August 22, 2010
A 17-year-old javelin athlete from Smiltene, Latvia, has won a bronze medal in the the 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) underway in Singapore.
Intars Išējevs took third place overall in the Aug. 22 final of the event, held at Singapore’s Bishan Stadium, according to results posted on the official website of the Youth Olympic Games, www.singapore2010.sg.
His farthest throw, which was also a personal best, was 74.23 meters.
The gold medal in the javelin event went to Braian Toledo of Argentina, whose best throw was 81.78 meters, while the silver medal went to Devin Bogert of the U.S., who threw for 76.88 meters.
This summer’s Youth Olympic Games are the first ever. The International Olympic Committee in 2007 authorized the games “to inspire young people around the world to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values,” according to www.singapore2010.sg. The YOG are for athletes ages 14-18. An estimated 3,600 athletes from around the world are participating in the Singapore games, which began Aug. 14 and conclude Aug. 26.
Išējevs is one of 11 Latvian athletes participating in the games. Besides the javelin event, Latvian athletes are competing in cycling, the modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing, swimming and weightlifting.
Elza Gulbe, 17, placed fourth overall in junior women’s single sculls rowing. The Aug. 18 final took place in the Marina Reservoir. Gulbe finished the 1,000-meter course in a time of 3:45.60. The gold medal in the event went to Judith Sievers of Germany, who finished with a time of 3:44.21.
Sindija Roga, 16, finished 19th overall in the girls’ combined running and shooting event, part of the modern pentathlon. The finals of the event took place Aug. 21 at the Singapore Sports School.
Artjoms Žerebkovs, 16, placed fourth overall in the 56-kilogram weightlifting event, which took place Aug. 15 in the Toa Payoh Sports Hall. He scored 122 in the snatch and 128 in the clean and jerk, for a total score of 226.
Latvian cyclists finished 18th overall in the combined mixed team event.
According to Singapore YOG rules, each national cycling team has three men and one woman. The Latvian team consisted of 18-year-old men Aleksandrs Kurbatskis, Kristers Taims and Andris Vosekalns, as well as 17-year-old woman Lija Laizāne. The combined event includes seven competitions. One man from each team must compete in the mountain bike, time trial and BMX races, while the woman competes in all three. Finally, all three men compete in the mass-start road race.
Vosekalns had the best result of the Latvian men in the road race, finishing 48th—on foot—after a tire on his bicycle came off, according to a report posted on the Latvian Olympic Commitee’s website, olimpiade.lv
Andris Straumanis is editor of Latvians Online.
