The two representatives of Latvia in this championship, Kruzbergs and Reinis Bērziņš, secured a place in the quarter-finals in the 1000 meters, where they competed in the same skate. After the premature start of the Italian athlete, four short track skaters competed in the skating, and South Korean Junso Lee won (1:25.102).
Kruzbergs lost 0.091 seconds and was second, beating Bērziņa by 0.279 seconds, while Latvian teammate Lukašs Kučinskis from Poland finished fourth. In order to qualify for the semi-finals, Bērziņas needed 0.066 seconds.
In the semi-final, Kruzberg cut off his rival’s path in the fight for the lead at one end of the straight, for which he received a disqualification.
The South Korean short track athlete Jiwon Park became the champion in this distance, while Kruzberg and Berzin were classified 10th and 11th in the competition of 51 athletes. In 500 meters they were in 14th and 19th place respectively, but in 1500 meters they got 22nd and 33rd positions respectively.
This season for Kruzberg and Bērziņas was the best in their careers, as well as the most successful ever in the history of Latvian short track.
Kruzbergs won the 1000 meters at the first stage of the World Cup in Montreal and brought Latvia its first gold medal in a competition of this rank. He also won the medals of the other two events this season at this distance – one silver and two bronze. Bērziņš, on the other hand, has won two bronze medals in the 1500 meter competition.
In the overall ranking of the season, Kruzbergs was third in the 1000 meters distance and eighth in the sum of all disciplines, while Bērzins was fourth in the 1500 meters and ranked 13th overall.
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