The team outperformed 14 other squads. The close second spot was snatched by the team from the Wujek Site of the Wujek – Śląsk mine. The third place was won by the PKW S.A. team (1 joint squad of the Sobieski and Janina mining squads).

The rescue teams competition, held every two years, is far from easy. The participants need to show excellent physical shape and outstanding fitness. In the course of the competition, the rescuers had to cross a dam culvert, use the prepared pneumatic equipment, and join two pipes together. The next station required them to pull a mine cart (with the wheels blocked) using a chain winch. Next up was the Farmer’s Walk, consisting in carrying 8 sandbags over an approximately 30-metre stretch. The competitions were then followed up by the return of the entire team through the dam culvert.

Each rescue team includes the head of the mine station, a mechanic, and five rescuers. The competition was set off at 8.00 by a theoretical test. The participants had 30 minutes to answer 50 questions, including some related to mine rescue.

A contest for the rescue equipment mechanics was taking place simultaneously with the obstacle course. Their 30 minute challenge included, among others, the detection of 5 malfunctions in the W-70 regeneration apparatus. The best mechanics proved to be (by getting the maximum number of points): Piotr Musioł from the Wujek mine, Piotr Wojtyła from PKW S.A., Piotr Gajek from the Bochnia Salt Mine, Leszek Gajek from the Jankowice mine, Marek Kosina from the Bobrek-Centrum mina and Mirosław Dłucik from the Borynia – Zofiówka mine.

The competition, held at the District Mine Rescue Station in Jaworzno, featured 15 teams from all of the coal companies and two teams from Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Południowy Koncern Węglowy S.A. was represented by 1 joint team from the Sobieski and Janina mining squads. Katowicki Holding Węglowy sent teams from the Wujek Site of the Wujek – Śląsk mine and the Boże Dary Site of the Murcki—Staszic mine. The largest group were rescuers from the mines incorporated in Kompania Węglowa S.A.: the Jankowice mine, the Bobrek Site of the Bobrek-Centrum mine, the Makoszowy Site of the Sośnica - Makoszowy mine, and the Ziemowit mine. Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa S.A. was represented by rescuers from the Borynia site of the Borynia – Zofiówka mine and from the Pniówek mine. Rescue teams were also sent by the Kazimierz-Juliusz mine, ZGH Bolesław, and the Bochnia Salt Mine. Two teams came from Slovakia, from the Zigiel and Novaki mines. And one team of participants came from the Czech Republic.

The hosts of the competition were the Central Mines Rescue Station in Bytom (Centralna Stacja Ratownictwa Górniczego S.A.). The competition was held under the honorary patronage of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy Waldemar Pawlak, the Minister of the State Treasury Aleksander Grad, and the President of the State Mining Authority Piotr Litwa.