Dāvis Kaufmanis and Edgars Ungurs won the Latvian two-man bobsleigh championship on Thursday in Sigulda, according to the Latvian Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation.
Jēkabs Kalenda and Matīss Miknis held the lead after the first heat, finishing in 49.78 seconds. They sat seven hundredths of a second ahead of Kaufmanis and Ungurs, with both teams recording identical start times of 4.95 seconds.
In the second heat, the Bauska region crew of Kaufmanis and Ungurs gained an advantage, finishing with a total time that bested Kalenda and Miknis by two hundredths of a second. Kaufmanis, who previously transitioned from pilot to pusher three years ago, returned to the pilot’s seat this season.
Renārs Grantiņš and pusher Nils Meijers secured third place. While the pair remained competitive with the leaders after the opening run, errors in the second heat left them 0.43 seconds behind the winners.
Mairis Kļava and pusher Ralfs Bērziņš finished in fourth place.
The women’s monobob category featured Amēlija Kotāne, while Andris Skadiņš competed in the men’s monobob event.
Latvian national team head coach Emīls Cipulis evaluated the results as positive. He said that the start times aligned with expectations for the beginning of the season and confirmed that the top three pilots demonstrated good form.
The national championship took place at the Sigulda Bobsleigh and Luge Track following a multi-year hiatus. The competition serves as a precursor to the international season, as the Latvian bobsleigh team prepares for the European Cup.
The 2026/2027 season for the Latvian squad begins on November 27 at the track in Lillehammer, Norway.
Dāvis Kaufmanis and Edgars Ungurs took first place after two heats in Sigulda.
The winning pair of Kaufmanis and Ungurs finished two hundredths of a second ahead of runners-up Jēkabs Kalenda and Matīss Miknis.
The team’s season begins on November 27 at the European Cup in Lillehammer.