The Latvian Paralympic Committee has qualified for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, and seven athletes will represent Latvia at this global competition, which will take place from August 29 until September 9. Along with them there will be seven representatives of the Paralympic Committee, including trainers and physiotherapists. Latvia will be represented this year in the disciplines of athletics and swimming.
“Our athletes are actively training for their Olympic performance so that they can prepare properly for the event and enjoy the emotional uplift that comes along with the games,” says the general secretary of the Latvian Paralympic Committee, Andris Ulmanis. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the success of our athletes at the Olympics so that they can concentrate all of their strength at the decisive moment. The success of our athletes is very important, and we want Latvia’s name to be heard all around the world.”
Among those to represent Latvia in London will be Aigars Apinis, who will seek new medals in the area of shot put and discus. He has won two gold medals in discus and won the silver medal in shot put at the previous Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008. He also holds two world records. Also seeking a medal in shot put will be the holder of the bronze medal from the European championship, Andis Ozolnieks. Making their debut in London will be long jumper Dmitrijs Silovs, long jumper and 200 metre runner Edgars Kļaviņš, swimmer Jānis Plotnieks, and shot put and discus thrower Taiga Kantāne. Liene Gruzīte has taken part in the Paralympic Games in the past, and this year she will compete at the long jump and discus throw.
The representatives of the Paralympic Committee will include committee president Daiga Dadzīte, who will be head of the Latvian delegation, athletics trainers Aldis Šūpulnieks and Uldis Kurzemnieks, swimming trainer Haralds Lučkovskis, masseur Gunta Ozoliņa, and physiotherapist Sandra Rozenštoka.