Sport in Latvia
Ice hockey
Ice hockey is the most popular sport in Latvia.[
Latvian hockey experienced a decline in the 1960s, with Dinamo Rīga being relegated from the Soviet High League (vysshaya liga) to the first league and then even to the second league. It began a comeback in the 1970s, under the coach
In 1975,
The best season for Dinamo Rīga came in 1987/1988, the first season when the Soviet Elite League instituted an NHL-style
After Latvia regained independence in 1991, Latvia restored its membership in the IIHF and the Latvian national team returned to international competitions. As a new team, they were initially placed in the C Pool (third division) of the World Championships and had to qualify for the higher level competitions. They debuted in the B Pool in 1994 and the top-level A Pool in 1997. Latvia has played in the A Pool championship since then. The best results were three 7th-place finishes in 1997, 2004 and 2009, before winning their first medal as hosts of the 2023 tournament, where Latvia finished 3rd. The Latvian team has produced some upsets over the top teams in World Championships, defeating the USA thrice (in 1998, 2001, and 2023), Sweden in 2023, and arch-rival Russia twice (in 2000 and 2003). Latvia competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics, the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2010 Winter Olympics.
As of 2019[update], twenty four Latvian ice hockey players have played in
The
Basketball
In Latvia, basketball is the second most popular sport.[citation needed] Latvia has a long basketballing tradition. Latvia won the first European championship in 1935 and hosted the second championship in 1937.
In the Soviet period, the Latvian men's basketball team, Rīgas ASK was dominant in the Soviet League in the 1950s and early 1960s, winning several Soviet league championships and three European Champion's Cups, in 1958, 1959 and 1960. In the 1960 Summer Olympics, four Latvians, Jānis Krūmiņš, Valdis Muižnieks, Cēzars Ozers and Maigonis Valdmanis were a part of the silver medal-winning Soviet team. The Soviet Olympic teams in 1956 and 1964 Summer Olympics had three Latvian players each. The Soviet team in 1952 Summer Olympics had one Latvian.
The women's team, TTT Riga was very successful in the 1970s and 1980s, winning the European Champion's Cup 18 times, more than any other team in any team sport. 2.12 m (7 ft) tall Uljana Semjonova was the women's key player in this period. She was also very dominant with the Soviet team in international games, never losing a game in international competitions and winning 2 Olympic and 3 World Championships.
For men's basketball, the guard Valdis Valters was the most highly acclaimed player of the 1980s. He won a European Championship with the Soviet team in 1981 and was recognized as the most valuable player of the tournament, but did not get a chance to play in Olympics, because of the Soviet boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles which coincided with Valter's best playing years. Another Latvian, Igors Miglinieks won gold with the Soviet team four years later, in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Latvia returned to international competition as an independent country in 1992. The qualifiers of the 1992 Summer Olympics were the first tournament for Latvia's team. A major controversy was caused by two Latvian players, Igors Miglinieks and Gundars Vētra. They had a choice of either playing for the Unified Team which was certain to qualify for the Olympics or the Latvian national team which had a chance but was not certain to qualify. The two players chose to play for the Unified Team. The Latvian team, playing without them, failed to qualify for Olympics. This caused a great deal of resentment in Latvia and the two players never played for Latvia in an international game.
After the country regained independence, the most successful tournament for Latvia was the 2001 European Championships when the Latvian team finished in 8th place. The centre/power forward Kaspars Kambala was Latvia's best player in this tournament. Latvia's national championship, Latvijas Basketbola Līga, was dominated by Brocēni team in 1990s and Ventspils team in the 2000s. In 2006, Ventspils team won its seventh consecutive championship.
Gundars Vētra became the first Latvian in the
In
Athletics
Latvian athletes have achieved medals in Olympics and European/World championships. Most recently
In the Soviet, period there were many great Latvian javelin throwers. Javelin thrower
Rugby union
Tennis
Since 2006, tennis has become a popular sport in Latvia because of
Another successful tennis player was
The
In 2017,
Another WTA Player is Anastasija Sevastova who reached a career high ranking of no. 15 in 2017 and has reached three US Open quarterfinals, including one semifinal, and has won three WTA titles.
In the
Association football
Association football was the most popular sport in Latvia during the first period of independence (1918–1940).
The Latvian national team participated in the final stage of the
Cycling
Also Latvian cyclists are famous in the world arena, lately in
Latvian rider Romāns Vainšteins won the elite men's road race at the 2000 UCI Road World Championships.
Motorsport
The Speedway Grand Prix of Latvia is a round of the Speedway Grand Prix since 2006.
In rallycross Reinis Nitišs was European Rallycross Champion in the Super 1600 class in 2013 and went on to become the youngest winner of a round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship when he took the 2014 World RX of Norway at the age of 18. Nitišs would later become the first driver from the Baltic states to become European Champion in the highest division of rallycross. Subsequently, Jānis Baumanis has followed in his footsteps by winning the European Super 1600 championship in 2015 and also races in the top-flight.
Latvia has also had two open-wheel drivers - Haralds Šlēgelmilhs who competed in Formula Two in 2012, and Karlīne Štāla who competed in German Formula Three in 2008.
Other sports
Many other
- cross-country running with land navigationskills in the woods. Orienteering in Latvia is organized by the Latvijas Orientēšanās Federācija.
- radio direction finding. ARDF in Latvia is organized by the Latvijas Radioamatieru Līga.
- three-timedefending World Cup champion.
- Oskars Melbārdis won the combined Bobsleigh World Cup as a driver in the 2012–13 season, after initially entering the sport as a brakeman for Jānis Miņins.
- Lugers Juris and Andris Šics won a silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics and two bronze medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics. The Šics brothers' three medals mean they have won more Olympic medals than any other Latvian sportsperson.[1]
- Latvia national bandy team played in Division A both at the 2015 Bandy World Championship and the 2016 tournament. In terms of licensed athletes, bandy is the second biggest winter sport in the world.[2]
- For the first time, Latvia will feature a national team at the 2022 Under-19 World Lacrosse Championships.[3]
- Latvia featured a men's national team in beach volleyball that competed at the 2018–2020 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup.[4]
- Futsal is Latvia's new sport as it will co-host the UEFA Futsal Euro 2026 alongside Lithuania.
- Bowling is enjoyed by many in Latvia as seen by the number of bowling alleys throughout the country.two-handed bowling, Latvian Daniel Vezis won second place at the 6th International Wroclaw Open tournament[6]in 2012. Additionally, Vezis represented Latvia at numerous events and multiple weekly tournaments.
Gallery
Gallery of famous Latvian sportspeople
See also
References
- ^ Harder, Wolfgang (May 2014). "Now Latvia's most successful Olympians: Andris and Juris Sics" (PDF). FIL Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 51. Berchtesgaden, Germany: International Luge Federation. p. 8. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ Bandy destined for the Olympic Winter Games!
- ^ Record 23 lacrosse teams to play at Men's Under-21 World Championship Ali Iveson (Inside the Games), 30 May 2021. Accessed 9 June 2021.
- FIVB. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
- ^ "List of Bowling alley in Latvia". fastbase.com. Fastbase, Inc. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "International Wrocław Open 2013". Iwo.kregle.com. Retrieved 2012-08-01.