Oskars Melbārdis (born 16 February 1988) is a former Latvian bobsledder who has competed since 2006. 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.

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 at 4-bob with Dreiškens / Vilkaste / Strenga 2013/14 – St. Moritz, 1st at 4-bob with Dreiškens / Vilkaste / Strenga 2012/13 – Sochi, 1st at 4-bob with Dreiškens / Vilkaste / Strenga 2012/13 – Sochi, 3rd at 2-bob with Dreiškens 2012/13 – Königssee, 2nd at 2-bob with Dreiškens 2012/13 – Winterberg, 3rd 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 at 4-bob with Lūsis / Vilkaste / Strenga 2011/12 – Winterberg, 3rd 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 at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis

2008/09 – Park City, 2nd at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis 2008–09 – Park City, 2nd at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis 2008/09 – Whistler, 1st at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis 2008/09 – Königssee, 3rd at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis 2007/08 – Winterberg, 3rd at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis 2007/08 – St. Moritz, 1st at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis 2007/08 – Cesana, 1st at 4-bob with Miņins / Dreiškens / Dambis

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

Career results Olympic Games 3 medals (1 gold, 2 bronze) EventTwo-manFour-manRepresenting 2014 Sochi3 1 2018 Pyeongchang3 5

Bobsleigh World Cup

Season titles 4 globes (2 overall, 1 two-man, 1 four-man) SeasonDiscipline2013Combined 2015Combined Two-man Four-man

Two-man SeasonPlacePoints1234567892010–1121st780WHI—CAL—PKC—LKP—IGL17WIN—STM9CES142011–127th1360IGL4LPL9 WIN3ALT6KON9STM9WHI—CAL62012–132nd1674LKP8PKC4WHI14WIN7LPL5ALT5 KON2IGL4 SOC32013–1412th1080CAL5PKC6LKP110LKP210WIN10STM13IGL7 KONDSQ2014–151st1684 LKP2 CAL1 ALT2KON5 STM1 LPL2 IGL2 SOC22015–165th1334 ALT2 WIN2 KON12LPL—WHI15WHI24STM10KON252016–1716th810WHI—LPL—ALT13WIN—STM6KON6 IGL2PYE122017–188th1130LPL114LPL211 WHI3WIN10IGL9ALT21STM13KON52018–19——SIG1—SIG2—ALT—KON—IGL—STM—LPL—CGR—2019–2030th184LPL1—LPL2—LPG—IGL—KON—STM—SIG1—SIG25

Four-man SeasonPlacePoints1234567892010–1125th88WHI—CAL—PKC—LKP—IGL—WIN—STMDSQCES172011–125th1216IGL8LPL10 WIN3ALT7KON4STM8WHI—CAL42012–132nd1625LKP8PKC10WHI9 WIN3LPL5ALT4KON5IGL5 SOC12013–146th1228CALDSQPKC4LKP15LKP26WIN23 STM1 IGL1KON62014–151st1735 LKP3 CAL1 ALT2 KON3 STM1 LPL1 IGL1 SOC12015–1612th904ALT8WIN5KON16LPL—WHI1—WHI2— STM3KON252016–1713th931WHI—LPL—ALT11WIN— STM2KON7 IGL1PYE42017–185th1322PAC14PAC27WHI14WIN12IGL4ALT7STM9 KON22018–19——WIN1—WIN2—ALT—KON—IGL—STM—LPL—CGR—2019–20——LPL1—LPL2—WIN1—WIN2—LPG—IGL—KON—STM—

References

External links