After the Pyongyang Olympics, the management responsible for cross-country skiing changed due to difficult times in this winter sport. People for whom cross-country skiing is close to their hearts have given up the fee previously introduced for a few years and have voluntarily agreed to save the situation and promote the development of skiing. Of course, the families themselves, as well as the funding provided by the municipalities and other supporters, have played a major role in achieving these good results this four years, but the ski federation has also made some contribution, both financially and by streamlining the system.
For the third season in a row, Patricia Eiduka has entered the top 30 in the World Cup. In total, she has done it 15 times, and twice in the top ten, which no one else in the Baltics has certainly been able to do in the last eight years, and which even seemed unreal a few years ago. In the World Junior Championship, the persistent Eiduka has won 4th, 10th and 11th place, but in the U23 group he has been in the top ten with 7th and 9th place twice. This is unprecedented success for Latvia in skiing. With its very good results, Eiduka has earned several additional places for our country in the Olympic Games for women. As a result, Beijing will set a record number of cross-country skiers at the Olympics and will be able to relay the relay team for the first time.
Raimo Vīgants, who has become the leader of the men’s national team in this cycle since 2018, has also achieved a lot in the men’s competition. Two years ago, the Madonna entered the top ten U23 World Championships, finishing in 9th place, which is an unprecedented achievement for Latvia in the men’s competition. Raimo has been in the fifties three times in the last 14 months in PK stages and is the only one from Latvia to do so in the last 20 months. Although he has lost to Vīgants in recent years and is further away, Latvia’s second number Indulis Bikše starts in the PK stages and from time to time shows results below 100 FIS points. Thus, in the last couple of years, men in Latvia have two skiers corresponding to the PK level at the same time, as has not been the case before.
Although they did not win high places in the junior championship, a good level of skiing is shown by both junior leaders Lauris Kaparkalējs and Edijs Eiduks (both in 2003), who show not only “good points” in FIS matches, but also good results in FIS competitions close to 100 FIS points. And they both did it at the age of 18. Two more years in the junior competition ahead of them. Rainer Paeglis and Sandijs Suhanovs from Sigulda are trying to get closer to Eiduk and Kaparkalja. Bruno Krampe from Riga also shows a good result on some occasions. The girls “hook in the lip” are juniors Samanta Krampe and Estere Wolfa, who train hard and have a few years ahead in the U20 group.
Last year was very successful in roller skiing, where he won two junior titles in the PK overall (Kaparkalējs and Krampe) and a bronze medal in the World Championship (Krampe), as well as the vice leader status in the adult PK overall (Vīgants). Of course, the PK in roller skiing lags far behind the PK in the winter, and in terms of composition for juniors it is a purely symbolic PK, but due to the organized system and provided funding, ours were able to go to all stages and did not succeed. It should be emphasized that in roller skating, everyone is often given the same equipment, which allows them to compare the strengths of a particular athlete, and no one has a faster ski or glides better than in winter.
Not only have the results generally improved, but the number of skiers has also increased, with a lot of work being put into the coaches. One and a half weeks ago in Madona, in the first stage of the Latvian championship, more than 400 participants took part in all age groups. In addition, more than 300 skiers competed in the youth groups – U16 and younger. The veterans had 30 participants in the start, competing in three age groups for men and the same for women. Already last time – in 2020, when it was actually a snowless winter, influencing those who wanted to start, more than 200 skiers participated in the Latvian championship in Madona only in youth groups.
The most important competitions of this season are still ahead, and there is reason to believe that we can expect good results from our leaders. We wish Latvian skiers a successful start at the Olympic Games in Beijing, the World Junior Championships in Norway and the European Youth Winter Olympic Festival in Finland.
