Aigars Apinis

Who is Aigars Apinis?

Aigars Apinis is a Latvian athlete. He participates in F52 class which means he has limited finger movement and no trunk or leg function. He started to practice in 1998, but already at the 2000 Summer Paralympics he won two bronze medals – in discus throw and shot put. At the 2004 Summer Paralympics he became the Olympic champion in discus throw and was 4th in shot put.

In the fall of 2010 Apinis created resonance in the society, by stating that he is ready to sell his 2000 Sydney Paralympics bronze medal in an auction, in order to provide Latvian Paralympic Committee with funds, which would allow Latvian delegation to participate in the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships.

At the 2011 IPC World Championships in New Zealand, Apinis won the gold medal in the shot put F52/53 category, also setting a new world record for his category.