Latvian Short Tracker Roberts Krūzbergs Claims Olympic Bronze in Milan
Roberts Krūzbergs of Ventspils Olympic Unit secured a historic bronze medal in the 1500-meter short track race at the Olympic Games in Milan on Saturday, February 14, 2026. This marks Latvia’s first-ever medal in Olympic short track competition, a landmark achievement for the nation’s winter sports program.
“Knowing this was my last distance at the Games, and with a compromised situation due to injury in the 500 meters, I went all in,” Krūzbergs explained. “I even arrived earlier for training today to test an orthosis for my knee. Thankfully, I did, because that orthosis just wasn’t working for me.”
“We stuck with what worked yesterday, didn’t change a thing. I took it race by race and made it to the A final, and then the medal was within reach. I’m incredibly happy with the result,” he continued.
The A final featured nine short track skaters and was marked by several falls, but Krūzbergs successfully navigated the chaos to secure his place on the podium.
“I spoke with Reinis Bērziņš, who is one of the few who can really tactically master the 1500 meters. He advised me to try and take the lead at the start and maintain a position within the first three or four. That was the goal, and I think the execution was remarkably good. I managed to avoid the falls that occurred during the race, and a little luck was on my side. An Olympic bronze is a fantastic achievement,” said the Latvian short tracker.
Krūzbergs revealed he sustained a knee injury during the 1000-meter preliminary heats on the first day of competition, but the injury didn’t prevent him from winning bronze in the 1500 meters or finishing fifth in the 1000 meters.
“I suffered a second-degree medial ligament tear in my knee after a collision with a Chinese athlete. The doctors worked with me to manage the pain, and my physiotherapist, Jānis, provided stability with taping. Everyone put in the work to produce today’s result possible,” he added.
The short track season continues after the Olympics with the World Championships, but Krūzbergs indicated his participation is uncertain.
“I still need to travel to the Latvian Olympic Unit for examinations on my knee to see if it’s healing properly. I’m not ruling it out completely, but I will definitely take a few days of rest, as my knee is really difficult to walk on the day after a competition,” he stated.
Krūzbergs as well expressed his desire to compete at the 2030 Winter Olympics, acknowledging that there is still a long road ahead.
“We’ll have to monitor my health, opportunities, and simply my physical condition. 28 is getting up there in short track, as that’s typically when athletes are nearing the end of their careers. I think I could potentially squeeze in one more Olympics. Then I’ll see how I sense and how everything develops, because it’s still quite a ways off,” he explained.
This medal is Latvia’s second at the Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympic Games, following Elīna Ieva Bota’s silver in the women’s singles luge competition.
Krūzbergs finished in a time of 2 minutes and 12.376 seconds, just 0.157 and 0.072 seconds behind the gold and silver medalists, respectively.
His fifth-place finish in the 1000 meters was the highest result in Latvian history at the Olympic short track championships.
Ventspils and all of Latvia are proud of Roberts Krūzbergs, and extend their gratitude to him, his coaches, and his team for their dedication, courage, and fighting spirit, which brought home a historic Olympic medal.
