Rastorgujevs and Buliņa win sprint at Latvian Summer Biathlon Championship in Cēsi

The second round of the 2026 Latvian Summer Biathlon Championship began on Friday, September 25, at the Cēsis Olympic Center's ski and biathlon base. On the opening day, athletes competed in a sprint on roller skis, while the youngest competitors in the M13 and W13 categories raced a 1.8 km interval start without shooting.

Before the competition began, participants observed a moment of silence for longtime Latvian biathlon coach Ilgonis Pogulis, who recently passed away, honoring his significant contribution to the sport in Latvia.

Results in the senior categories

In the men's 10 km sprint, Andrejs Rastorgujevs claimed a convincing victory, missing only one shot across two shooting stages and finishing in 27:08.4. Renārs Birkentāls took second place with two shooting errors, trailing by just under 21 seconds, while Rihards Lozbers finished third after five shooting misses, more than a minute behind the winner.

In the women's 7.5 km sprint, Sanita Buliņa triumphed with one shooting error, crossing the line in 24:03.7. Sandra Buliņa took second place, and Enia Kalniņa-Kārlsberga finished third.

Among the younger categories, winners included Olivers Bresme in M21, Ernests Skride in M19, and Annija Krieviņa in W19. Estonian athletes topped both the M17 and W17 categories, while Jānis Artūrs Lingarts and Ariana Kodaļeva won the M15 and W15 groups respectively. In the age-group standings, Rainers Upenieks, Andis Pušņakovs, Mareks Birkentāls, and Leonīds Valdonis each took top honors in their respective divisions.

Among the youngest participants, Daniels Matisāns was fastest in the M13 category, while Luīze Spalviņa won the W13 group.

The championship's second round in Cēsis will conclude on Sunday, September 27, with a mass-start cross-country event.