In the deciding match of the four-team qualification tournament that also included Ukraine and Slovenia, Latvia and France faced off with only the victors booking an Olympic place.
Cheered on by a raucous capacity crowd in Rīga, Latvia emerged 5:2 victors, giving the hockey-mad nation an immediate lift.
Latvia will now participate in the second Winter Olympics in a row.
🔥🔥🔥 Jāāāāā!!!!! Mēs braucam uz 2026. gada Olimpiskajām spēlēm! pic.twitter.com/KfjOCeRkZ0
— LV Hokeja federācija (@lhf_lv) September 1, 2024
Since the restoration of independence in 1991, this was the ninth qualification tournament for Latvia, having secured participation in the Olympic Games six times. In the 2026 Olympic Games, the hockey tournament will take place in Milan, Italy.
Eduards Tralmaks, Roberts Bukarts, Rodrigo Ābols, Mārtiņš Dzierkals and Kristiāns Rubīns scored the goals for the Latvian national team.
The goal was guarded by Kristers Gudļevskis , who saved 17 of 19 shots. Gudļevskis was recognized as the best player of the Latvian national team in this match.
The most valuable player of the tournament was awarded to the captain of the Latvian hockey team, Kaspars Daugaviņš.
