Growth of Valmiera’s Leading Young Athletes Brings Joy

The past three years have not been easy for track and field athletes. Due to the reconstruction of Jānis Daliņš Stadium and the construction of the athletics hall, during the summer we have mainly organised training at the Rencēni Primary School stadium, while in winter we hold training sessions in the sports hall of Vidzeme Hospital. It must be said that the athletes and coaches have adapted very well to the circumstances. With the support of the Valmiera City Municipality, the Valmiera Athletics Club and the Valmiera Children’s Sports School, leading young athletes were also given the opportunity to train in Murjāņi, Valga, Tartu and Võru during the winter period. Thanks to the coaches’ enthusiasm and the athletes’ determination, several athletes achieved impressive results in the 2020 season. The achievements of four Valmiera athletes—Kristīne Siksaliete, Agate Caune, Ralfs Ūdris and Jānis Sausais—deserve particular recognition this season.

 

In September this year, one of Latvia’s best youth coaches, Guntars Markss, began working at the Valmiera Children’s Sports School as an athletics coach at the High-Performance Athlete Training Centre (AKSSC). Two of his athletes—Marta Marksa and Hanna Gabriela Ziemiņa—also joined the Valmiera AKSSC together with the coach.

More about our leading athletes:

Hanna Gabriela Ziemiņa—a javelin thrower and Latvian record-holder in the U16 age group.

Agate Caune—a middle- and long-distance runner, a two-time Latvian and Baltic champion in the U18 age group, and a member of Latvia’s senior national team.

Both Hanna and Agate have achieved the qualification standards in their respective events for the European U18 Championships in Italy. At present, four Latvian athletes have met the qualification standards for these championships, two of them representing Valmiera.

Valmiera AKSSC combined-events athletes Kristīne Siksaliete and Ralfs Ūdris have also progressed. Both athletes are currently the best in Latvia in their respective events and are competing for leading titles in the senior category. Ralfs is striving to achieve the qualification standard for the European U23 Championships in the decathlon. The competition is scheduled to take place in Bergen, Norway.

Hurdler Marta Marksa became Latvian senior champion this season, won the Baltic countries’ U20 competition and achieved the qualification standards for the European U20 Championships in Tallinn and the World U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya. Jānis Sausais, the Baltic U20 champion, also has every opportunity to achieve the qualification standard.              

In addition to the six athletes named above, combined-events athlete Rita Krauje and high jumper Valters Jansons also have the opportunity to achieve the qualification standard for the European U18 Championships.

Latvia’s national team will compete in the European Athletics Team Championships, 2nd League, in the Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora (these competitions were originally scheduled to take place in Valmiera, at the newly opened Jānis Daliņš Stadium). At these competitions, each country may be represented by only one athlete in each event. I believe that Valmiera Athletics Club athletes—Latvian shot-put champion Linda Ozola and discus-throwing runner-up Arnis Žviriņš—will compete for places on the national team.

Three athletes broke Valmiera records in 2020. Agate Caune broke the Valmiera youth and senior records in the 5000 m—17:26.41—and 10,000 m—27:24.2. Kristīne Siksaliete broke the senior records in the heptathlon—with a points total of 5648—and the javelin throw—with 45.54 m. Ralfs Ūdris broke the youth record in the pole vault—4.50 m.

The strengthening of the athletics coaching staff at the Valmiera Children’s Sports School is also encouraging. At the beginning of the 2020/2021 school year, athletics coaches Megija Stalberga and Alvis Čākurs began working at the Valmiera Children’s Sports School. Both Megija and Alvis are former students of the sports school. They received positive reviews for leading general physical preparation training at the school during the summer and are currently working with young athletes.

Arnis Rumbenieks’s return to Valmiera is also significant and positive news. Accompanied by his father, the athlete is purposefully continuing his preparations for his third Olympic Games.

I believe that Valmiera’s athletics team currently has its strongest and most promising line-up in recent years, and in 2021 we can hope to see our athletes widely represented in various national teams competing at the Baltic and European Championships.

The athletics community is eagerly awaiting the opening of the renovated Jānis Daliņš Sports Complex.

Photo: Raivo Sarelainens. From left: Guntars Markss, Marta Marksa, Hanna Gabriela Ziemiņa, Ralfs Ūdris, Kristīne Siksaliete, Pēteris Karlivāns (Valmiera High-Performance Athlete Training Centre athletes with their coaches)

Information prepared by:

Raitis Ravinskis,

athletics coach at the Valmiera Children’s Sports School