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On the territory of Latvia physical activities have been practised in the form of different games both in towns and the countryside for many centuries.
Latvia's first sports clubs and societies were founded in various towns in the beginning of the 19th century and marked the beginning of an organised sports movement in Latvia.
Among the most popular clubs and societies are the Rujiena Town Hunters' Society (1835), the Jelgava Swimmers' Society (1851), the Riga Riflemen Society (1859), the Riga Gymnastic Club (1862), the Riga Chess Club (1869), the Riga Rowing Club (1872), the Empire Riga Sailing Club (1878), and the I Riga Bicycle Society (1886).
Before World War I, Riga was one of the main sports centres of the Russian Tsarist Empire, along with St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev and Revel (Tallinn).
On December 18, 1911 the Baltic Olympic Committee (BOC) was founded with an aim to co-ordinate its activities with the Russian Olympic Committee in selecting athletes from the Baltic provinces for the Olympic Games (OG). The Swedish Consul in Riga welcomed the idea and assisted in sending representatives of the BOC to Stockholm in order to get acquainted with the Olympic competition sites.
In 1912 more than 30 athletes from Latvia, as part of the team of Imperial Russia, competed in four disciplines at the V Olympic Games in Stockholm in weight lifting, cycling, shooting and track-and-field. H.Blauss, a student from Riga, demonstrated excellent results in shooting by winning the Olympic Bronze medal.
In 1914 the Riga Sports community was the organiser of the 2nd All-Russian Olympiad. Latvian javelin thrower N.Šedrevics (Sports Society "Union"), a participant of the V Olympic Games in Stockholm, covered 50 m with the result 52.98 m and won the Gold medal.
Following Latvia's declaration of independence on November 18th, 1918, heavy fighting against foreign military forces continued until the middle of 1920. Once peace was restored in the independent Republic of Latvia, many national sports organisations were set up. The first was the Army Sports Union, the initiator and organiser of the provisional Latvian Olympic Committee (on August 22, 1920) and the 1st All-Latvia sports festival. The festival took place in a renovated stadium on September 19, 1920 and attracted 340 participants and about 8000 spectators. The first president of Latvia J. Cakste and members of the Government were also present.
On March 6, 1921, the Provisional Union of Latvia's Sports Organisations was established in Riga. Its purpose was to co-ordinate the activities of Latvia's various sports organisations and promote the establishment of a unified system for sporting activities. A year later on April 23, 1922, the Provisional Union became the Union of Latvia's Sports Organisations (LSOA - Latvijas Sporta Organizaciju Apvieniba) and comprised different sports associations and societies, including the Latvian Olympic Committee (LOC). J.Dikmanis was elected Chairman of the Union of Latvia's Sports Organisations, who, according to the Charter, was also the president of the LOC and an IOC member.
The Ambassador of France in Latvia, Count de Martel, supplied the LOC with information about the Olympic Games in Paris in 1924. The LOC was recognised by the IOC in 1923.
A number of new sports clubs and organisations were founded after 1920, among them the Army Sports Union (1920), the Latvian Track and Field Union (1921), the Latvian Football Union (1921), the Workers Sports Union (1921), the Riga City Sports Club (1921), the Latvian Police Sports Club (1922), the Latvian Winter Sports Union (1923), and the Russian Gymnastic Society "Sokol" (1930). The Jewish sports club "Maccabi" was restored in 1924.
In 1922, using the experience of the USA, the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) was established in accordance with a decision of the Council of Ministers of Latvia. The Latvian YMCA was engaged not only in sports activities (track and field, soccer, basketball, volleyball), but also in cultural and educational events. This popular organisation attracted about 100000 young men.
In the period between the two World Wars Latvian sportsmen took part in seven Olympic Games: four Summer and three Winter Games, and many international competitions, while students participated in several World University Games. Latvian athletes won one silver (in Los-Angeles, 1932) and two bronze Olympic medals (in Berlin, 1936). Many international competitions and regattas were organised in Latvia.
Latvia served as a battleground for Soviet and Nazi German forces during World War II, during which time hundreds of thousands of Latvia's residents were dislocated or lost their lives. In August 1940 Latvia was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union, destroying the democratic state, its institutions and its social infrastructure. All spheres of life were subjected to Soviet centralisation and nationalisation and all the sports clubs and unions were banned.
From June 1941 until May 1945 Latvia was occupied by Nazi German forces, which in turn were replaced in 1945 by the Soviet regime. Incorporated into the USSR as one of the fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics, Latvia's sports system was reorganised according to the Soviet centralised model. In 1951 a decision of the Ministry Commissariat of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic banned all the volunteer sports organisations in Latvia, including long-standing sports clubs.
In 1951 the USSR Olympic Committee was recognised by the IOC. As a result, beginning with 1952, Latvian athletes who qualified for Olympic competition could only do so as part of the USSR team. It is important to point out that the Latvian Olympic Committee never withdrew its membership from the IOC, nor have the internationally recognised Latvian sports federations and associations left the respective International federations.
The majority of the Latvian Olympic Committee members escaped the Siberian concentration camps and fled to the West. Attempts were made by these LOC members to get permission to participate in the Olympic Games in London in 1948, bet ended unsuccessfully. Many famous Latvian sportsmen died in the Siberian camps, among them the famous international chess master V.Petrovs; politician, minister and Chairman of the Union of Latvia Sports Organisations (1934-1936) M.Skujenieks; the World Championships winner (pistol shooting, 1937) K.Klava; sports professor, a member of the LOC V.Cekuls; participant of the OG-1912 and 1924 long-distance walker A.Ruks, decathlon athlete and an Olympic diploma winner of the title of fighter J.Dimza and many others.
After World War II the Latvian communities in the USA, Australia, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom founded Latvian sports organisations and staged various sports competitions. The biggest and the most important event was the Latvian Global World Sports Games.
More than 300 athletes from Latvia took part in the Olympic Games over the period from the beginning of the 20th century until the restoration of independence on August 21, 1991. This period includes Tsarist Russia (1912), the First Republic of Latvia (1918–1940) and the years of Soviet occupation (1945 - 1991). This number includes those Latvians who lived abroad and participated in the teams of countries they lived in. Latvian athletes won a total of 20 gold, 28 silver and 15 bronze Olympic medals during this time period.
In the late 1980's Gorbachov's Perestroika relaxed some of the restraints on the republics. The first attempts to change Soviet regulations in Latvian sports took place in 1988, when the Sports Conference of Latvia unanimously voted for the restoration of the LOC and adopted resolutions on the democratisation of the sports system at all levels. The Latvian Olympic Academy (LOA) was founded on March 21, 1989.
On May 4,1990 the newly elected Supreme Council of the Latvian SSR, which included a majority of pro-independence deputies from the Popular Front of Latvia, adopted a declaration calling for the restoration of an independent Republic of Latvia.
Although Moscow did not accept this declaration, it set the stage for events to come.
The first meeting between the managers of the IOC and the leaders of restored Olympic Committees of the three Baltic States took place in Lausanne in late autumn 1990. The Baltic representatives informed the IOC about the restored Olympic Committees and their wish to take participate in the next OG in Albertville in France. A negative answer was given by the IOC on the grounds that these countries were still under the rule of the USSR.
On August 21, 1991, as the USSR began to unravel, Latvia formally restored its legal independence. With the return of democracy and freedom, Latvia's sports system experienced great changes.
According to Latvian traditions and the Sports Charter of the Council of Europe, sports trends and programmes envisaged development in three directions: 1) Sports for All, including disabled and handicapped people, 2) Children/Youth Sports, 3) Elite/Top competition sports.
However, the most important events which led to Latvia's re-integration into the international sports system were:
1) the recognition of the LOC and its restoration as a member of the IOC on September 18, 1991; 2) the admission of the LOA in the International Olympic Academy (IOA), 3) the restoration of different sports unions and federations in the respective international bodies, 4) the admission of the Latvian Sports Department at the Ministry of Education, the Governmental sports body, to the Sports Development Committee (CDDS) of the Council of Europe on May 13, 1992.
Since their recognition by the IOC on September 18, 1991 Latvian athletes have participated in the Olympic Games in Albertville, Barcelona, Lilehammer, Atlanta and Nagano and have brought home two silver and one bronze Olympic medals. The preparation of athletes for the Olympic Games is undertaken by sport federations along with the financial and methodological assistance of the non-governmental organization "The Latvian Olympic Team".
Since the restoration of independence, many non-governmental sport organisations such as federations, societies and unions have been founded and have joined respective international federations. All are committed to developing sports in the abovementioned three directions. Special emphasis is placed on children and youth.
The umbrella non-governmental sports organisation, the Latvian Sports Federation's Council, has become a member of the ENGSO. The governmental sports organisation, the Latvian Sports Department of the Ministry of Education and Science, is responsible for promoting active participation in all forms of sport.
Physical education and sports classes are compulsory for all students in the Latvian educational system. The governmental sports institution, the Latvian Youth Sports Centre and the Latvian School Sports Federation take responsibilities for developing programs and materials, and organise competitions. Olympic Day in Latvia involves all the schools of Latvia along with the All-Latvia Winter and Summer Olympic Day competitions arranged by the two above organisations together with the LOC.
"Sports for All" for all age and social groups is promoted by the Company Sports Organisation, Latvian Sports Masters Union, the School Sports Federation, Women's Sports Association, all the sports federations and associations, as well as different sports organisations for disabled people.
In Latvia the most popular summer sports are basketball, volleyball, hand-ball , track and field, while among winter sports the favorites are hockey, the biathlon, luge and bobsledding.
Latvian sports organisations, both governmental and non-governmental, have established broad international ties, and Latvian sportsmen have become known on the international sports arena for international success in the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Special Olympiads, World Championships, European Championships and other international events.
The silver medal gained by Janis Dalins in 1932 in the Los Angeles Olympic Games and his numerous impressive victories in international sports events earned independent Latvia international recognition. His success has also been an inspiration to youth who wish to take part in sports activities and strive for victories in the international competitions.
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It is also worth noting that the European Championship gold medal was brought to Latvia in 1935 by the Latvian National basketball team, followed by a silver medal in 1939.
A great source of pride for Latvia are four Olympic champions in javelin throwing: Inese Jaunzeme in Melbourne, 1956; Janis Lusis in Mexico,1968; Elvira Ozolina in Rome, 1960; Dainis Kula in Moscow, 1980 and the 18-times European Cup winners, the TTT women's basketball team of the 1960s and the 70s. |
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Janis Lusis |
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The Olympic Games in Sydney 2000 has brought a full set of Olympic medals for the first time in the history of the independent Latvia. Igors Vihrovs won the golden medal in floor exercise (callisthenics), Aigars Fadejevs repeated success of the distance walker Janis Dalins (in 1932) and gained the silver medal in 50 km distance walking, Vsevolods Zelonijs got the bronze medal in judo.
| The TTT centre player, the famous 2.12m tall Uljana Semjonova, a 2-time Olympic champion, a 3-time World champion and a 10-time European champion was nominated as one of the best world players in the basketball Hall of Fame in the USA in 1993. Latvia's sports has produced 20 Olympic champions, 101 World champions and 150 European champions, mainly representing Latvians and also athletes of different nationalities living in Latvia.
The 1st Baltic Sea Games, as new Regional Games, were organised in Tallinn in 1993 and the 2nd in Vilnius in 1997. The next Baltic Sea games will be held in Riga. |
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Uljana Semjonova |
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The Latvian Sports Pedagogical Academy is the main educational and research institution of sports teachers, coaches and sports managers. The Liepaja Pedagogical College and the Daugavpils Pedagogical University also train physical education teachers.
The Latvian Sports Museum has exhibits featuring sports in Latvia during the 19th and the 20th centuries, as well as 80000 different trophies and sports objects. It functions as an educational and information centre for the population of Latvia.
Other sites:
Latvian Academy of Sport Education
Latvian Automobile Federation
Latvian Basketball League
Latvian Ice Hockey Home Page
Latvian Olympic Committee
Latvian Orienteering Federation
Sports Department of the Republic of Latvia
© Text: Daina Sveica, the Academy of Sciences of Latvia
© The Latvian Institute, 2000-2001
This fact sheet can be freely printed from homepage of the Latvian Institute, distributed and cited, on condition that the Latvian Institute is acknowledged as the source. The Latvian Institute is a non-profit organisation (a State Corporation with limited liability) established to promote knowledge about Latvia abroad. It produces publications, in several languages, on many aspects of Latvia.
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