1. Early Life and Family
Martins Dukurs was born on March 31, 1984. His athletic journey was significantly influenced by his family, particularly his father and older brother, both of whom were deeply involved in sled sports.
1.1. Family
Martins Dukurs comes from a family with a strong background in sled sports. His father, Dainis Dukurs, is a prominent figure in the sport, having been a former bobsleigh brakeman. Beyond his competitive days, Dainis also managed the Sigulda sledding track in Latvia, designed sleds, and served as a coach for the Latvian skeleton team. Martins' older brother, Tomass Dukurs, is also a professional skeleton racer. Both Martins and Tomass qualified and competed together in the men's skeleton events at the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2014 Winter Olympics.
2. Athlete Career
Martins Dukurs' career in professional skeleton spanned over two decades, marked by consistent excellence and numerous record-breaking achievements across major international competitions.
2.1. Skeleton Debut and Early Career
Martins Dukurs began his skeleton career in 1998. He made his Winter Olympics debut at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where he finished seventh in the men's skeleton event. The following year, at the 2007 FIBT World Championships held in St. Moritz, he secured a sixth-place finish.
2.2. World Championship Achievements
Dukurs has achieved exceptional success at the FIBT World Championships, winning six gold medals in the men's skeleton event. His world titles were earned in:
- 2011
- 2012
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2019
2.3. World Cup Dominance
Martins Dukurs holds the record for the most overall Skeleton World Cup titles, with a total of 11 victories. He demonstrated unparalleled consistency by winning eight consecutive titles between the 2009-10 and 2016-17 seasons. He later added three more consecutive titles from the 2019-20 to the 2021-22 seasons. By the end of the 2019-20 Skeleton World Cup season, Dukurs had accumulated 54 World Cup race victories.
2.4. Olympic Games Performance
Dukurs participated in multiple Winter Olympic Games, earning two silver medals. At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, he won his first silver medal. He followed this with another silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. During the opening ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Games, Martins Dukurs served as the flagbearer for Latvia.
His performance at the Sochi 2014 Games was subject to controversy. The initial gold medalist, Alexander Tretiakov, was later disqualified by the IOC due to doping allegations, which would have elevated Dukurs to the gold medal position, making him the first Latvian athlete to win a Winter Olympic gold. However, Tretiakov appealed this decision to the CAS, which subsequently overturned his disqualification and reinstated his gold medal.
At the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Dukurs finished in fourth place. His medal hopes were dashed by a crucial mistake during his fourth and final run.
2.5. Awards and Recognition
In recognition of his significant contributions to sport, Martins Dukurs was decorated with the Order of the Three Stars in 2010, one of Latvia's highest civilian honors.
2.6. Controversies and Disqualifications
Martins Dukurs faced a notable disqualification during his career. On January 19, 2018, he was retroactively disqualified from the 2018 St. Moritz World Cup event. The reason for the disqualification was determined to be a "too-hard sled," which violated competition regulations.
3. Coaching Career
Following his retirement from competitive skeleton racing, Martins Dukurs transitioned into a coaching role. In August 2022, he was appointed as a performance coach for the British national skeleton team, bringing his extensive experience and expertise to the next generation of athletes.
4. Competition Results
This section provides a detailed overview of Martins Dukurs' performance in the Skeleton World Cup.
4.1. World Cup Season-by-Season Breakdown
| Season | Place | Points | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05 | 19th | 139 | WIN 37 | ALT 20 | IGL - | SIG 14 | CES 10 | STM 19 | LPL 13 | ||
| 2005-06 | 20th | 151 | CAL 26 | LPL 10 | IGL 20 | SIG 20 | KON 16 | STM 14 | ALT 19 | ||
| 2006-07 | 12th | 255 | CAL 18 | PKC 23 | LPL 24 | NAG 15 | IGL 9 | CES - | WIN 3 | KON 5 | |
| 2007-08 | 5th | 1369 | CAL 7 | PKC 11 | LPL 4 | CES1 7 | CES2 7 | STM 6 | KON 11 | WIN 1 | |
| 2008-09 | 6th | 1282 | WIN 3 | ALT 2 | IGL 3 | KON 4 | STM 17 | WIN 12 | PKC 11 | LKP 11 | |
| 2009-10 | 1st | 1694 | PKC 1 | LKP 3 | CES 2 | WIN 1 | ALT 5 | KON 1 | STM 3 | IGL 1 | |
| 2010-11 | 1st | 1719 | WHI 5 | CAL 1 | PKC 3 | LKP 2 | IGL 1 | WIN 1 | STM 1 | CES 1 | |
| 2011-12 | 1st | 1751 | IGL 1 | LPL 1 | WIN 1 | ALT 1 | KON 6 | STM 1 | WHI 1 | CAL 1 | |
| 2012-13 | 1st | 2010 | LKP 1 | PKC 1 | WHI 2 | WIN 1 | LPL 1 | ALT 1 | KON 1 | IGL 1 | SOC 1 |
| 2013-14 | 1st | 1720 | CAL 1 | PKC 2 | LKP 8 | WIN 1 | STM1 1 | STM2 1 | IGL 1 | KON 1 | |
| 2014-15 | 1st | 1770 | LKP 1 | CAL 1 | ALT 1 | KON 2 | STM 1 | LPL 1 | IGL 1 | SOC 2 | |
| 2015-16 | 1st | 1785 | ALT 1 | WIN 1 | KON1 1 | LPL 1 | PAC 1 | WHI 1 | STM 2 | KON2 1 | |
| 2016-17 | 1st | 1662 | WHI 4 | LPL 5 | ALT 2 | WIN 1 | STM 1 | KON 6 | IGL 1 | PYE 1 | |
| 2017-18 | 4th | 1440 | LPL 1 | PAC 2 | WHI 6 | WIN 2 | IGL 1 | ALT 5 | STM DSQ | KON 2 | |
| 2018-19 | 3rd | 1533 | SIG 2 | WIN 7 | ALT 7 | IGL 1 | STM 8 | LPL 2 | CAL1 3 | CAL2 4 | |
| 2019-20 | 1st | 1665 | LKP1 2 | LKP1 2 | WIN 4 | PAC 2 | IGL 1 | KON 7 | STM 1 | SIG 1 | |
| 2020-21 | 1st | 1456 | SIG1 1 | SIG2 1 | IGL1 1 | IGL2 1 | WIN 2 | STM 2 | KON 11 | IGL3 - | |
| 2021-22 | 1st | 1623 | IGL1 2 | IGL2 11 | ALT1 3 | WIN1 4 | ALT2 1 | SIG 3 | WIN2 1 | STM 1 |
5. Legacy and Evaluation
Martins Dukurs is widely regarded as one of the greatest skeleton athletes of all time. His unparalleled record of 11 overall World Cup titles, including multiple consecutive winning streaks, and six World Championship gold medals, underscores his consistent excellence and dominance in the sport for over a decade. While Olympic gold remained elusive, his two silver medals and consistent top-tier performances at the highest level of competition solidify his place in skeleton history. His long and successful career, coupled with his transition to coaching, highlights his enduring impact on the sport.