New season brings setbacks for Latvia's bobsleigh, luge and skeleton

The season following the Olympic Games is traditionally a period of reassessment for sports federations, and this summer that pattern is clearly visible in winter sports that have long enjoyed strong popularity in Latvia — bobsleigh, skeleton and luge.

The main driver behind the changes is limited financial resources. Latvia's bobsleigh and skeleton teams have had to revise their previously planned approach, as available funding no longer matches earlier ambitions or past years' levels. As a result, preparation processes and competition schedules for the new season are likely to look different from before.

The situation is even more difficult in luge. Latvia's national luge team has seen its ranks of both athletes and coaches thin out, with part of the group that took part in previous cycles no longer part of the setup for the upcoming season. This shows that the changes affect not only financing but also the human resource base that underpins the development of these sports in the country.

Overall, the new season is opening on a cautious, subdued note for these three popular winter sports — without major new initiatives, but with a clear need to adapt to reduced funding and smaller teams.