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Erik Sowinski

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Erik Sowinski
Sowinski in 2018
Personal information
Born (1989-12-21) December 21, 1989 (age 34)
Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States
Sport
SportTrack and field
Event800 meters
College teamIowa Hawkeyes
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)400 meters: 46.81[1]
800 meters: 1:44.58[1]
Medal record
World Indoor Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Portland 800 m
World Relay Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Nassau 4×800 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2015 Nassau 4×800 m relay

Erik Sowinski (born December 21, 1989) is an American middle-distance runner, who specializes in the 800 metres.[2] He won a bronze medal in the event at the 2016 World Indoor Championships, and he is a three-time national champion. He also formerly held the American indoor record in the 600 meters.[3] Sowinski has garnered recognition for pacing other athletes to fast times, often in high-profile competitions.[4]

Early life and career

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Sowinski was born on December 21, 1989, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, to Bryan and Jane Sowinski. He has two younger siblings, Andy and Emily.[5][6][7] Running for Waukesha West High School, Erik won the 800m at the 2008 WIAA Wisconsin State Meet.[8]

In college, Sowinski competed for the University of Iowa from 2009 until 2012. He set his school's 800-meter record at 1:45.90 when he placed second at the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Sowinski accumulated five All-American titles while at University of Iowa.[5]

Post-collegiate

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Following college, Sowinski joined the Iowa City running store sponsored Running Wild, where he was coached by World Championship medalist Joey Woody. During the indoor season of 2013, he entered the Millrose Games 600 metres, where he was expected to be an also-ran behind the more notable Olympians Duane Solomon and Nick Symmonds, who were expecting to chase the American record. Strategically following Duane and the unrelated Jarrin Solomon into the final turn, Sowinski then launched one powerful sprint to the finish, not only winning the prestigious race, but taking the American record in 1:15.61.[9] Three weeks later, he won the 800 metres at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, winning in 1:47.09 ahead of a late charge by Robby Andrews.[10] He signed with Nike in May, while continuing to work for the running store.[11][12]

In 2014 he repeated as national indoor champion, which qualified him to represent the United States internationally at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland, where he placed 13th.[13][14] At the 2016 Shanghai Diamond League, Erik Sowinski placed 8th in tactical race.[15] At the 2016 World Indoor Championships, he won a bronze medal.[16]

In 2017, he won the gold medal in the men's 4 × 800 metres relay at the 2017 IAAF World Relays held in Nassau, Bahamas.[17] In 2019, Sowinski was also a part of the pacing effort, along with Christian Harrison and Harun Abda, which led to Yomif Kejelcha breaking the Indoor Mile World Record. [18]

Sowinski (center) competes in the 800 metres at the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

In 2020, Sowinski switched sponsors from Nike to Brooks where he competed as a member of the Brooks Beasts while maintaining his residence in Iowa City, IA. He placed fourth at the USATF Indoor Championships before the outdoor season was cancelled due to COVID-19.[19] In 2022, Sowinski continued his sponsorship with Bell Lap Elite. On February 17, 2022, Erik paced Olympic Champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen to a new Indoor World Record of 3:30.60.[20] The pacing of other athletes has earned Sowinski praise, with several events requesting his pacing services.[4]


Achievements

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  United States
2014 World Indoor Championships Sopot, Poland 13th 800 m 1:48.04
2015 IAAF World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 1st 4 × 800 m relay 7:04.84
World Championships Beijing, China 13th (sf) 800 m 1:47.16
2016 World Indoor Championships Portland, Oregon, United States 3rd 800 m 1:47.22
2017 IAAF World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 1st 4 × 800 m relay 7:13.16

References

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  1. ^ a b All-Athletics. "Profile of Eric Sowinski".
  2. ^ "Erik Sowinski". IAAF. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  3. ^ Bergeson, Lance. "Mile posts: Q&A with former Hawkeye All-American Erik Sowinski". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Cacciola, Scott (February 25, 2023). "Meet the Runner Who Leads Every Pack and Then Vanishes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Erik Sowinski Bio - Hawkeye Sports Official Athletic Site". hawkeyesports.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014.
  6. ^ "On Iowa Daily Briefing 6.7.12 -- One more run for Iowa's Sowinski". The Gazette. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014.
  7. ^ "Emily Sowinski". Wisconsin Lutheran College Athletics. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  8. ^ Gary D’Amato. "Erik Sowinski turning heads in U.S. Track & Field". jsonline.com.
  9. ^ "Running Wild: Erik Sowinski's Excellent Adventure, by David Hunter, note by Larry Eder". runblogrun.com.
  10. ^ "USA Track & Field - Results". usatf.org. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  11. ^ "Erik Sowinski pre-World Championships". flotrack.
  12. ^ "Erik Sowinski Signs with Nike". flotrack.
  13. ^ "Men's 800: Erik Sowinski Dominates As Robby Andrews Grabs Second But Nick Symmonds Is Going To Poland - LetsRun.com". LetsRun.com.
  14. ^ "USA Track & Field - Results". usatf.org. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  15. ^ 2016 Shanghai Diamond League men 800 m https://shanghai.diamondleague.com. Retrieved by September 4, 2016.
  16. ^ LetsRun.com (March 19, 2016). "Boris Berian's Gutsy Run Gets 800m Gold At World Indoors 2016; Bronze for Erik Sowinski". LetsRun.com. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  17. ^ "Men's 4 × 800 metres relay" (PDF). 2017 IAAF World Relays. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  18. ^ "Kejelcha breaks world indoor mile record with 3:47.01 in Boston | REPORT | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  19. ^ "Erik Sowinski Pulls a "Symmonds," Joins Brooks Beasts". LetsRun.com. February 6, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  20. ^ "European Athletics". www.european-athletics.com. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
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