Latvia with four Olympic medals so far on the way to Beijing 2022
Sigulda (FIL) With three bronze and one silver medal in Olympic luge events, Latvia is a nation with big ambitions on its way to the upcoming XXIV Olympic Winter Games, which will officially opened in Beijing on 4 February 2022.
In mid-May 2021, the Latvian national luge team started joint training in preparation for the 2021/22 Olympic season. The athletic preparation is running entirely according to the training schedule and is fully focused on the Olympic Games.
"Everything is planned so that our athletes are in top shape for the most important race in four years," explains team manager and coach Kristaps Mauriņš.
Every second week there is a training camp in Sigulda for the Latvian luge athletes. The head coach says: "We work on physical preparation and improve our starting technique and train a lot on the track with summer sleds".
In addition, the national team spends a training week outside Sigulda every month, for example in Dobele and Ventspils. "Occasionally it is very important to change the training environment so that the athletes are not trapped in routine," knows Kristaps Mauriņš, who has no problems motivating his athletes: "The athletes are doing great, you can feel that the Olympic season is coming up. Everyone is very motivated and working much harder than in previous summers."
The starting ramp in Sigulda will still be iced over in August 2021. Then the biggest focus will be on improving the start technique on ice. So far, the starts on the summer sleds have been trained on wheels because the ice quality is difficult to maintain in very warm weather.
From the first week of October, the luge training on the icy track in Sigulda will start again.
Team Manager Kristaps Mauriņš wants to take advantage of the great ice quality on the home track during the preparation for the season: "Until the international training week (ITW) in China, we don't plan to go anywhere else. First of all, there are not many tracks in Europe where we can do as many runs per day as in Sigulda. Besides, our ice experts in Sigulda always make the best ice for us, despite the warm autumn temperatures. Secondly, the time until the ITW in China is quite short and we have to test many things and at the same time do as many runs as possible, so we don't want to lose important time travelling around Europe".
In Latvia they are relying on the proven coaching staff with Inars Kivlenieks, Martins Rubenis, Sandris Berzins, Daniels Fogelis and of course Kristaps Mauriņš. Athletics coach Mihails Arhipovs will again be travelling with the Latvian skeleton team during the season and will plan the athletics training of the luge athletes from away, as in previous years. For the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in February, Mihails Arhipovs and junior coach Zintis Saicans will strengthen the Latvian coaching team.
There will still be competitions between the five women of the national team in autumn 2021. The head coach regrets this: "Unfortunately, one of our women will not be able to participate in some of the first World Cups. On the other hand, all men and doubles who are currently training with the national team have automatically secured their place in the World Cup team". Kristaps Mauriņš reports with regard to the Olympic qualification: "Our criteria for the Olympic qualification are still under development. A very important factor will of course be the athletes' performance at the ITW and at the World Cup in Yanqing in November".
The Latvian Olympic Committee has not imposed any additional nomination criteria for the Olympic Games. All athletes who qualify for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games according to the FIL criteria will be able to represent Latvia in Beijing. The Olympic team will be nominated when the FIL qualifications are completed in mid-January.
Watch the Latvian Luge Team in preparation for the Olympics:
