Three Latvian BMX Riders Qualify for World Championship Decisive Races in Brisbane
In the U23 categories, Veronika Monika Stūriška, Noa Rafaels Laake, and Edgars Langmanis advanced to Sunday's quarterfinals. In the elite men's class, Kristers Apels was eliminated in the eighth-finals, finishing 25th.
The 2026 UCI BMX World Championships kicked off on Saturday morning in Brisbane, Australia. The first day featured qualifying heats and eighth-finals. Out of eight Latvian athletes, three secured spots in the decisive races on Sunday.
U23 Categories
In the U23 women's class, European vice-champion Veronika Monika Stūriška won her first-round heat convincingly, finishing more than 0.4 seconds ahead of Czech rider Sabīna Košarkova in second place. Stūriška will compete in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
In the U23 men's category, Noa Rafaels Laake (AKSSC Valmiera/BMX Mārupe) directly advanced from the first round with a solid fourth place. Edgars Langmanis, last year's European bronze medalist, placed sixth in his first heat but won the last-chance race, thereby qualifying for the quarterfinals.
The other two Latvian U23 men, Mārtiņš Emīls Treimanis and Kārlis Pedraudzis, failed to advance after finishing third and fourth, respectively, in the last-chance race.
Elite Men
Kristers Apels (RRS/BMX Rīga), the only Latvian in the elite men's category, finished fourth in his first-round heat, sending American Karmen Larsen to the last-chance race. In the eighth-finals, Apels fought hard for a quarterfinal spot: he overtook Ruben Gommer and closed in on Larsen, but Dutchman Tim Goossens sped past him on the final straight, denying him advancement. Apels ended up in 25th place.
Juniors
Quarterfinals for junior categories took place on Saturday. Edvards Tūters (BMX Rīga/RRS), after placing third in his first heat, crashed in the quarterfinals and finished 24th. Adelīna Kārkliņa (AKSSC Valmiera/BMX klubs Valmiera), who was fourth in her first heat, took fifth place in her quarterfinal, missing the top 16 by one spot; she finished 17th.
Sunday Schedule
The decisive medal races are scheduled for Sunday, July 19. Quarterfinals start at 5:00 AM Latvian time, semifinals at 5:42 AM, and finals at 6:16 AM.
