Baltic Olympics update: Aug. 9

Estonia

Estonian fencer Novosjolov makes round of 8 in Rio

Estonian fencer Nikolai Novosjolov advanced to the round of 8 in men's epee by beating Venezuelan Francisco Lima 15-12 in his second fight at the Rio Olympics on Tuesday.

Estonian fencer Nikolai Novosjolov advanced to the round of 16 in men's epee earlier today after defeating Kyoungdoo Park of South Korea 12-10 in the first round.

 

Lithuania

Lithuanian PM pays for own trip to Rio

Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius opted to cover the cost of his flight to Rio, the government reported today.

Butkevicius paid approximately 2,200 euros for tickets. The government office has covered the 4,500-euro expenses for his two aides, and the VIP Protection Department will fund the trip of two bodyguards.

The minister announced last week that he would not fly to the Olympic Games as the fares presented to his delegation by travel agencies, 44,000 euros in total, were too high.

"I want to support the Lithuanian national team, but I could not let the government office overpay for the tickets as the lowest price offer in the public procurement procedure was well above that available on flight ticket websites online. I decided to decline the previous offer and look for a cheaper option," he explained in a press release on Tuesday.