Kuzmins Wins Overall Skateboarding World Title as Latvia Takes Three More Podium Places

Latvian skateboarders won four overall medals at the skateboarding world championships in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. Jānis Kuzmins, a multiple-time world champion, became the absolute champion, and Latvians occupied the whole men's overall podium. The event was held alongside the World Roller Games, and skateboarders competed in three disciplines: giant slalom, hybrid slalom and special slalom.

Three disciplines

In giant slalom, Artūrs Liskovs, from Olaine, took bronze. In men's hybrid slalom, Latvians claimed all three medals: Kuzmins won, Toms Dreiblats took silver and Gustavs Gailītis bronze. Dominika Ozoliņa won the women's event in the same discipline.

In special slalom, Latvians again filled the entire podium. Kuzmins won a second gold, while Gailītis and Dreiblats swapped places compared with the hybrid slalom.

Overall standings

The results gave Latvians the top three places in the men's overall ranking, which combines all three disciplines. Kuzmins became the absolute world champion with 540 points. Gailītis, a multiple world and European champion, took second with 485 points, ahead of Dreiblats on 476. American Colin Cruse finished fourth, and Liskovs was fifth among 37 competitors.

In the women's overall standings, Ozoliņa claimed third place, finishing six points ahead of Czech skater Eliška Stránská. American Linna Kramer won, and Czech Emílie Martinu took second.