Rīga City Council today hosted a reception honoring Polina Rožkova and Agris Lasmans, Latvia’s wheelchair curling pair who secured a bronze medal at the Milan-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games.
Rīga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs lauded the athletes’ achievement, stating, “From the bottom of my heart, I congratulate Polina Rožkova and Agris Lasmans on winning the bronze medal at the Paralympic Games. This is an outstanding achievement that makes not only the sports community, but all of Rīga and Latvia proud. This medal is a well-deserved recognition of their skill, perseverance, and ability to achieve high results even in exceptionally difficult circumstances. At the same time, this success makes us all more aware of the obstacles our para-athletes face every day. The road to this medal has not been easy, and that is precisely why we must all appreciate this achievement even more. It is also a reminder that we demand to think much more seriously about financial support for para-sports and about appropriate, accessible sports infrastructure so that athletes have the opportunity to train fully and strive for even higher goals.”
Deputy Mayor Vilnis Ķirsis echoed the sentiment, saying, “I congratulate the Latvian wheelchair curling mixed pair team, Polina Rožkova and Agris Lasmans, on their historic achievement! The bronze medal was won in a truly emotional and psychologically tense game, which further confirms the high professional level of our Paralympians. This medal is a very great achievement personally for each of them, but the unseen side of the medal is the huge motivation that these athletes deliver to each of us – the ability to overcome difficulties and achieve high results is an example for all of us.”
The Latvian duo’s bronze medal, secured on March 11th, marks Latvia’s first medal in a Winter Paralympic Games, achieved after a thrilling extra end victory over the United States with a final score of 11-10, according to reports from LSM.lv and TV3.lv. The match was a reversal of fortunes from the tournament’s opening game, where the Latvian pair lost to the American team 6-11.
The Latvian team initially fell behind 0-4 in the first end, but rallied to take a 5-4 lead after a strong second end, scoring five points. The game continued as a back-and-forth contest, with the U.S. Team briefly taking the lead 9-7 in the sixth end. Latvia responded with three points in the seventh, leading 10-9, before the U.S. Tied the game at 10-10, forcing the extra end.
According to Valmieras Novads, Agris Lasmans is from Valmiera, and his achievement is a significant contribution to the development of Latvian Paralympic sport and an inspiration to young athletes. The victory came despite the U.S. Team having a higher shooting accuracy of 52% compared to Latvia’s 48%, highlighting the Latvian team’s resilience and strategic play.
The Latvian delegation’s head, Zane Skujiņa-Rubene, acknowledged the pre-match tension, but emphasized the athletes’ focus, as reported by LSM.lv.
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