New Olympic cycle begins: what awaits Latvian curling this season
Latvia's curling season kicks off this weekend with a tournament in Ventspils and the reopening of the Riga Curling Hall, as the World Curling Federation debuts a new competition format for the 2026-2030 Olympic cycle.
The new curling season in Latvia begins this weekend with the Ventspils club's “Ventspils Cup” tournament, while the Curling Hall in Riga reopens its doors on August 24. This season marks the first use of a newly designed competition format introduced by the World Curling Federation for the 2026-2030 Olympic cycle.
As usual, the season opens in Riga with the “Riga Open” tournament in early September, followed later in the month by the “Riga International Curling Challenge” for women's teams.
National team competitions
Latvia's national teams begin their season on October 2, when mixed doubles pair Katrīna Gaidule and Roberts Reinis Buncis compete in a world championship qualifying tournament. From October 27, the women's team led by skip Evelīna Barone will compete at the European Championship, now held in a new two-group format after a four-year absence from the event. In November, the men's team led by Arnis Veidemanis and later the women's team will compete in world championship qualifiers, while a wheelchair mixed doubles team led by Polina Rožkova will aim to return to the top division.
In December, both the junior girls' and boys' national teams will compete for spots in the top division of the junior world championship, building on strong results from last season.
Spring events
In March 2027, the women's and men's world championships will take place with an increased number of participating teams. April brings Latvian championships in several categories, along with world championships for seniors and junior mixed doubles. The season concludes on May 16 with the Latvian championship for mixed teams.
