About the competition
This year’s most important indoor athletics competition in Latvia – “RSS “Arkādija” Riga Cup Indoors 2026″ will be held this Thursday, January 22, in the renovated and modernized Riga sports arena. As Diena newspaper reports, the event gathers several strong domestic athletes, including pole vaulters Valter Kreiš and long jump Elvija Misanas, as well as athletes from other countries.
The competition, in which athletes from six countries take part, is an important event in the Latvian athletics season, which takes place in the now renovated and modernized Riga Sports School “Arkādija” Rīgas Sports Manège on Kojusala Street 9. It is one of the most modern athletics infrastructures in Latvia, which after renovation has regained its luster and meets modern requirements.
Record holders at the start
Latvian record holder and Olympic Games finalist Valters Kreiš confirmed his status as the favorite of the pole vault competition. He ensured victory by overcoming a height of 5.43 meters with his first attempt, which was beyond the power of his competitors – Estonian champion Robert Kompus and Ukrainian championship medalist Valentin Lobod. Although Kreis failed to clear 5.63 meters, he confidently secured the highest result in the cup discipline, which was also recognized as the highest result in the competition as a whole. He is also scheduled to participate in the competition in France next week, where he set the Latvian record last year.
In the long jump, Latvian record holder Elvijs Misāns took eighth place with a result of 6.69 meters, participating in one of the most important indoor athletics competitions in Latvia. In the men’s long jump, the first five participants exceeded the seven-meter mark, and Lithuanian championship medalist Artūras Raklevičus won with 7.40 meters. The silver medal was won by Latvian champion Aleksis Gailītis, who reached 7.27 meters in the last jump.
Lithuanian record and other successes
Lithuanian champion and record holder Rugile Mikličute celebrated the victory in the women’s pole vault, who reached a new Lithuanian record with 4.40 meters. The best Latvian athlete in this discipline was Paula Kļaviņa, who won second place with 4.05 meters.
In other disciplines, Roberts Jānis Zālītis won in the men’s 60-meter sprint with a result of 6.78 seconds. Nikola Bunde won the women’s long jump with a personal record of 5.96 meters. European U-18 triple jump champion Brenda Gillian Apsite won third place in the ladies’ long jump with 5.85 meters.
The renovated arena – modern competitions
This was the first major competition in the renovated Riga Sports Arena, where approximately four million euros have been invested over the past three years. The renovation has provided an infrastructure that meets modern requirements, which allows holding international-level competitions and strengthens the development of sports both in Riga and throughout Latvia. Almost 500 athletes visit this arena every day, using it for training.
The next challenges
After this competition, Valters Kreiss is going to compete in France, where he is scheduled to participate in the next week’s competition. His previous successes, including the achieved Latvian record, show his high athletic form and readiness for new challenges at the international level.
