Second silver medal for LATVIA at Vancouver winter Olimpics 2010! Martins Dukurs brings second medal at Men's Skeleton (3)www.expatsnet.net
20.02.2010 22:28  Skeletonist Martins Dukurs, who four years ago finished seventh in the event, has won a silver medal for Latvia during the Feb. 19 men’s competition in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada. Dukurs comes into the Vancouver Games as one of the favorites for the gold medal after claiming his first World Cup title in 2009-10. The 25-year-old Latvian earned medals in seven of the eight races and won four. Dukurs was sixth in the 2008-09 World Cup and fifth in 2007-08, but hasn't finished higher than fifth at the world championships, earning that finish in 2008. He was seventh at the 2006 Turin Games. Dukurs began the sport through his father, a former bobsled brakeman and manager of his home track in Sigulda, Latvia. His 28-year-old brother, Tomass, was fourth in this season's World Cup. Dukurs, the last to run the fourth heat in the zig-zag course at the Whistler Sliding Centre, recorded a total time of 3 minutes, 29.80 seconds, according to results posted on the official Web site of the Winter Olympics, www.vancouver2010.com. He was just .07 seconds behind the hometown favorite, Canada’s Jon Montgomery, who won the gold with a total time of 3:29.73. Montgomery, who trailed Dukurs in overall time through the first three heats, was aided in part by breaking the track record of 52.32 that Dukurs had set in the first heat Feb. 18. Montgomery finished the third heat in 52.20. The bronze medal in the men’s skeleton event went to Russia’s Alexander Tretyakov, who had a total time of 3:30.75. Martins Dukurs’ brother Tomass finished fourth overall with a time of 3:31.13. A total of 28 athletes competed in the event. Martins Dukurs’ silver is Latvia’s second in the Olympics. Brothers Andris and Juris Đics earned a silver in the men’s double luge event on Feb. 17. Info from: www.wintergames.ap.org & www.latviansonline.com (by Andris Strautmanis) Photo: www.sportacentrs.com
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