# Oskars Melbārdis

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)
| Event | Two-man | Four-man |
| Representing Latvia |||
| 2014 Sochi | 3 | 1 |
| 2018 Pyeongchang | 3 | 5 |

### Season titles

* 4 globes (2 overall, 1 two-man, 1 four-man)
| Season |
| Season | Discipline |
| 2013 | Combined |
| 2015 | Combined |
| 2015 | Two-man |
| 2015 | Four-man |

#### Two-man

| Season | Place | Points | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 2010–11 | 21st | 780 | WHI — | CAL — | PKC — | LKP — | IGL 17 | WIN — | STM 9 | CES 14 |
| 2011–12 | 7th | 1360 | IGL 4 | LPL 9 | WIN 3 | ALT 6 | KON 9 | STM 9 | WHI — | CAL 6 |
| 2012–13 | 2nd | 1674 | LKP 8 | PKC 4 | WHI 14 | WIN 7 | LPL 5 | ALT 5 | KON 2 | IGL 4 | SOC 3 |
| 2013–14 | 12th | 1080 | CAL 5 | PKC 6 | LKP1 10 | LKP2 10 | WIN 10 | STM 13 | IGL 7 | KON DSQ |
| 2014–15 | 1st | 1684 | LKP 2 | CAL 1 | ALT 2 | KON 5 | STM 1 | LPL 2 | IGL 2 | SOC 2 |
| 2015–16 | 5th | 1334 | ALT 2 | WIN 2 | KON1 2 | LPL — | WHI1 5 | WHI2 4 | STM 10 | KON2 5 |
| 2016–17 | 16th | 810 | WHI — | LPL — | ALT 13 | WIN — | STM 6 | KON 6 | IGL 2 | PYE 12 |
| 2017–18 | 8th | 1130 | LPL1 14 | LPL2 11 | WHI 3 | WIN 10 | IGL 9 | ALT 21 | STM 13 | KON 5 |
| 2018–19 | — | — | SIG1 — | SIG2 — | ALT — | KON — | IGL — | STM — | LPL — | CGR — |
| 2019–20 | 30th | 184 | LPL1 — | LPL2 — | LPG — | IGL — | KON — | STM — | SIG1 — | SIG2 5 |

#### Four-man

| Season | Place | Points | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 2010–11 | 25th | 88 | WHI — | CAL — | PKC — | LKP — | IGL — | WIN — | STM DSQ | CES 17 |
| 2011–12 | 5th | 1216 | IGL 8 | LPL 10 | WIN 3 | ALT 7 | KON 4 | STM 8 | WHI — | CAL 4 |
| 2012–13 | 2nd | 1625 | LKP 8 | PKC 10 | WHI 9 | WIN 3 | LPL 5 | ALT 4 | KON 5 | IGL 5 | SOC 1 |
| 2013–14 | 6th | 1228 | CAL DSQ | PKC 4 | LKP1 5 | LKP2 6 | WIN 23 | STM 1 | IGL 1 | KON 6 |
| 2014–15 | 1st | 1735 | LKP 3 | CAL 1 | ALT 2 | KON 3 | STM 1 | LPL 1 | IGL 1 | SOC 1 |
| 2015–16 | 12th | 904 | ALT 8 | WIN 5 | KON1 6 | LPL — | WHI1 — | WHI2 — | STM 3 | KON2 5 |
| 2016–17 | 13th | 931 | WHI — | LPL — | ALT 11 | WIN — | STM 2 | KON 7 | IGL 1 | PYE 4 |
| 2017–18 | 5th | 1322 | PAC1 4 | PAC2 7 | WHI 14 | WIN 12 | IGL 4 | ALT 7 | STM 9 | KON 2 |
| 2018–19 | — | — | WIN1 — | WIN2 — | ALT — | KON — | IGL — | STM — | LPL — | CGR — |
| 2019–20 | — | — | LPL1 — | LPL2 — | WIN1 — | WIN2 — | LPG — | IGL — | KON — | STM — |