On 26 October, the award ceremony of the "Presidential Prize in Athletics 2023" took place in the Riga Castle. Latvian athletes Rūta Kate Lasmane and Arnis Rumbenieks received the trophies for the best results in the competitions, while the Estonian athletics team is the overall leader of the national team standings. The trophies were presented to the athletes by the patron of the competition, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs.
Addressing the audience, President of Latvia said: "The Presidential Prize in Athletics is a popular competition not only in Latvia, but throughout the Baltic States. Therefore, I am honoured that this award bears the name of the President of Latvia and that it has been a tradition for decades.
Athletics is a sport that combines several disciplines - it is often called the Queen of all sports for a reason. The simplicity of this sport and the fact that no sophisticated equipment is needed make it one of the most mass participation sports.
One of the most important things that sport teaches us is that you have to be able to win as well as to lose, because surely, next time, there will be a victory.
I am delighted that our northern friends and neighbours, the Estonian team, have won the overall competition and the big trophy. The two small trophies went to Latvian athletes Rūta Kate Lasmane and Arnis Rumbenieks, which is an unprecedented event in the history of the competition since 2012.
Your presence at Riga Castle shows that sport is a powerful force - not only to compete, but also to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the Baltic States."
Since the first Presidential Prize in Athletics on 17 July 1995 at the Jānis Daliņš Stadium in Valmiera, the President of Latvia has been its patron.
