Oskars Melbārdis
Melbārdis in 2014 on his return from the 2014 Winter Olympics
Personal information
NationalityLatvian
Born (1988-02-16) 16 February 1988[1]
Valmiera, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union
(now Valmiera, Latvia)[2]
Height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Sport
Country Latvia
SportBobsleigh
TeamLatvian National Team
Turned pro2006
Coached bySandis Prūsis[1]
Retired2021
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals (2014)
World finals (2016)
Highest world ranking1st (2015)
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2014 SochiFour-man
Bronze medal – third place2014 SochiTwo-man
Bronze medal – third place2018 PyeongchangTwo-man
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2016 IglsFour-man
Silver medal – second place2015 WinterbergTwo-man
Bronze medal – third place2009 Lake PlacidFour-man
Bronze medal – third place2015 WinterbergFour-man
European Championship
Gold medal – first place2008 CesenaFour-man
Gold medal – first place2015 La PlagneFour-man
Silver medal – second place2015 La PlagneTwo-man
Bronze medal – third place2016 St. MoritzFour-man
Bronze medal – third place2018 IglsFour-man

Oskars Melbārdis (born 16 February 1988) is a former Latvian bobsledder who has competed since 2006.[1] 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-ever gold medal for Latvia at World Championships in Igls, preceded by one silver and two bronze medals in 2009–2015.

Career review

Melbārdis started his career as a brakeman, most notably competing along Jānis Miņins, however starting from 2010–11 season Melbārdis has been competing as a pilot. He won a gold medal in the four-man event at the FIBT World Championships 2016 in Igls, Austria with teammates Daumants Dreiškens, Arvis Vilkaste and Jānis Strenga. It was the first ever World Championships gold medal in bobsled for Latvia.[3]

He won a silver medal in the two-man event at the FIBT World Championships 2015 in Winterberg and two bronze medals in the four-man events at the FIBT World Championships 2009 in Lake Placid, New York and at the FIBT World Championships 2015.

He won a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in the four-man event in Sochi and won a bronze medal in the two-man event.

He won Bobsleigh European Championship four-man events in 2008 and 2015 and finished 3rd in the four-man event in 2016 and 2018. Melbārdis also finished 2nd in the two-man event in the 2015 Bobsleigh European Championship.

Melbārdis won a combined Bobsleigh World Cup title in 2012–13 and 2014–15. He won two-man and four-man World Cup titles in 2014–15 when he had 15 (from 16) podium finishes in two-man and four-man events, including seven first places.

Highlights

Bob-Pilot

  • (Not complete list of results)

World Championships

2016 – Igls, 1st at 4-bob
2015 – Winterberg, 2nd at 2-bob
2015 – Winterberg, 3rd at 4-bob
2013 – St. Moritz, 5th at 2-bob with Dreiškens
2013 – St. Moritz, 9th at 4-bob with Dreiškens / Vilkaste / Strenga
2012 – Lake Placid, 8th at 2-bob with Dreiškens

World Cup

2013/14 – Igls, 1st 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 4-bob with Dreiškens / Vilkaste / Strenga
2013/14 – St. Moritz, 1st 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 4-bob with Dreiškens / Vilkaste / Strenga
2012/13 – Sochi, 1st 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 4-bob with Dreiškens / Vilkaste / Strenga
2012/13 – Sochi, 3rd 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) at 2-bob with Dreiškens
2012/13 – Königssee, 2nd 2nd place, silver medalist(s) at 2-bob with Dreiškens
2012/13 – Winterberg, 3rd 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) at 4-bob Dreiškens / Vilkaste / Strenga
2012/13 – Park City, 4th at 2-bob with Dreiškens
2011/12 – Calgary, 4th at 4-bob with Lūsis / Vilkaste / Strenga
2011–12 – Königssee, 4th at 4-bob with Lūsis / Vilkaste / Strenga
2011/12 – Winterberg, 3rd 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) at 4-bob with Lūsis / Vilkaste / Strenga
2011/12 – Winterberg, 3rd 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) at 2-bob with Dreiškens
2011/12 – Igls, 4th at 2-bob with Dreiškens

European Championships

2015 – La Plagne, 1st at 4-bob
2015 – La Plagne 2nd at 2-bob

Junior World Championships

2012 – Igls, 1st at 2-bob with Strenga
2012 – Igls, 1st at 4-bob with Lūsis / Vilkaste / Strenga

Brakeman

World Championships

2009 – Lake Placid, 3rd at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis

World Cup

2009/10 – Park City, 2nd 2nd place, silver medalist(s) at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis
2008/09 – Park City, 2nd 2nd place, silver medalist(s) at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis
2008–09 – Park City, 2nd 2nd place, silver medalist(s) at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis
2008/09 – Whistler, 1st 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis
2008/09 – Königssee, 3rd 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis
2007/08 – Winterberg, 3rd 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis
2007/08 – St. Moritz, 1st 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis
2007/08 – Cesana, 1st 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis

European Championships

2008 – Cesana, 1st at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis

Career results

Oskars Melbārdis and Jānis Strenga on a 2018 stamp sheet of Latvia

Olympic Games

  • 3 medals (1 gold, 2 bronze)
Event Two-man Four-man
Representing  Latvia
Russia 2014 Sochi 3 1
South Korea 2018 Pyeongchang 3 5

Bobsleigh World Cup

Season titles

  • 4 globes (2 overall, 1 two-man, 1 four-man)
Season
Discipline
2013Combined
2015Combined
Two-man
Four-man

Two-man

Season Place Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
2010–11 21st 780 WHI
—		 CAL
—		 PKC
—		 LKP
—		 IGL
17		 WIN
—		 STM
9		 CES
14
2011–12 7th 1360 IGL
4		 LPL
9		 WIN
3		 ALT
6		 KON
9		 STM
9		 WHI
—		 CAL
6
2012–13 2nd 1674 LKP
8		 PKC
4		 WHI
14		 WIN
7		 LPL
5		 ALT
5		 KON
2		 IGL
4		 SOC
3
2013–14 12th 1080 CAL
5		 PKC
6		 LKP1
10		 LKP2
10		 WIN
10		 STM
13		 IGL
7		 KON
DSQ
2014–15 1st 1684 LKP
2		 CAL
1		 ALT
2		 KON
5		 STM
1		 LPL
2		 IGL
2		 SOC
2
2015–16 5th 1334 ALT
2		 WIN
2		 KON1
2		 LPL
—		 WHI1
5		 WHI2
4		 STM
10		 KON2
5
2016–17 16th 810 WHI
—		 LPL
—		 ALT
13		 WIN
—		 STM
6		 KON
6		 IGL
2		 PYE
12
2017–18 8th 1130 LPL1
14		 LPL2
11		 WHI
3		 WIN
10		 IGL
9		 ALT
21		 STM
13		 KON
5
2018–19 — — SIG1
—		 SIG2
—		 ALT
—		 KON
—		 IGL
—		 STM
—		 LPL
—		 CGR
—
2019–20 30th 184 LPL1
—		 LPL2
—		 LPG
—		 IGL
—		 KON
—		 STM
—		 SIG1
—		 SIG2
5

Four-man

Season Place Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
2010–11 25th 88 WHI
—		 CAL
—		 PKC
—		 LKP
—		 IGL
—		 WIN
—		 STM
DSQ		 CES
17
2011–12 5th 1216 IGL
8		 LPL
10		 WIN
3		 ALT
7		 KON
4		 STM
8		 WHI
—		 CAL
4
2012–13 2nd 1625 LKP
8		 PKC
10		 WHI
9		 WIN
3		 LPL
5		 ALT
4		 KON
5		 IGL
5		 SOC
1
2013–14 6th 1228 CAL
DSQ		 PKC
4		 LKP1
5		 LKP2
6		 WIN
23		 STM
1		 IGL
1		 KON
6
2014–15 1st 1735 LKP
3		 CAL
1		 ALT
2		 KON
3		 STM
1		 LPL
1		 IGL
1		 SOC
1
2015–16 12th 904 ALT
8		 WIN
5		 KON1
6		 LPL
—		 WHI1
—		 WHI2
—		 STM
3		 KON2
5
2016–17 13th 931 WHI
—		 LPL
—		 ALT
11		 WIN
—		 STM
2		 KON
7		 IGL
1		 PYE
4
2017–18 5th 1322 PAC1
4		 PAC2
7		 WHI
14		 WIN
12		 IGL
4		 ALT
7		 STM
9		 KON
2
2018–19 — — WIN1
—		 WIN2
—		 ALT
—		 KON
—		 IGL
—		 STM
—		 LPL
—		 CGR
—
2019–20 — — LPL1
—		 LPL2
—		 WIN1
—		 WIN2
—		 LPG
—		 IGL
—		 KON
—		 STM
—

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Oskars Melbārdis". ibsf.org.
  2. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Oskars Melbārdis". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020.
  3. ↑ "BMW IBSF World Championship: Oskars Melbardis wins first four-man gold for Latvia". International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation. 21 February 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
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