Tomass Dukurs Latvian skeleton racer Date of Birth: 02.07.1981 Country: Latvia

Biography of Tomas Dukurs

Tomas Dukurs is a Latvian skeleton racer who made his debut at the Olympics in 2002, finishing 21st. Since then, Tomas has regularly competed in World Cup level competitions, often finishing in the top twenty. He joined the Latvian national skeleton team in 2001 and has been representing his country ever since.

Throughout his career, Tomas has had some notable achievements. His best result to date is a bronze medal at the 2007 World Cup in Königssee, Germany. In another race in Lake Placid, he narrowly missed out on a podium finish, coming in fourth place, just 0.12 seconds behind his brother Martin.

Tomas, like his younger brother Martin, was trained by their father Dainis, a former amateur bobsleigh brakeman and the creator of his own unique sled design. Tomas himself worked as a manager at the ice track in Sigulda and played a significant role in introducing his children to sports at a young age when skeleton racing was just emerging in Latvia.

Although Tomas and Martin often compete in the same races, they never see each other as rivals. Tomas has expressed admiration for his brother's achievements, regardless of his own success. Apart from skeleton racing, Tomas also enjoys watching hockey games, playing beach volleyball, and bowling in his hometown of Sigulda. He values spending time with his family and is very close to them.

Both Dukurs brothers were selected to represent Latvia at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. While Martin was seen as a stronger contender, Tomas was also expected to demonstrate his high level of skill. The competition took place on the challenging and fast Whistler track, known among skeleton enthusiasts.

After the first day of the skeleton competition on February 19th, Tomas found himself in contention for a bronze medal. Meanwhile, Martin would compete for the gold against Canadian athlete Jon Montgomery.