Sigulda (RWH) Sport on ice and two runners is probably in the genes of the Dukurs family from Latvia. While Tomass Dukurs has been one of the best skeleton athletes in the world for many years, his 17-year-old son Darels is a successful ice hockey player in Latvia's junior national teams. For the father, it's all about tenths of a second - headfirst on a sled with two runners and downhill through more or less steep ice channels. Meanwhile, the son stands on two runners on a straight ice surface and fights for goals and points.
Darels Dukurs moved to the Swiss club SC Langnau east of the capital Bern with the junior team Young Tigers at the age of 15, according to the Latvian news website lsm.lv. He graduated from school there and started a commercial apprenticeship at a Bernese sports school, as he tells on his sponsor page. Striker Darels Dukurs is currently playing his first season in the Young Tigers' U20 team. He started with the U18 national team of Latvia at the World Junior Championship in April, but the Latvians missed the final round in Canada.
Tomass Dukurs was Latvia's first World Cup winner in skeleton in 2004 and European Champion in 2016. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, the now 39-year-old finished second overall in the BMW IBSF World Cup. Next winter, Tomass and his younger brother, record World Champion and overall World Cup winner Martins Dukurs, want to compete at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games - for both it would be their fifth Olympic participation. ©RWH2021
Photos Darels Dukurs - Peter Eggimann, SCL Tigers
Photos Tomass Dukurs: IBSF/Viesturs Lacis
