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“In these Olympics you showed how strong Latvia is, how big and mighty we are. Not only do we have silver and bronze medals, I can say with full conviction that we have a team of gold,” said Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Thursday, 27 February, when meeting the Latvian Olympic Team in the Saeima to congratulate them on their success at the XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

The Speaker of the Saeima thanked the athletes whose performance at the Olympics united society as it closely followed the Olympic Games over the past two weeks: “Thank you for making us cry, rejoice, get angry, but most important, for uniting us. You made us take pride in our country and understand how important it is to have people who can represent our country and our national flag with honour.”

In addressing the Latvian national hockey team, the Speaker of the Saeima emphasised our team’s strength as it showed the world what Latvia is and what its people are like: “What took place on the Internet after our game with Canada could never be achieved by any diplomat or state official.”

The Speaker of the Saeima extended special thanks to the sports journalists, who, like the athletes, reported the events at the Olympics not only with professionalism but also with devotion so that everyone in Latvia could see that the road to Olympic success was hard, beautiful, and sometimes painful.

In appreciation for the Olympic medals won and the high results achieved Speaker Āboltiņa presented the Saeima Presidium’s Certificates of Merit to athletes Daumants Dreiškens, Oskars Melbārdis, Sandis Ozoliņš, Mārtiņš Rubenis, Jānis Strenga, Andris Šics, Juris Šics, Elīza Tīruma and Arvis Vilkaste.

Certificates of Merit were also issued to skeleton racers Tomass Dukurs and Martins Dukurs in recognition of their achievements, however, neither was present at the celebratory event at the Saeima. In appreciation of the 4th place won by Tomass Dukurs, who lost to the 3rd-place winner by merely hundredths of a second, the Speaker of the Saeima awarded him with a symbolic bronze medal bearing the image of the Main Building of the Saeima.

The Saeima Presidium’s Certificate of Merit were also issued to coaches Dainis Dukurs, Sandis Prūsis, Pēteris Cīmanis and Jānis Liepa, representatives of the Latvian Olympic Committee – Aldons Vrubļevskis and Žoržs Tikmers, as well as representatives of sports federations – Atis Strenga, Jānis Kols and Zintis Ekmanis.

The rest of the athletes, coaches and doctors of the Latvian Olympic Team, as well as representatives of sports federations and the Latvian Olympic Committee, were awarded the Saeima Speaker’s Certificates of Merit.
On behalf of the Latvian Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, Jānis Kols, President of the Federation, and Zintis Ekmanis, Vice-president, presented the Speaker of the Saeima with a helmet bearing the signatures of our bobsleigh racers.

Photos from the meeting are available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/sets/72157641604113553/with/12812077705/
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Saeima Press Service