In a thrilling event from the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, Latvian athlete Krūzbergs competed in the 1000-meter quarterfinals, starting from the third position. Throughout most of the race, he maintained a modest pace, closely trailing the leaders. However, an unfortunate contact during the final turn resulted in him being pushed out, finishing in fourth place. He was subsequently notified of his qualification for the semifinals as two skaters ahead of him faced disqualifications due to penalties.

Meanwhile, fellow Latvian skater Berziņš competed in the last of the quarterfinal heats, where he too aimed for a place in the semifinals. Despite skimming along in third place for a significant part of the race, he struggled in the last laps and ultimately finished fourth, thereby missing qualification. Each quarterfinal race featured five competitors, with the first two and the two fastest third-place finishers moving forward, intensifying the competition.

The semifinals and finals for the 1000-meter events are scheduled for later this Thursday, alongside the women's 500-meter races occuring in parallel. While this is Berziņš's sole Olympic start, Krūzbergs is set to compete in the 1500-meter race on Saturday, adding to his Olympic journey and ambitions.