In brief

• Natalia Bukowiecka publicly accused Anastazja Kuś of lying, and Kuś rejected the charge.
• The dispute follows months of tension between Kuś and other national team athletes, including comments about her social media reach and her absence from a Chorzów meeting.
• Kuś, 19, is studying management in Warsaw alongside her training.

Public clash with a national team rival

Natalia Bukowiecka, a star of the Polish athletics team, has publicly accused Anastazja Kuś of lying. The 19-year-old responded with strong words, insisting she does not spread falsehoods (Anastazja Kuś oskarżona o kłamstwo. Mocno odpowiada – Przegląd Sportowy) (Anastazja Kuś oskarżona o kłamstwo. Mocno odpowiada – msn.com). The accusation is reported to have been aimed at online claims: Bukowiecka reportedly criticised Kuś for spreading conspiracy theories on the internet, pointing to the large reach Kuś has on social media (Zapytali Kuś o kolegów z kadry. "Nie ze wszystkimi muszę się lubić" – Interia Sport).

Background of strained relations

Kuś, who became world junior champion over 400 metres in July, has faced growing scrutiny this year. Aleksander Dzięciołowski said on a podcast that he disliked the way the sprinter was building her profile and suggested she rarely socialises with the national squad. Kuś has said that not everyone in the squad needs to be a friend, adding that she keeps a small circle around her and focuses on her tasks at training camps (Kuś odpowiada na pytania o studia i... zazdrość kolegów z kadry – SportoweFakty).

Kuś on her absence and her age

Kuś said she was not invited to the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Chorzów and linked the decision to her manager, not to sport. She has also said that her age may have made older athletes treat her less kindly, and that she thinks senior athletes should approach younger competitors more carefully.

Studies alongside training

Kuś is studying management at the Kozminski Academy in Warsaw on an individual schedule, which she says will not affect her athletic plans (Anastazja Kuś o wykształceniu. Przemówiła w sprawie studiów – przegladsportowy.onet.pl). She passed her final secondary school exams this year. Her coaching staff has planned her training so that her best results come later, when her body is more mature, which she says will not change after she joins the senior ranks.