Latvian women’s curling skip Evelīna Barone and her team secured the bronze medal at the European Curling Championships in Ostrava, defeating Scotland 8:6 in the third-place match. The victory marks the first time a Latvian women’s curling team has reached the podium at the European Championships.
Latvian Curling Team Overcomes Early Scottish Push
Latvia built an early 5:1 lead after the first three ends of the bronze-medal match. Scotland responded in the fourth end by scoring three points, narrowing the deficit to 5:4 before Latvia reclaimed control in the fifth and sixth ends to lead 8:4. Scotland added two points in the seventh end, setting up a tense final end where Latvian curlers successfully defended their advantage. Reflecting on the high-pressure finale, Barone told organizers, Man trūkst vārdu. Domāju, ka mēs pieļāvām dažas neierastas kļūdas, droši vien stresa un adrenalīna dēļ. Dažbrīd šķita, ka mēs spēlē varētu zaudēt. Mēs noturējāmies, izdarījām labāko, ko spējām, un laimīgā kārtā ar to pietika.
The squad features Evelīna Barone alongside Rēzija Ieviņa, Katrīna Gaidule, Daina Barone, and Betija Gulbe, with coaching handled by Deivids Remzijs. Sweden claimed the European championship title by defeating Switzerland 7:2 in the final.
Latvia enters Group A under new tournament format
Entering the tournament ranked 22nd in the world by the World Curling Federation, Latvia competed in Group A alongside teams from Germany, Norway, Czechia, Italy, and Switzerland. The expanded 12-team format replaced traditional 10-end matches with eight-end games across two round-robin groups. Tournament qualification was determined by 2025 European Championship results and federation rankings, with Czechia participating via a host nation quota. Barone’s team earned their place in the elite division by winning gold at last year’s B-division European Championship.
Latvia opened group play with a 3:5 loss to Germany (ranked 13th), rebounded with an 8:4 win over Norway (10th), defeated hosts Czechia (14th) 11:4, and edged Italy (8th) 8:6. A 2:8 defeat to world-ranking leader Switzerland sealed a second-place finish in Group A for the Latvian team, setting up a semifinal clash against Group B winner Sweden where Latvia fell 3:7.
Squad secures podium finishes across five preparation events
Leading up to the Ostrava championships, the team competed in five preparation tournaments. The squad secured second place at the Riga Open
and first place at the Riga International Curling Challenge
in Latvia. They also finished third at the Oslo Cup
in Norway, fourth at the Tallinn Ladies Challenger
in Estonia, and claimed victory at the WCT Prague Ladies International
in Czechia on October 18.
Frequently Asked Questions About the European Curling Championships
Who won the gold medal at the European Curling Championships?
Sweden won the women’s European championship title by defeating Switzerland 7:2 in the final match.
How many ends did teams play in the Ostrava tournament?
Teams played eight ends per match instead of the traditional ten ends, following an expansion of the championship to 12 competing nations.
What was Latvia’s world ranking entering the championship?
The Latvian women’s curling team entered the Ostrava tournament ranked 22nd in the World Curling Federation standings.