Representing Latvia

05.10.1966 (Zvaigzne)

In mid-summer, the Soviet Latvian men's track and field team underwent its "baptism of fire" on the international stage in Stockholm. Its opponent was the world-famous Swedish team, once one of the strongest in the world.

The very fact that these competitions took place speaks of the rapid growth of our republic's athletics during the years of Soviet rule, when our youth always had the widest opportunities to develop their talents in all areas of life. During the years of bourgeois Latvia, such competitions could not take place simply because our neighbors on the other side of the Baltic Sea did not consider the Latvian representatives to be worthy competitors. Now Swedish journalists wrote about Latvian track and field athletes as an almost unbelievable miracle.

True, our team lost 107:127 at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium. Every loss is painful. However, this failure in the fight against the ten million representatives of the Swedish people is a shame. For our guys, it was the first international competition, and at once with such a strong and experienced opponent, whose fighting partners in these years have been the teams of Great Britain, West Germany, France and other large countries.

Morning of August 1. The passenger ship “Mihails Kaļiņins”, carrying the Latvian SSR track and field team, is approaching its destination. The coast of Stockholm is visible. Behind us is an 18-hour journey from Riga across the waves of the Baltic Sea. What will the coming days bring to our guys, some four-fifths of whom will be setting foot on foreign soil for the first time!

Our republican delegation of athletes immediately became the center of attention of the Swedish public. A warm welcome ... For five days, the Swedish Athletics Federation devoted genuine attention and respect to its new sports friends from Soviet Latvia. Already in the first minutes, our team found itself in the crossfire of questions and photo lenses from journalists and photojournalists, as can be seen in the second picture. About 20 journalists participated in a press conference, which was held immediately after our team's arrival in a very friendly atmosphere at the "Reisen" hotel. Every day, Swedish newspapers devoted a significant amount of space to the appearance of our athletes. Interviews, forecasts, photos ... Much attention was paid to our main forces - Jānis Lūsis, Edvīns Zāģeris, Gennadyjs Hlistov and others. Every day, the newspaper "Dagens Nyheter" devoted more than half of its large page to our athletes, and "Svenska Dagbladet", "Aftonbladet" and other prominent daily newspapers also wrote extensively. But the chairman of the Latvian Athletics Federation, Pauls Ducmanis, was given the opportunity to speak in Latvian on Stockholm Radio. The name of Soviet Latvia was chanted a hundred times.

PICTURED: Our republic's team at the opening parade. With flags — Jānis Lūsis and Arturs Sliede.

On the evening of August 3, the stadium where the Olympic Games were held 54 years ago was ceremonially opened by the first competition between Swedish and Soviet Latvian track and field athletes. There were about 8,000 spectators in the stands, ten times more who watched the matches on blue screens for two days. Representatives of both teams performed in the opening parade. For the first time in the royal stadium next to

The flag of the USSR, carried by the European champion Jānis Lūsis, was also visible, along with the flag of Soviet Latvia. In honor of our athletes’ delegation, for the first time in the stadium, after the anthem of the USSR, the anthem of Soviet Latvia was also played, which everyone in the stadium, participants and spectators, stood up and paid homage to. But in the royal box of honor, together with the USSR Ambassador to Sweden N. Belokhvostikov, were the leaders of the delegation of our republic’s track and field athletes. The Swedish sailors raised the flags at the masts, and their guard of honor remained at them. These first-of-its-kind events were soon joined by another one — for the first time, the name of a Soviet Latvian athlete was entered in the list of records of the royal and Olympic stadium: Jānis Lūsis threw a javelin exactly 83 meters, farther than anyone else had ever managed in this stadium.

The picture shows how the walking competition started in the rain - the first three were Swedes. But in the end it was quite the opposite.

Before the war, representatives of bourgeois Latvia lost a team fight with Swedish walkers, this time in Stockholm this match ended with a convincing victory of Latvian walkers. They - Georgs Gutpelcs, Jānis Zviedris and Jānis Pildma - took the first three places. The Swedish representatives returned to the stadium many minutes later. The result of the walker competition - 16:6 in our favor.

Pictured: The President of the Swedish Athletics Federation, Mats Karlgren, awards the participants of the 5000 m race. On the winner's podium — Gennady Hlistov, who defeated one of the best specialists in this distance in the world — Bengt Naidi (first from the left) in great style. The tasteful commemorative award — the Swedish silver spoon — is currently being received by Atis Toms.

It should be noted at the same time that our long-distance runners achieved another great success - Māris Gailis and Voldemārs Pinka took the first two places in the 10,000 m distance. But Jānis Jakubovs, on a completely muddy track, set a new Latvian record in the 3,000 m steeplechase - 8 min. 44.8 sec.

Bo Althof, one of the most prominent Swedish track and field athletes, won the 400 m race. Edvins Sāģeris remained in third place. However, the next day the USSR champion took his revenge convincingly: he was first in his "special event" - the 400 m hurdles.

Our boys won a total of eight victories. The first was in the 100-meter race, where Edvīns Ozoliņš defeated the fastest Swedish sprinters, while republican champion Ķevs Pavlovskis was third.

PICTURED: The fastest men of both teams after the 100 m race. Second from the left — E. Ozoliņš, fourth — L. Pavlovskis.

Next year, the second track and field competition between the two countries will take place in Riga, and our boys will have the opportunity to take revenge on their home soil. Unfortunately, so far, we have not been able to reach an agreement with our Swedish sports friends about the participation of women's teams in this match. It is undeniable that this would significantly increase our chances, because Soviet Latvian track and field athletes are a significant and respected force in the international sense.

A necessary and good tradition has been established, which will serve the friendship of the youth of the Baltic States. Soviet Latvian athletes have made new friends.

Photo of the Honored Coach of the Latvian SSR V. MAZZĀLĪTIS

Additional phots of Jānis Lūsis from Mēs, Nr. 23 (01.01.1967)