During the interwar period Alberts Riekstiņš was one of the best skiers in Latvia. Riekstiņš won seven national titles across several different distances, including victory in the 15 km (1930), 18 km (1932–33), 30 km (1929–30), and 50 km (1931, 1933). In 1936 he competed in the 18 kilometres event at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Olympics but finished in a disappointing 67th place. He was also part of the of the team that finished 13th in the 4 × 10 kilometres relay. After the war he worked as the state coach for Latvia from 1945 to 1954. Riekstiņš remained active in multiple sports throughout his life, including becoming a master of fishing when he was 78. He was 97-years-old when he died in December 2004.
Latvia