Cross-country skiing
Our leading cross-country skier Patricija Eidukas started the season brightly and was able to regularly win places among the world’s Top20 skiers. At the World Cup stage in Lillehammer, Patricija was the 11th fastest in the 10 kilometer freestyle with a separate start. A day later, she won 12th place in the sprint matches.
The best achievement of her career was achieved by Eiduka at the beginning of January in the German city of Obersdorf at the stage of the “Tour de Ski” series, when she won 5th place in the freestyle 20 kilometers distance. This is also considered the highest achievement of a Latvian skier.
Mountain skiing
Latvia’s leading alpine skier Miks Zvejnieks secured the right to compete in the World Cup stages after entering the top 150 skiers in the world ranking of the International Skiing Federation (FIS). After that, he participated in several stages of the World Cup, where he showed mixed results.
A bobsled
The four piloted by Emil Cipulis had a great season.
Cipulis with pushers Dāvi Springis, Matīsa Mikni, Edgar Nemmi won a silver medal at the world championship.
Cipulis was seventh in the overall standings of the World Cup for doubles with 864 points, and in the sum of doubles and fours Cipulis was ninth with 1704 points.
It should be noted that Latvian bobsleigh had to do without leading pilot Oskars Melnbärž, who is recovering from an injury.
Luge
Latvian luge riders had a successful World Cup season, which reached its greatest glory in Sigulda. In it, Kristers Aparjods, ladies’ pair Anda Upīte and Sanija Ozoliņa and men’s crew Mārtiņš Bots and Roberts Plūme climbed to the top step of the podium.
In the women’s competition, Elīna Ieva Vītola won silver and bronze in Sigulda, but the Latvian national team won gold in the team relay on both weekends in Sigulda.
In the overall standings, taking into account the Sprint Cup competition, the highest – 3rd place was taken by Bots/Plūme, while in the women’s doubles, Upīte/Ozoliņa took fourth place at the end of the season.
Aparjod finished the season in sixth overall and Gints Bērziņš in ninth place, but for the ladies, Vītola ended the season in seventh place, Kendija Aparjode in eighth place and Sigita Bērziņš in 13th place.
In the team relay, Latvia is in second place, sandwiched between the winner Germany and third place holder Austria.
When thinking about the next season, it should be remembered that this was the post-Olympic year, and it will not be so easy to repeat the success achieved.
