Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia |isbn=978-0-470-94939-9}}

Polianskyi's first para-rowing sports race was in 2014 in Gavirate, Italy, where he came fourth.[http://www.worldrowing.com/athletes/athlete/46544/roman-polianskyi ROMAN POLIANSKYI (UKR). Athlete of the Month - August 2017], International Rowing Federation. Accessed September 1, 2019.

He won the gold medal in men's single sculls at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.{{cite news|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1041513/triple-gold-for-britain-at-paralympic-rowing-finals-at-rio-2016|work=Inside the Games|title=Triple gold for Britain at Paralympic rowing finals at Rio 2016|first=Dan|last=Palmer|date=September 11, 2016|access-date=September 1, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.ybw.com/news-from-yachting-boating-world/rio-paralympics-2016-results-41877|title=Bronze medals for Team GB's Paralympic sailors in Rio|work=Yachting and Boating World|date=September 19, 2016|access-date=September 1, 2019}} In the final race Polianskyi came ahead of the world champion, Erik Horrie of Australia, and the 2008 Paralympic champion, Tom Aggar of Great Britain. In that race Polianskyi also set a new Paralympic record, with the time of 04:39.56.{{cite web|url=http://www.worldrowing.com/news/fast-finals-for-para-rowers-the-rio-paralympics|title=Fast finals for para-rowers at the Rio Paralympics|work=International Rowing Federation|date=September 11, 2016|access-date=September 3, 2019}}{{efn|In 2017, the event distance was extended from 1,000 to 2,000 metres.{{cite web |url=https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/sport/paralympic/rowing/ |title=Paralympic Sports Rowing |date=December 1, 2018 |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |access-date=September 16, 2019}}}}

Polianskyi won the silver medal in men's PR1 single sculls at the 2017 World Rowing Championships at Sarasota[http://www.worldrowing.com/athletes/athlete/46544/results/roman-polianskyi Roman Polianskyi. All results]. International Paralympic Committee. Accessed September 1, 2019. and also the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv.{{cite news|url=https://www.row2k.com/worlds/features/2018/6627/Worlds-Sunday--Gold-for-US-Women-s-Eight--Disappointment-For-the-Men/|work=www.row2k.com|title=Worlds Sunday: Gold for US Women's Eight, Disappointment For the Men|first=Ed|last=Moran|date=September 16, 2018|access-date=September 1, 2019}}

He won the gold medal in the same discipline at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz Ottensheim.{{cite news|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1084207/polianskyi-wins-pr1-single-sculls-title|work=Inside the Games|title=Polianskyi and Skarstein claim PR1 single sculls titles at World Rowing Championships|date=September 1, 2019|access-date=September 1, 2019}} There he also set the new world record in PR1 men's single sculls, at 09:12.99, improving the previous world record by almost 4 seconds.[https://row-360.com/live-final-day-of-the-world-rowing-championship-in-linz/ Live: Final Day of the World Rowing Championships in Linz.] row-360.com, September 1, 2019. Accessed 2019-09-01.{{cite web|url=https://prosportua.com/greblya-akademicheskaya-chm-2019-polyanskij-vyigral-zoloto/|title=Гребля академическая. ЧМ-2019. Полянский выиграл золото!|work=prosportua.com|date=September 1, 2019|access-date=September 1, 2019}} The victory qualified Polianskyi for participation in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/linz-ottensheim-2019-roman-polianskyi-rows-birthday-glory|title=Linz-Ottensheim 2019: Roman Polianskyi rows to birthday glory.|work=International Paralympic Committee|date=September 2, 2019|access-date=September 3, 2019}}

Polianskyi won the gold medal in PR1 single sculls at the Para Rowing International Regatta in Gavirate, Italy in 2017, and again in 2018.{{cite news|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1050334/british-quartet-take-gold-at-opening-para-rowing-regatta-in-gavirate|work=Inside the Games|title=British quartet take gold at opening Para rowing regatta in Gavirate|date=May 17, 2017|access-date=September 1, 2019}}{{cite news|work=Inside the Games|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1064977/paralympic-champion-polianskyi-emerges-triumphant-at-para-rowing-international-regatta|title=Paralympic champion Polianskyi emerges triumphant at Para Rowing International Regatta|date=May 12, 2018|access-date=September 1, 2019}}

For his 2016 Paralympic victory, Polianskyi was awarded the Order of Merit, 3-d Class, by the President of Ukraine.[https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/4302016-20569 Указ Президента України № 430/2016 від 4 жовтня 2016 року «Про відзначення державними нагородами України»] {{in lang|uk}}, Office of the President of Ukraine, Presidential Decree No. 430/2016 of October 4, 2016 “On Awarding State Awards of Ukraine”. Accessed September 1, 2019.

Polianskyi holds the rank of Candidate for Master of Sport of Ukraine.[http://www.2014.paralympic.org.ua/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=64&Itemid=149 Athlete profile] {{in lang|uk}}, National Sports Committee for the Disabled of Ukraine. Accessed September 2, 2019.

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• {{sports links}}
• [http://www.2014.paralympic.org.ua/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=64&Itemid=149 Athlete profile], National Sports Committee for the Disabled of Ukraine

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Category:Living people

Category:1986 births

Category:Ukrainian male rowers

Category:Rowers at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

Category:Rowers at the 2020 Summer Paralympics

Category:Rowers at the 2024 Summer Paralympics

Category:World Rowing Championships medalists for Ukraine

Category:Paralympic gold medalists for Ukraine

Category:Paralympic silver medalists for Ukraine

Category:Recipients of the Order of Merit (Ukraine), 3rd class

Category:Paralympic medalists in rowing

Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics

Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Paralympics

Category:Paralympic rowers for Ukraine

Category:Sportspeople from Donetsk Oblast

Category:21st-century Ukrainian sportsmen