By skate, ski and sled: Latvia's Olympic high hopes

RIGA - When the winter Olympics begin Feb. 8 in Salt Lake City, Latvia will be represented by the largest number of athletes in its history. Some have legitimate chances of winning medals, but others will be taking part for the experience of competing in the Olympics and the pride of representing Latvia.

The 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games in Japan was the first time North America's National Hockey League, where the world's best play professionally, allowed its players to go to the Olympics. The success of that tournament has prompted the NHL to once again take a mid-season break to allow its players to represent their countries.

For ice hockey fans around the world, the Olympic tournament is the equivalent of soccer's World Cup. Latvia has had some good results in the hockey world championships in recent years, none better than their win against Russia two years ago when the tournament was held in St. Petersburg.

But reaching the second round of the 2002 Olympic tournament will be tough. The way the tournament is set up is to Latvia's disadvantage, because the first- through sixth-place teams from the 1998 Nagano games (Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the U.S.A.) qualify automatically for the second round.

The other eight teams, including Latvia, must compete in a split preliminary round for the two remaining spots.

In order to advance to the second round, Latvia must place first in their group of four teams, which includes Germany, Austria and a powerful Slovakian team. Advancing to the second round will likely take wins over all three of their opponents, a task made more difficult by the absence of All-Star defenseman Sandis Ozolins and starting goalkeeper Arturs Irbe in the critical game against Slovakia.

Latvian Ice Hockey Federation President Kirovs Lipmans thinks the Olympic format is "unfair because the teams playing in the preliminary round have to play without some of their NHL players."

Lipmans further points out that "four years [between Olympic tournaments] is a long time in the development of a team - too long to determine that those six teams should automatically qualify for the second round."

In the biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing and shooting at stationary targets, Ilmars Bricis is Latvia's best Olympic medal hope.

He has been showing good form this season. He followed up last year's third-place finish at the world biathlon championship in Pokljuka, Slovenia, with a second-place finish at the same track in a world cup competition in December.

But, as Latvian coach Vitalijs Uranovics pointed out, "A lot will depend on the weather conditions at Salt Lake City, if the snow is hard or soft, and if the weather is clear or not."

Soft snow, which would result in a slow track for the skiers, could be to Bricis' advantage.

One of Latvia's best chances for a medal at Salt Lake City was dealt a severe blow last week. Sandis Prusis, pilot of a four-man bobsled that finished fourth in last year's bobsled world championship, tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and likely will not be allowed to compete.

Prusis has denied any wrongdoing and has blamed the dietary supplements that were supplied by team doctors for the failed drug tests.

"It's a huge shock for me; I'm not positive," Prusis said. "This could be the end of my career in bobsledding."

Although he is appealing his suspension to the International Bobsled Federation, it is unlikely he will be reinstated in time to compete in the Olympics.

Prusis, who was also down to pilot a two-man sled in this year's Olympics, has had a good season this year and would certainly have been one of the favorites for a medal. He said he thought Latvia still had "a chance for eighth or ninth place" with fellow athlete Gatis Guts as pilot. But in a sport where hundredths of a second separate winners from losers, Prusis' absence will very likely have a disastrous effect on the team's results.

The athletes representing Latvia in downhill skiing, luge, skeleton, speed skating and cross country skiing are not expected to medal. But their participation will go far in bringing attention to Latvia and the nation's sports programs.

In the Sydney Summer Olympic Games in 2000, Latvians were surprised and elated when Igors Vihrovs perfectly executed his floor routine and took gold in gymnastics.

Although some of Latvia's Olympians are considered unlikely to win medals, it is conceivable that, like Vihrovs, one will be transformed by the pressure and will give their finest performance.