Latvian Luge Duo Mārtiņš Bots and Roberts Plūme Soar Toward Milano Cortina 2026 with Olympic Solidarity Scholarship Support
RIGA, Latvia / LAUSANNE, Switzerland (FIL/30.04.2025) As the 2024–2025 luge season winds down, Latvian athletes Mārtiņš Bots and Roberts Plūme are gaining momentum on their road to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, thanks to crucial backing from the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Olympic Solidarity scholarship programme.
Bots and Plūme, who etched their names into Latvian sporting history with a silver medal at the 2025 FIL Luge World Championships—the highest ever placement for a Latvian doubles team—credit much of their progress to the sustained support of Olympic Solidarity.
“This achievement is the highest in Latvian luge doubles history in a world championship,” said Plūme. “I believe that Olympic Solidarity has been the cornerstone to our recent success. It gives us more opportunities to train at the highest level possible.”
Bots echoed the sentiment: “The support has been instrumental in helping us push our limits. Our goals for Milano Cortina 2026 are ambitious, and we are fully committed to achieving them.”
The IOC’s Olympic Solidarity programme is designed to provide athletes from around the world—particularly those from countries with fewer resources—with the means to pursue excellence on the world stage. As of April 2025, 418 athletes (242 men and 176 women) from 87 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are receiving scholarships aimed at supporting their qualification for Milano Cortina 2026.
The impact of the programme is already being seen across sports and continents. From freestyle snowboarder Taiga Hasegawa (JPN) and skeleton athlete Nicole Silveira (BRA) to ski mountaineering champion Oriol Cardona Coll (ESP), Olympic Solidarity is empowering athletes with access to elite coaching, equipment, and international training opportunities.
Latvia has been a proud beneficiary of the programme in recent years. At Beijing 2022, athletes supported by Olympic Solidarity brought home 10 Olympic medals, including a bronze in the luge team relay—a milestone that featured the standout performances of Plūme and Bots.
As the countdown to Milano Cortina 2026 continues, Plūme and Bots remain laser-focused on the podium. With Olympic Solidarity at their side, they are not only training harder than ever but also inspiring the next generation of Latvian winter athletes.
About Olympic Solidarity
The Olympic Solidarity programme is an initiative of the International Olympic Committee that offers assistance to National Olympic Committees (NOCs), particularly those with the greatest need, to support athlete training and development. The programme fosters universal representation at the Olympic Games and is funded by a share of the revenue from Olympic broadcast rights.
