Eiduka sets the tone, but the skiers do not reach the final leg of the Olympic relay
Latvia's ski relay team, featuring Patrīcija Eiduka, finished in 14th place without reaching the final leg of the competition at the Olympics, overshadowed by victorious Norwegian and Swedish teams.
At the Olympic skiing relay, the Norwegian team emerged victorious, outperforming their main competitors, the Swedish skiers, by a significant 50.9 seconds, with the Finnish team taking home the bronze medal after finishing 74.7 seconds behind the champions. The gold medalists included Kristīne Ostgulena Fosnesa, Ērje Astrīda Slinda, Karolīne Simpsone-Larsena, and Heidija Venga, who set a remarkable pace throughout the race.
Latvia's representatives in the relay were Patrīcija Eiduka and Kitija Auziņa in the classic style, alongside Linda Kaparkalēja and Samanta Krampe racing in the freestyle category. Eiduka began strong, finishing the first intermediate checkpoint in 14th place, 5.4 seconds behind leader Linna Svåna from Sweden, but later advanced to 13th place by overtaking Poland's Monika Skinderi, though she remained over a minute behind the leading group of twelve skiers.
After handing off the relay to Auziņa, Latvia continued to struggle, finishing the leg in 14th place, a full minute and 42.3 seconds behind Sweden, and nearly 55 seconds behind Estonia's Kaidi Kāsikas, who occupied the 12th position. The performance reflects the challenges faced by the Latvian team in competing against stronger skiing nations on the Olympic stage.