Cyclist Skujins and b-baller Porzingis named Latvia's Athletes of the Year

  • 2025-01-16
  • LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - Cyclist Toms Skujins and basketball players Kristaps Porzinsis and Kitija Laksa were named Latvia's Athletes of the Year at the Three Stars Award ceremony in Riga on Wednesday.

Two athletes - Skujins, who finished fifth at the Paris Olympics and fourth at the World Championships in the group event, and Porzingis, the National Basketball Association champion - were named the best athletes of 2024 at the ceremony in Riga Circus.

Also nominated were hockey player Uvis Balinskis, 3x3 basketball player Nauris Miezis and biathlete Andrejs Rastorgujevs.

Latvia's Lady Athlete of the Year was Kitija Laksa, who plays for the Latvian national team and Italian club Schio Famila this season, and won the Euroleague and the Turkish league titles with Istanbul Fenerbahce in 2024.

Also nominated were biathlete Baiba Bendika, luge racer Elina Ieva Bota, cross-country skier Patricija Eiduka and tennis player Alona Ostapenko.

Rally driver Martins Sesks and co-driver Renars Francis were named Technical Sportsmen of the Year. They made their debut in the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2024, making the biggest surprise in WRC competitions in recent years, winning two stages in the Latvian leg of the WRC, the first time in Latvian rally history.

The Small Sports Team of the Year category was won by European beach volleyball champions Martins Plavins and Kristians Fokerots.

In the Sports Team or Professional Sports Club of the Year category, Latvian football club RFS took the award, which won the national league title, the Latvian Cup and qualified for the UEFA Europa League group stage.

Viktors Morozs, head coach of RFS, was named Coach of the Year.

Runner Agate Caune, and Arturs Silovs, goalkeeper of the Latvian national ice hockey team, were recognized as the best Latvian sportsmen in 2023.