Latvia’s Olympic team will include a fresh face in Milan next month, as 16-year-old rihards Lozbers has earned a spot in biathlon-potentially becoming the youngest athlete representing his nation at the Games. The rising star, who only transitioned to the sport from mountain biking two years ago, has rapidly ascended through the ranks with consistently strong performances [[1]].Lozbers’s swift adaptation demonstrates a promising future for Latvian biathlon as he prepares to compete on the world stage.
At just 16 years old, Rihards Lozbers has been named to Latvia’s biathlon team for the upcoming Milan Olympics, potentially becoming the youngest member of the Latvian delegation and the youngest biathlete to compete on the Antholz course. Lozbers, who only took up the sport two years ago, revealed in an interview with Latvian Radio that he previously competed in cycling.
16-Year-Old Biathlete Lozbers Focused on Milan
With less than a month remaining until the Winter Olympics, Lozbers shared that he learned of his inclusion on the team earlier in the season, after consistently achieving strong results. “I was getting relatively good results, and then I realized that qualifying was very realistic.”
Lozbers began his athletic career in mountain biking before being encouraged to try biathlon, a sport he quickly embraced. He made the full transition to biathlon two years ago.
“I think I have more opportunities in biathlon,”
and the same coach who trained me in cycling does so in biathlon. Everything fell into place for me to switch to biathlon.”
The young athlete has primarily focused on Youth World Cup competitions this season, with Olympic team selection being a secondary goal. Now, with a spot secured, his attention has turned to Milan. “Right now, the training process is twice a day. I’m trying to do more base work because there are more competitions, while also trying to rest from them. The biggest work was already done in the summer, now I’m just [working] to make sure my fitness doesn’t decline.”
The biathlon team recently held a training camp in the Italian highlands to acclimatize to the altitude, but Lozbers was not in attendance, as he had previously competed at altitude in IBU Cup races, eliminating the need for reacclimatization.
At the World Cup competitions in Hochfilzen, Lozbers led off the Latvian men’s relay team and immediately found himself among the leaders.
“Currently, I’m a fast skier, but I can’t yet be called a good shooter,”
the biathlete joked, revealing he only picked up a rifle when he began biathlon.
Lozbers finds accurately closing the targets on the shooting range after a fast-paced ski run to be the most challenging aspect of the sport. “On the course, I usually give it everything, and then I have to concentrate on five precise shots. You can’t stress or rush them, you need to be focused, and that’s really difficult after that kind of intensity.”
Next week, from January 14th to 17th, Madona will host a junior start, a competition Lozbers has prioritized throughout the season and prepared for diligently. While the Latvian athlete declined to set specific goals, he promises to give his maximum effort. “It’s rare to get to compete at this level of competition at home. I’m really looking forward to that moment.”
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