Daumants Dreiškens (born 28 March 1984) is a Latvian

bobsled Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of 2 to 4 athletes make timed speed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobs ...

der, brakeman, who has competed since 2003. He won a gold medal in the four-man event at the

FIBT World Championships 2016 The IBSF World Championships 2016 took place at the Olympic Sliding Centre Innsbruck in Igls, Austria, from 8 to 21 February 2016. Schedule Six events were held. ''All times are local (UTC+1).'' Medal summary Medal table Bobsleigh Skeleto ...

Igls Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, with pilot

Oskars Melbārdis Oskars Melbārdis (born 16 February 1988) is a former Latvian bobsledder who has competed since 2006. He is the most successful bobsledder in the history of his country, having won one gold and two bronze Olympic medals. He also earned the first ...

Arvis Vilkaste Arvis Vilkaste (born 8 April 1989) is a Latvian bobsledder, brakeman who has competed since 2010. He won a gold medal in the four-man event at the FIBT World Championships 2016 in Igls, Austria (with pilot Oskars Melbārdis, Daumants Dreišken ...

and

Jānis Strenga Janis Strenga (born 5 February 1986) is a former Latvian bobsledder, brakeman who has competed since 2008. Career He won a gold medal in the four-man event at the FIBT World Championships 2016 in Igls, Austria (with pilot Oskars Melbārdis, Da ...

. It was the first ever World Championships gold medal in bobsled for

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

. He also won a silver medal in the two-man event at FIBT World Championships 2015 in Winterberg, Germany, and two bronze medals in the four-man events at the

FIBT World Championships 2009 The FIBT World Championships 2009, officially known as the Bauhaus FIBT Bobsleigh & Skeleton World Championships, February 20 to March 1, 2009, at the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Lake Placid, New York, for the ninth time, doing so prev ...

Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, Essex County, New York (state), New York, United States. In 2020, its population was 2,205. The village of Lake Placid ...

, with pilot Jānis Miņins, Oskars Melbārdis and Intars Dambis, and at the FIBT World Championships 2015. Dreiškens also competed in three

Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...

, earning a silver medal in the four-man event at Sochi in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

. He finished 5th in the two-man event at Sochi in 2014 and 6th in the two-man event at

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

. He became the four-man European Champion in 2008 and 2015 and finished 3rd in the four-man event in 2016

Bobsleigh European Championship The European Bobsleigh and Skeleton Championships are the main bobsleigh and skeleton championships in Europe. The first bobsleigh European Championships with two-man event was held in 1929 in Davos, Switzerland. However, as Bobsleigh World Champi ...

. He also finished 2nd in the two-man event in 2015 Bobsleigh European Championship. At the 2014–15 Bobsleigh World Cup season Dreiškens as Oskars Melbārdis brakeman has 15 (from 16) podium finishes in two-man and four-man events, including seven first places. In his career, he has more than 40 podium finishes at Bobsleigh World Cup. Dreiškens started his career mostly competing with pilot Jānis Miņins. After Miņins retirement he competed with pilot

Edgars Maskalāns Edgars Maskalāns (born 13 April 1982) is a Latvian bobsledder who has competed from 2006 to 2012. His best World Cup finish was first place in the four-man event at St. Moritz, Switzerland in January 2011. He also finished 2nd in the four-man ...

and later with Oskars Melbārdis. Prior to his bobsleigh career, Dreiškens was a

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for BK Gulbenes Buki in

Latvian Basketball League Latvian may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Latvia **Latvians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to what is modern-day Latvia and the immediate geographical region **Latvian language, also referred to as Lettish **Latvian cuisine **Latvi ...

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* * * * 1984 births Bobsledders at the 2006 Winter Olympics Bobsledders at the 2010 Winter Olympics Bobsledders at the 2014 Winter Olympics Bobsledders at the 2018 Winter Olympics Latvian male bobsledders 21st-century Latvian sportsmen Living people Olympic bobsledders for Latvia Medalists at the 2014 Winter Olympics Olympic medalists in bobsleigh Olympic gold medalists for Latvia People from Gulbene Sportspeople from Vidzeme Olympic bronze medalists for Latvia {{Latvia-bobsleigh-bio-stub