Shamek Pietucha is considered a long shot for an Olympic medal but overcoming the odds is nothing new for the 23-year-old medical student. At age six Pietucha's parents never returned to their Polish home after heading for Austria for a family vacation. The Pietucha clan eventually defected to Canada and rebuilt their lives. Today Pietucha's parents enjoy successful careers while their son is continuing a brilliant academic career and going to the Olympic Games.

  Pietucha set the Canadian record in the men's 200 butterfly at the Olympic trials in June clocking 1:58.08 to lower the 1:58.14 national standard set by Tom Ponting in the same pool at the 1988 Olympic trials.

2000 Games
Sept. 22: Men's 400-metre individual medley: Chris Renaud, Calgary; Morgan Knabe, Calgary; Shamek Pietucha, Edmonton, and Yannick Lupien, Ste-Foy, Que., were third in heat, advanced to final.
Sept. 21: Men's 100-metre butterfly: Shamek Pietucha, Edmonton, was eighth in heat, eliminated. Sept. 18: Men's 200-metre butterfly: Shamek Pietucha, Edmonton, was eighth in heat, eliminated.

2000 Games Swimming Coverage