27 February 2026

Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics: Team Latvia

As we approach the start of wheelchair curling at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, we will take a look at all the National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) competing. Next up is Team Latvia.

Team Latvia will be represented by two wheelchair curling teams: Team Djacenko (mixed team) and Team Lasmans/Rozkova (mixed doubles).

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Polina Rozkova led her team onto the ice at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, seeing Latvia represented in wheelchair curling for the first time.

This historic moment would also be the first time the national flag flew at the Paralympic Winter Games in 16 years. This time, that wait would only be the traditional four years, however, Rozkova will not lead the mixed team.

In this cycle, Rozkova and teammate Agris Lasmans made the decision to play together in mixed doubles, which held its inaugural World Championship just months after the last Games. Placing fifth in their first event, they went on to win the 2023 gold, bringing glory to the Baltics.

They played all four World Championships heading towards Milano Cortina 2026 — one of only two pairs to do so — and come in as one of the favourites. Due to scheduling issues, they could only play in one of the two tournaments that Latvia had qualified for in Cortina. They chose the debuting discipline.

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Meet the teams

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Surprises, setbacks and a turning point

But this journey was full of surprises. Misfortune only brought the pair together on their way to the 2023 world title, after teammate Aleksandrs Dimbovskis fractured both his legs in a fall shortly after arriving in Canada. With mixed team and mixed doubles played conjunctively, Lasmans stepped up to compete in both competitions.

“Agris really is a Latvian patriot,” said Rozkova.

“I remember that he said, ‘we need to get as many points as we can for Latvia so I will play’ and there were a few days when he arrived in the curling hall at 8am and left at 10pm.

“After our win it was like he changed his mind and he stayed with me.”

Results are a ‘lottery’

The 2024 event saw them lose to eventual silver medallists China in the quarter-finals, before they failed to qualify for the play-offs for the first time in 2025, which she attributes to the results “being a lottery for everyone” due to unpredictable ice conditions.

Despite this blip — which saw their round-robin defeat to last year’s bronze medallists Estonia being the decider between qualification and elimination — confidence remains high for the pair.

“I will say that we feel quite good, we do the same things that we used to do and I will say that nothing has changed in our preparation method or our playing level; just that curling has really grown up,” said Rozkova, who points out the absence of Hungary in the Paralympic line-up despite recently winning a silver medal at the Torneo Internazionale Wheelchair Curling Mixed Doubles.

“Mixed doubles in wheelchair curling is growing so fast and the teams are putting a lot of power, energy, thinking into mixed doubles, so the level is higher.

“If I should bet now who will win, I really don’t know because I will say that it is so competitive and a lot of teams behind these top eight are the same level of good.”

And this time, Rozkova is determined to make Milano Cortina 2026 one to remember. Four years ago, she admits that it was an “emotional moment” to represent Latvia at the Paralympics, but that it was also a “hard situation” due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine starting just before the Games, which directly affected many of their friends and families.

This, as well as the issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, led to a ninth-place finish. This time around Rozkova and Lasmans are amongst the top teams, to which she adds: “We try not to think about it. History will show what happens. It’s about shots, it’s about enjoying the games.”

Growing popularity, growing responsibility

Success will breed more success. Despite the lack of funding and sponsorship opportunities for the sport back home and being limited to one facility on the outskirts of the capital, she saw popularity grow after Beijing.

Even mixed doubles wheelchair curling is growing since the introduction of the Riga International tournament, which welcomed 16 teams from 10 countries in its third edition — this all being promoted by Rozkova on Wheelchair Curling Latvia social media. Now, she is seeing positive responses from the public and even local sponsors, who provided feet-warming cream for all players in the competition.

“We’re happy when they are positive to wheelchair curling because a few years ago, no one gave us anything because it’s a Paralympic sport. No one knew what it was and now, companies when they see some highlights and videos, they can give you something,” she said.

A changing Latvia

But the sport’s popularity is only one small slice of the pie. Perception around disability has changed in the 17 years since Rozkova broke her back — an anniversary that she realised she was about to celebrate just a week after the interview.

Due to an ageing population, historic poorer health outcomes and the way disability is defined in the country, Latvia has the highest rate of disability in the European Union, accounting for over 40% of adults. For those in wheelchairs, accessibility has greatly improved on public transport and pedestrian spaces.

“I broke my back in 2009 and the situation is really much, much better,” said Rozkova.

“Riga is building bicycle lines and as wheelchair users we can use it too, so we have public transport and these lines so in general it’s really going better; not everything because we have a lot of old buildings where sometimes it’s not possible because they have this historical status.

“I’m an accessibility environment specialist so I can say that the main problem in Latvia is the old housing infrastructure, old buildings and the main problem is just getting out of the house or the flat because our public transport is almost perfect.

“Buses and trolley buses are everywhere and are totally accessible in the city.

“Between cities it’s not so perfect, but you can get a lift if you’re calling a few days before. I will say that the situation is getting better in general so some central shops they are totally accessible.

“We have in Latvia one of the best accessibility for people with visual disability and also conscious about wheelchair users like there is a lot of what is accessible I mean outside streets.

“It’s positive but still we have some asphalt old roads and this is challenging.”

Doing Latvia proud

Social perceptions and fortunes have been changing back home, with more citizens returning in 2024 than leaving as Latvia becomes a more prosperous and welcoming nation. With such a platform to promote the sport for all curlers when they compete at the Paralympics, Rozkova and Lasmans have agreed to keep to their native tongue when speaking on the ice, knowing it will be an opportunity for the country to hear them discuss the sport for the first time with the introduction of microphones.

Having spent years playing basketball in Spain and Italy, Lasmans is proficient in Italian, and the duo have been known for being multilingual during games, introducing phrases in different languages. While there is a desire for more government support, they see the Paralympics as a catalyst to change this.

“It’s still not enough; like we’re going to the Paralympics, and we don’t have that time now [to prepare], but we are into this sport, we love curling, we love Latvia and I hope that maybe one day, the situation will change,” said Rozkova.

“I think when we have good games, it will be more popular in Latvia in general.

“I hope that we will make history in a positive way.”

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