The waters of Valmiera’s “Krāces” canoe slalom course are alive once again – Nordic Cup has arrived!
For three days, Valmiera hosted the Latvian rounds of the NordicCup 2026 – this year’s 5th and 6th stages. Two classic canoe slalom competitions were held, with athletes battling for valuable points towards the overall standings and the chance to become this year’s NordicCup champions. Adding an extra dose of excitement for both spectators and athletes were the Slalom Sprint and Kayak Cross disciplines.
Although the classic slalom events are undoubtedly the most important for the overall NordicCup standings, the Slalom Sprint always brings a special kind of excitement. This year, it attracted a large field of competitors already on Friday afternoon, with athletes showcasing fast-paced and highly dynamic slalom on a specially shortened course.
The Sprint discipline offers spectators a true masterclass in power, explosiveness and technical skill from the strongest athletes, as well as a “desperate” cascade of mistakes from those still developing their skills. It is a format that guarantees emotions running high!
This time, much to everyone’s surprise, SK “Atvars” young athlete from Liepāja, Ralfs Liebus, delivered an outstanding performance. With just 0.25 seconds separating the three fastest paddlers, Ralfs’ victory in both runs clearly demonstrated his sprinting ability. He managed to beat two athletes considered among the favourites – Martin Peiker (SK “Pirita”, Estonia) and Valmiera Sports School athlete Renārs Freijs.
In the MC1 (Men’s Canoe) class, the fastest was Lithuanian athlete Visvaldas Pumputis, finishing ahead of the experienced Aivars Eiduks (“Brīvie Ūdeņi”).
In the women’s competition, Valmiera native Ilze Bieziņa (Valmiera Sports School) proved fastest in both the WK1 (Women’s Kayak) and WC1 (Women’s Canoe) classes. In WK1, she finished ahead of her teammate Dinija Ozola and Estonia’s Liisi Miil, while in WC1 she took the win ahead of Gabriela Kristiana Tirzīte and, once again, Dinija Ozola.
On Saturday afternoon, the waters and banks of the Gauja came alive with Kayak Cross action. The athletes thrilled spectators with spectacular boat jumps from a specially constructed start ramp, technical manoeuvres through the gates, and exciting head-to-head battles between paddlers in every knockout heat.
After a series of action-packed battles, it was Ozolnieki Sports School athlete Leonards Pāvilsons who claimed the top step of the podium, finishing ahead of the experienced Atis Bērziņš (“Brīvie Ūdeņi”) and Paula Puļķe (SK “Atvars”).
Already after Friday’s warm-up event, NordicCup visitors praised the Valmiera course as an excellent venue for both competitions and training, despite the unusually low water level in the Gauja this year – the lowest of the season.
Following the Sprint, the athletes eagerly awaited the main competitions, and they certainly did not disappoint. Exciting battles unfolded across all boat classes, with athletes fighting both for victory and for a place on the podium.
Ultimately, the established leaders demonstrated their superiority in both stages through their skill and experience, although their nerves were certainly put to the test along the way. Martin Peiker and Marie Peiker (both SK “Pirita”, Estonia) once again proved their class, securing victories in the MK1, WK1 and WC1 boat classes. In the MC1 class, the fastest athlete in both stages was Visvaldas Pumputis (“Regata”, Lithuania).
Latvian athletes also made their way onto the podium in Stage 5. Mārtiņš Šteinbergs (Valmiera Sports School) claimed 3rd place in the MC1 class and 2nd place in MK1. Ralfs Liebus also stepped onto the podium, proving that his sprinting success was no coincidence and that he is equally strong in classic slalom.
In the women’s competition, Ilze Bieziņa took 3rd place in WK1 and 2nd place in WC1, finishing ahead of her Valmiera Sports School teammate Dinija Ozola.
On Sunday, during Stage 6, Valmiera native Renārs Freijs (Valmiera Sports School) showed great character, securing 2nd place in the MK1 class.
Despite the fact that the competitions were held in two different formats each day, the leading athletes demonstrated their superiority through both skill and mental resilience. Once again, this proves that the energy, dedication and hard work invested over the long term eventually bear fruit. This is an encouraging sign for the younger athletes, who still have a long road ahead of them before achieving their biggest victories – we wish them every success!
The NordicCup series is an excellent platform for helping athletes pursue and achieve these goals. And even before this year’s final stages in Estonia and Sweden, we are already looking forward to welcoming the series back to Latvia – and to Valmiera – in 2027.
Thank you, Valmiera, for making experiences like this possible!
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- info@canoelatvia.lv