The World Games in figure skating is one of the most important competitions for these sports, which can also be called the unofficial Olympic Games. One of the sports at the World Games in roller skating is skateboarding, where Latvians have had success for many years, including several world and European championship titles.
Almost a hundred participants representing more than ten countries – thirteen – have been registered for the World Games in skateboarding for men and women. Along with Latvian athletes, Americans and Czechs were also added to the favorites list. This time, the otherwise strong Swedes were not noticed.
On the first day of the competition, skateboarders determined the best in giant slalom. Even though this discipline is not the strongest and favorite for Latvian representatives, our skateboarders started the World Games with good results. Six managed to get into the top ten, three of which were also in the top six, and one in the top three, so Latvia already got a medal in the first discipline.
This medal was taken care of by Artur Liskov, who covered the track in 21.62 seconds and showed the third time, losing only to two Americans. The Italian lost 0.28 seconds to the titleholder Joe McLaren, while the silver medalist Orion Lerman lost 0.20 seconds. The Czech Jakub Jirmans, who won the 4th place, also managed to be included in 22 seconds – 21.92.
The second best among the Latvians was the fifth place winner Toms Dreiblats, who showed a time of 22.10 seconds and was only two hundredths of a second ahead of the titular Jānis Kuzminas, who completed the top six and who had fallen heavily in training the previous day. This year’s absolute European champion Gustavs Gailītis, who was separated from the top six by 0.12 seconds, ranked right behind Jānis in 7th place. Skateboarders from Brazil, France and Germany also entered the top ten.
In the women’s competition, Latvians failed to enter the top six, but two were in the top ten. Andy Roux covered the course in 24.50 seconds and took 7th place, just four hundredths of a second short of sixth. The German Katrīna Zēle concluded from the top three, the Latvian was separated by 0.80 seconds. Annas Gailīte was a third of a second slower than Ruja, taking 9th place. The 11th result was presented by Dominika Ozoliņa (25.02), 0.16 seconds behind the top ten. Anna’s sister Elīza Gailīte entered the top 20 with the 16th time (26.06 seconds).
The women’s battle for first place was even fiercer than the men’s, as the first two were separated by two hundredths of a second. Karolina Vojtova from the Czech Republic became the winner in such an intense duel with the titled and experienced American Linna Kramer.
“It was a difficult start for us with the giant slalom, various difficulties, but we have the first medal. Great joy for the student Artūras Liskovs and his third place,” says Jānis Kuzmins, the winner of the sixth place in this discipline, and adds: “Yesterday there were practice runs in which I fell, and an ambulance was called.”
“The track was unconventional, not so much technical, but complicated in the way of angles, which is unusual for us Europeans. This can be explained by the fact that the track was laid by an American, subordinating the track to his athletes. The steepness was high, but the track was not fast, but challenging, because you had to “break” yourself. It was not allowed to drive the track at maximum speed, otherwise you would get disqualified, which many drivers also got. It was challenging to even be included in the result, or to get this time,” says the multiple world and European champion Kuzmins.
“I don’t remember the last time I fell. It could have been over 10 years ago. And on such a challenging track, I also fell during training,” explains Kuzmins about the complexity of the track.
2024-09-14 00:23:13