Latvia at the Olympics

Summary

Latvia first participated at the Olympic Games in 1924. After the nation was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, Latvian athletes competed for the Soviet Union at the Olympics between 1952 and 1988. After the independence of Latvia and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the nation returned to the Olympic Games in 1992 and has competed at every Games since then.

Latvia at the
Olympics
IOC codeLAT
NOCLatvian Olympic Committee
Websitewww.olimpiade.lv (in Latvian and English)
Medals
Ranked 68th
Gold
5
Silver
14
Bronze
12
Total
31
Summer appearances
Winter appearances
Other related appearances
 Russian Empire (1908–1912)
 Soviet Union (1952–1988)

Latvian athletes have won a total of 21 medals at the Summer Olympic Games and 10 medals at the Winter Olympic Games. They have won a remarkably high proportion of silver medals, with 5 gold medals. These totals do not include medals won by Latvian athletes while competing for the Soviet Union.

The National Olympic Committee for Latvia was first created in 1922. The current NOC is the Latvian Olympic Committee, which was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1991.

Medal tables edit

List of medalists edit

Summer Olympics edit

Medal Name Games Sport Event
  Silver Jānis Daliņš 1932 Los Angeles   Athletics Men's 50 km walk
  Silver Edvīns Bietags 1936 Berlin   Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman light heavyweight
  Bronze Adalberts Bubenko 1936 Berlin   Athletics Men's 50 km walk
  Silver Ivans Klementjevs 1992 Barcelona   Canoeing Men's C-1 1000 metres
  Silver Afanasijs Kuzmins 1992 Barcelona   Shooting Men's 25 m rapid fire pistol
  Bronze Dainis Ozols 1992 Barcelona   Cycling (Road) Men's individual race
  Silver Ivans Klementjevs 1996 Atlanta   Canoeing Men's C-1 1000 metres
  Gold Igors Vihrovs 2000 Sydney   Gymnastics Men's floor exercises
  Silver Aigars Fadejevs 2000 Sydney   Athletics Men's 50 km walk
  Bronze Vsevolods Zeļonijs 2000 Sydney   Judo Men's lightweight
  Silver Vadims Vasiļevskis 2004 Athens   Athletics Men's javelin throw
  Silver Jevgēņijs Saproņenko 2004 Athens   Gymnastics Men's vault
  Silver Jeļena Rubļevska 2004 Athens   Modern pentathlon Women's individual
  Silver Viktors Ščerbatihs 2004 Athens   Weightlifting Men's super heavyweight
  Gold Māris Štrombergs 2008 Beijing   Cycling (BMX) Men's BMX
  Silver Ainārs Kovals 2008 Beijing   Athletics Men's javelin throw
  Bronze Viktors Ščerbatihs 2008 Beijing   Weightlifting Men's super heavyweight
  Gold Māris Štrombergs 2012 London   Cycling (BMX) Men's BMX
  Bronze Mārtiņš Pļaviņš
Jānis Šmēdiņš
2012 London   Beach volleyball Men's tournament
  Gold Agnis Čavars
Edgars Krūmiņš
Kārlis Lasmanis
Nauris Miezis
2020 Tokyo   3x3 basketball Men's 3x3 basketball
  Bronze Artūrs Plēsnieks 2020 Tokyo   Weightlifting Men's heavyweight

Winter Olympics edit

Medal Name Games Sport Event
  Bronze Mārtiņš Rubenis 2006 Turin   Luge Men's singles
  Silver Andris Šics
Juris Šics
2010 Vancouver   Luge Doubles
  Silver Martins Dukurs 2010 Vancouver   Skeleton Men's
  Gold Daumants Dreiškens
Oskars Melbārdis
Jānis Strenga
Arvis Vilkaste
2014 Sochi   Bobsleigh Four-man
  Silver Martins Dukurs 2014 Sochi   Skeleton Men's
  Bronze Andris Šics
Juris Šics
2014 Sochi   Luge Doubles
  Bronze Mārtiņš Rubenis
Andris Šics
Juris Šics
Elīza Tīruma
2014 Sochi   Luge Team relay
  Bronze Daumants Dreiškens
Oskars Melbārdis
2014 Sochi   Bobsleigh Two-man
  Bronze Oskars Melbārdis
Jānis Strenga
2018 Pyeongchang   Bobsleigh Two–man
  Bronze Kristers Aparjods
Mārtiņš Bots
Roberts Plūme
Elīza Tīruma
2022 Beijing   Luge Team relay

List of gold medal winners edit

No. Name Sport Year
Under the Soviet Union
1 Inese Jaunzeme Javelin throw 1956
2 Elvīra Ozoliņa Javelin throw 1960
3 Ivans Bugajenkovs Volleyball 1964
4 Staņislavs Lugailo Volleyball 1964
5 Ivans Bugajenkovs Volleyball 1968
6 Oļegs Antropovs Volleyball 1968
7 Jānis Lūsis Javelin throw 1968
8 Tatjana Veinberga Volleyball 1968
9 Uļjana Semjonova Basketball 1976
10 Tamāra Dauniene Basketball 1976
11 Vera Zozuļa Luge 1980
12 Uļjana Semjonova Basketball 1980
13 Dainis Kūla Javelin throw 1980
14 Pāvels Seļivanovs Volleyball 1980
15 Aleksandrs Muzičenko Sailing 1980
16 Jānis Ķipurs Bobsleigh 1988
17 Vitālijs Samoilovs Ice hockey 1988
18 Afanasijs Kuzmins Shooting 1988
19 Ivans Klementjevs Canoeing 1988
20 Natālija Laščonova Gymnastics 1988
21 Igors Miglinieks Basketball 1988
Independent Latvia
22 Igors Vihrovs Gymnastics 2000
23 Māris Štrombergs BMX 2008
24 Māris Štrombergs BMX 2012
25-28 Daumants Dreiškens
Oskars Melbārdis
Jānis Strenga
Arvis Vilkaste
Bobsleigh
Four-man
2014
29-32 Agnis Čavars
Edgars Krūmiņš
Kārlis Lasmanis
Nauris Miezis
3x3 basketball 2020

Notes edit

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Haralds Silovs became the first athlete in Olympic history to participate in both short track (1500m) and long track (5000m) speed skating, and the first to compete in two different disciplines on the same day.[1][2][3][4]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Latvia's quick-change artist makes Olympic history". Toronto Star. 2010-02-14. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  2. ^ Harris, Beth (2010-02-13). "Latvian speedskater is 1st to do double duty". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-02-19.[dead link]
  3. ^ CTV Olympics, "Latvian skater makes Olympic history", Agence France-Presse, 14 February 2010 . Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  4. ^ New York Times, "Crosstown Ride to a Speedskating First", Associated Press, 30 January 2010 . Retrieved 18 February 2010.

External links edit

  • "Latvia". International Olympic Committee.
  • "Latvia". Olympedia.com.
  • "Olympic Analytics/LAT". olympanalyt.com.
  • Video: Latvia's return to Olympic competition after lengthy Soviet occupation. February 12, 2020. Atslēgas. Public Broadcasting of Latvia. Retrieved March 1, 2020.