The seventh stage of the Eberspächer World Cup in Sigulda ended with the BMW Sprint World Cup, in which almost all athletes of the Latvian National Team participated. In the BMW Sprint World Cup, Kristers Aparjods, Gints Bērzins, Riks Kristens Rozītis, Ulla Zirne, Elīna Ieva Vītola, Elīza Tīruma, as well as Mārtiņš Bots/Roberts Plūme and Andris Šics/Juris Šics fought for prizes.
The men’s BMW Sprint World Cup kicked off with Krister Aparjod putting in a very good ride to edging out winner Germany’s Felix Loch by just 0.014 seconds for his first career straight Sprint Cup win. The bronze award goes to the Italian Dominik Fishnaller [+0.071].
“The silver won is not bad, that’s why this sport is so interesting that it seems that it will be like that, but the slightest mistake and everything can turn upside down. This time it happened. I didn’t drive as well as I wanted. I overdid it a bit after the 15th turn – I didn’t hold it, I started pushing, holding back. As a result, the sled turned a bit, successively also in the 16th turn I entered too quickly and crashed, and at the finish I lost my leading position,” says Kristers Aparjods after the Sprint Cup.
Gintas Bērziņš had to slightly adjust his sled on the 14th turn straight, but when he reached the finish reference point, Bērziņš showed the sixth best result – 27.940 seconds.
Rick Kristens Rozītis suffered a fall at the end of the course, but managed to get back in the sled and reach the finish line, finishing in 15th position [+10.765].
In the competition of two-seater crews, Andris and Juris Šici won the victory, crossing the lines of the track in a filigree manner, the duo showed the best time at the finish – 31.157 seconds. With the Latvians losing by 0.021 seconds, the winners of the main competition – Eggerts/Benecken (Eggert/Benecken) are in the second position. Bronze medal for another experienced German duo – Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt [+0.069].
Andris Šic: “We are very happy about the work we have done today. We had a really solid ride on the track, when I was driving to the finish I knew that I had done everything, I just had to wait to see what the Germans would do.”
On the other hand, the other Latvian crew – Mārtiņš Bots/Roberts Plūme won the high fifth place [+0.212] in the BMW Sprint World Cup.
In the women’s competition, Ulla Zirne showed the best result, who had a very good ride and, finishing in 31.376 seconds, placed in a high seventh place. Elina Ieva Vitola, making big mistakes on the track, finished 13th best result [+0.703]. Likewise, Eliza Tiruma had to settle for the 14th position [+0.712] as a result of a series of errors, almost falling off the sledge.
Eliza Tiruma: “I entered the tenth bend late and realized that it would not be good. Therefore, in the 11th turn, I was pulled too high and there I could no longer do anything. I entered turn 13 late in a row and already pulled my hands out of the sled because I thought I was about to fall. However, I didn’t fall, but then I was afraid that I had to put my hands back before the 15th turn, otherwise it could be even worse. It is how it is.”
As already mentioned above, this was the final qualifying competition in which the luge athletes who will represent the Latvian national team at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, which will begin on February 4, 2022, were determined. Official team composition will be announced by January 13.
Next weekend, January 15th and 16th, the Eberspächer World Cup takes place at the German track in Oberhof.
Follow the starts of the Latvian national luge team live on TV4 and on the Internet portal Sportacentrs.com.
Saturday, January 15
10.30 First race – Men
12.05 Second race – Men
13.45 First trip – Double crews
15.05 Second trip – Double crews
Sunday, January 16
11.30 First race – Women
12.55 Second race – Women
14.50 Team relay
The information was prepared by: Ieva Ose
LKSF public relations specialist
