Sports in Latvia

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 European Football Championship in 2004 . The best scorer of the Latvian national football team is Maris Verpakovskis .

Hockey is the most popular sport in Latvia. In 1908, the first Canadian hockey match took place on the territory of the Russian Empire in Latvia between the local Union and Strelkovoy park teams. Latvia is a member of the International Hockey Federation . The national team participated in several world championships and the 1936 Winter Olympics . From 1940 to 1991, Latvia was part of the Soviet Union . Latvians played an important role in creating hockey in the Soviet Union. Dynamo Riga was one of the eleven teams that played in the first Soviet championship 1946/1947 . Latvian goalkeeper Harijs Meloops was the main goalkeeper of the Soviet Union at the first international competition in 1948 .

Latvian hockey faced a recession in the 1960s, Riga Dynamo flew out of the Premier League into the first league, and then into the second league. The return began in the 1970s, under the leadership of Viktor Tikhonov , who later began to coach CSKA and the USSR national team. In the 1973/1974 season , Riga Dynamo returned to the Premier League, where they remained until 1991.

In 1975, Viktor Khatulev at the age of 20 became the first Soviet hockey player put up for draft in the NHL . The draft is selected by the Philadelphia Flyers club. Helmut Balderis is considered the best Latvian hockey player in his entire history. In the championships of the USSR Balderis scored 333 goals. He was the top scorer in 1977 and 1983, recognized as the player of the year in 1977 . As part of the USSR team, he became the three-time World and European champion, won the silver medals of the 1980 Olympic Games. The best forward of the 1977 World Cup . Goalkeepers Vitaly Samoilov and Arthurs Irbe also played for the USSR team. Samoilov in the USSR national team became the Olympic champion in 1988 . Arthurs Irbe was named the best goalkeeper at the 1990 World Cup . Two-time world champion (1989 and 1990).

The best season for Dynamo Riga came in the 1987/1988 season, this was the first season in the playoff system style. Dynamo Riga took third place in the regular season and lost the final to CSKA.

After the restoration of Latvia’s independence in 1991, Latvia regained its membership in the International Hockey Federation and the Latvian national team returned to the international arena. The national team of Latvia was determined in group C (third division) of the world championship. In 1994, the Latvians made their debut in Group B and then at the highest level in 1997. The team achieved the greatest results in modern history at the world championships in 1997 , 2000 , 2004 , 2009 , reaching the quarter finals. Latvia participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics, the 2006 Winter Olympics, the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2014 Winter Olympics .

For 2008, fifteen Latvian hockey players play in the NHL. The first of these was Helmut Balderis, who came to play for the Minnesota North Stars at the age of 36 in the 1989–90 season . Sandis Ozolins , Arthur Irbe , Sergey Zholtok and Karlis Skrastins were the most successful. Ozolins is the only Latvian hockey player who managed to win the Stanley Cup in the 1995–96 season . Ozolins and Irbe played in the NHL stars match. Other Latvian players who play in the NHL: Alexander Kerch, Grigory Panteleev , Peteris Skudra , Viktor Ignatieff, Herbert Vasiliev, Kaspars Astashenko , Raitis Ivanans , Janis Sprukts , Harijs Vitolins , Martins Karsums , Oscar Bartulis , Arstarsgums Zemgarsgus Dzultars Kursumsda .

In 2006, the World Hockey Championship was held in Latvia.

Basketball is also a fairly popular sport in Latvia.

The Latvian national team won the first European Championship in 1935 and took second place at the European Championship in 1939.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, the ASK Riga basketball team was one of the leaders in the USSR championship , having won the championship several times and three times became European champions in 1958, 1959 and 1960. At the 1960 Summer Olympics , four Latvians took part in the Soviet national team , Janis Krumins , Valdis Muiznieks, Caesar Ozer and Maygonis Valdmanis won silver medals.

TTT Riga Women's Team is the most titled club in Europe , the USSR and Latvia . The club has won the European Cup 18 times. Ulyana Semenova was a key player. As part of the USSR team, Semenova became a two-time Olympic champion in 1976 and 1980 , as well as a three-time world champion and 10 times European champion.

The most famous player from Latvia in 1980 was Valdis Valters . He won the European Championship with the Soviet team in 1981 and was recognized as the most valuable player in the tournament, but did not get a chance to play at the Olympics, due to a Soviet boycott at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Another Latvian Igor Miglinieks won gold with the Soviet team four years later at the 1988 Summer Olympics .

The Latvian team returned to the international arena as an independent state in 1992. The 1992 Summer Olympics classification was the first tournament for the Latvian national team. The main players of the team were to be Igor Miglinieks and Gundars Vetra . They had a choice: either to play for the combined team that immediately got to the Olympic Games or for the Latvian team, which still had to qualify. Two players decided to play for the combined team. The national team of Latvia could not make it to the Olympics. This caused great discontent in Latvia. Igors Miglinieks and Gundars Vetra never played for Latvia in international competitions.

After regaining independence, the most successful tournament for Latvia was at the European Championships in 2001, when the Latvian national team took 8th place. Gundars Vetra became the first Latvian in the NBA . Andris Biedrins in 2004 in advance nominated himself for the NBA draft and was selected in the first round under the 11th number by the Golden State Warriors .

Latvian athletes won medals at the Olympic Games, World and European Championships. Ainars Kovals won a silver medal in javelin throw at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Stanislavs Oliyars won the silver medal in 2002 and the gold medal in 2006 at the European Championships in the 100 meter race . Spear thrower Inese Jaunzeme became the first Latvian athlete to win a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne . In the 1960 Summer Olympics, another Latvian javelin thrower Elvira Ozolina won the gold medal. The Latvian javelin thrower Janis Lusis won gold at the 1968 Summer Olympics and became the European champion 4 times. Lusis set two world records in javelin throwing, 91.68 m in 1968 and 93.80 m in 1972. Another lance thrower, Dainis Kula, won a gold medal at the 1980 Olympics .

From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, one of the best tennis players in doubles was a Latvian of Ukrainian origin Larisa Neiland .

Since 2006, tennis has become a popular sport in Latvia due to the achievements of Ernest Gulbis . He reached the 4th round of the US Open in 2007, where in the 3rd round he defeated Tommy Robredo , the eighth racket of the world; in 2008, he lost in the quarter-finals of the French Open , where his opponent was the third world racket Novak Djokovic . Gulbis has reached the thirty-eighth position in the ATP ranking and he is not the only Latvian who played tennis on a professional level.

Latvian athletes in these sports climbed the podium 250 times; it is the most successful sport in Latvia. ^[one]

• Latvian Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation

Famous Latvian athletes: