Latvian cross-country skiers competed in the classic sprint qualification on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, but none of the six athletes – men and women – advanced to the next round. Raimo Vīgants achieved the highest finish for the Latvian team, placing 52nd.
The male skiers expressed disappointment after their performances, with Vīgants finishing more than 18 seconds off the fastest time.
“It’s hard to explain what happened right now. I didn’t expect such a considerable gap,”
the skier said immediately after the finish, adding, “It’s a sprint, and that’s how it goes.” He noted that his equipment and the course quality were good, but acknowledged, “The course was tough with two technical climbs, so maybe I didn’t navigate the downhills as well as I could have.”
Interview with Vīgants, Saulītis and Kaparkalējs
Niks Saulītis was also unsatisfied with his debut, finishing 84th out of 89 competitors. “Maybe I made a mistake in ski selection, but it just didn’t feel good. I was physically fine, I just didn’t have anywhere to push on the climbs.”
Lauris Kaparkalējs highlighted the dynamic nature of the course. “The conditions were fast, I chose a safer ski option, but overall it was okay.”
Vīgants, the team’s leader, emphasized Latvia’s strength in freestyle skiing. “As we can see, classic skiing has always been a stumbling block for Patrīcija [Eiduka] as well. We ski the way we learned as children. The next two races are freestyle, so I think we’ll perform much better and be much happier there.”
Interview with Auziņa
In the women’s competition, Kitija Auziņa was the only Latvian to crack the top 70, finishing 70th. “I’m not satisfied. We’ve had a challenging few days with questions about service and ski preparation. If I was physically ready for today, my confidence depended on the skis. When I got to the hill, I realized I would have to fight with the skis.”
She stressed that this isn’t anyone’s fault, but simply a part of the sport. “This isn’t my result, and this isn’t me. It was a fight with the course and the skis, because the glide was perfect, and ideal. No one is to blame for the result.”
Interview with Krampe and Kaparkalēja
Samanta Krampe finished 76th in the sprint qualification in her second Olympic Games. She also emphasized the difficulty of the course and how much energy it took. “I’m glad the conditions were good – the course wasn’t too soft or hard, overall good work was done.”
Linda Kaparkalēja had the most difficult race, managing to pass only five competitors and finishing 84th out of 89 skiers. She burst into tears after the finish and thanked her supporters for their encouragement, despite her disappointing debut at the quadrennial event.
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