Latvian roller skiers win three more medals at world championship in Madona

Latvian athletes claimed three medals on Saturday at the roller skiing world championship taking place in Madona. Linda Kaparkalēja won the women's elite 200-meter super sprint final, finishing ahead of Norway's Ragnhild Ørekol and Croatia's Tena Hadžić. Afterward, Kaparkalēja said the gold came as something of a surprise given the strong competition.

Other Latvian women had more modest results: Alise Plāte reached the quarterfinals and placed ninth, while Adriana Šuminska finished tenth overall.

A second gold for Latvia came from Bruno Bilāns, who won the men's junior final to become world junior champion. France's Levi and Eliot Mory took second and third place, while Latvia's Rūdolfs Raudziņš finished fourth in the final. Bilāns said this was his last year competing as a junior, so he knew he had to deliver — and did so on the day.

In the men's elite race, Italy's Emanuele Becchis took the win, with compatriot Michele Valerio claiming silver. Lauris Kaparkalējs finished third for bronze, saying afterward he was satisfied with giving his best and praising the atmosphere on the course.

On Friday, Kaparkalējs and Raimo Vīgants had already won gold together in the team sprint.

Sunday's finale ahead

A mass-start race is scheduled for Sunday on the streets of Madona. The championship features 172 athletes from 24 countries, with 21 representing Latvia. To ensure equal conditions, competitors in all disciplines except the 200-meter super sprint use identical roller skis provided by the organizers. This is the first time Madona has hosted the roller skiing world championship since 2019.