The 23-year-old, who trains in Florida alongside athletes including Sha’Carri Richardson, Kenny Bednarek, Christian Coleman and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, said the posts were made almost seven years ago, when he was 16 or 17, and that he takes full ownership of them.
A video circulated on X showing Blaskowski repeating a racial slur. A second clip featured a racist joke. He addressed the material in an Instagram statement and said he had removed himself from Star Athletics so that teammates and coaches could process the situation without distraction.
“There are no excuses to use this type of language ever,” Blaskowski wrote. “I take full ownership of what I said and want to sincerely apologize for using these words. I am embarrassed and ashamed of myself.”
He added that the values he holds as a young adult differ from the judgement he showed as a teenager, and that he has spent the past week trying to repair relationships with coaches, teammates and the wider athletics community.
“To anyone I hurt, then and now, near and far. I hear you, I see you and I am sorry.”
Star Athletics issued its own statement shortly afterwards, saying it does not condone racism, discrimination or bullying. The club said it had reviewed the matter internally and determined that Blaskowski should leave in line with its code of conduct.
“We remain firmly committed to fostering a safe, diverse and welcoming environment for all athletes, staff and members of the running community,” the group said.
Blaskowski rose to prominence after running 9.89 seconds in the 100 metres earlier this year, following a decorated Division III career at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. He joined Star Athletics this season.
In August he announced that he was seeking to switch allegiance from the United States to Poland, citing family roots through great-grandparents who emigrated from Poland in 1905. He has a personal best of 19.93 in the 200 metres and has spoken of wanting to win medals for Poland.
His immediate training base is now uncertain. The episode has ended his time with one of the world’s leading sprint groups and left his international future, already tied to a possible Polish transfer, under a different kind of scrutiny.