The Latvian sleigh team for the new season is training with two twin crews

Shici brothers Photo: Paula Čurkste / LETA

In the Latvian luge sport team, only two two-man crews are preparing for the upcoming season, instead of four, as it was last year, coach Kristaps Mauriņš opened in a conversation with Latvijas Radio.

The new World Cup season will start in November, where Latvian athletes will compete for tickets to the Beijing Olympics. More internal competition is expected for men and women, but the number of twin crews has halved in the off-season. The last season was not very successful for two Oskars Gudramovičs / Pēteris Kalniņš and Kristens Putins / Imants Marcinkēvičs, who for this reason were forced to count on less support from the Latvian Olympic Team (LOV) before the new season. For family and other reasons, both crews have decided not to start this season.

In a conversation with Latvijas Radio, Mauriņš reveals that the competition for brothers Juris and Andris Šics, as well as Mārtiņš Bots / Roberts Plums will be compiled by juniors Eduards Ševics-Mikļeševics / Lūkass Krasts. They could at some point also take part in adult competitions. All the leading athletes are preparing for the new season in the ladies’ competition – Ulla Zirne, Elīza Tīruma, Kendija Aparjode, Elīna Vītola and Sigita Bērziņa. Vītols is preparing for the season according to an individual plan due to a shoulder injury and has shown promising results in training so far.

There will also be fierce competition between the men, where Kristers Aparjods, Artūrs Dārznieks, who suffered an ankle injury last year, as well as Riks Kristens Rozītis and the talented Gints Bērziņš, are preparing for the new season. The athletes of the Latvian national team were already convinced of the quality of the work done in the summer during the first ice trainings. Ice on the Sigulda track could have been poured on October 4. The first stage of the 2021/22 World Cup season on November 19 is expected at the Beijing Olympic Games in Yanchin. The Beijing Olympics are expected in February.

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