Witold Bańka (Polish pronunciation: [vʲitɔld baɲka] ; born 3 October 1984) is a Polish former 400 metres sprinter[1] turned politician. Since November 2015, he has been the Minister of Sport and Tourism in the cabinet of Beata Szydło and cabinet of Mateusz Morawiecki. In May 2019, he was elected President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Witold Bańka | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 4th President of WADA | |
| Assumed office 1 January 2020 | |
| Vice President | Yang Yang |
| Preceded by | Craig Reedie |
| Minister of Sport and Tourism | |
| In office 16 November 2015 – 15 November 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Beata Szydło Mateusz Morawiecki |
| Preceded by | Adam Korol |
| Succeeded by | Mateusz Morawiecki |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 October 1984 Tychy, Poland |
| Political party | Law and Justice |
| Alma mater | University of Silesia in Katowice |
| Profession | Sprinter Political scientist |
| Signature |  |
Athletic career
Bańka's biggest achievement as an athlete was the bronze medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2007 World Championships although he only competed in the heats. He also won several relay medals at lower level competitions. He retired from professional sport in 2012 having failed to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[2]
Personal bests
Outdoor
- 200 metres – 21.83 (+1.5 m/s, Bielsko-Biała 2006)
- 400 metres – 46.11 (Osaka 2007)
Indoor
- 400 metres – 48.87 (Spała 2009)
Competition record
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Poland | |||||
| 2005 | European U23 Championships | Erfurt, Germany | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:04.41 |
| 2007 | Universiade | Bangkok, Thailand | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.05 |
| World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 3rd (heats) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.391 | |
| 2009 | Universiade | Belgrade, Serbia | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.69 |
1He was not selected for the final where the Polish team finished third but also received a bronze medal.
Political career
In 2018 he became a candidate for the chair of the World Anti-Doping Agency.[3] Poland’s sport minister Witold Banka has been chosen as Europe’s candidate to become the next head of the World Anti-Doping Agency.[4] In May 2019 Bańka was elected as WADA's fourth president, commencing his four-year term on 1 January 2020.[5] He was re-elected in 2022 for another three year term.[6]