Māris Štrombergs (b. 1987) is the only Latvian athlete to simultaneously hold three of the world’s most prestigious sports awards in a single discipline. In 2008, he became the European, World and Olympic champion in BMX bicycle racing. His Olympic gold medal in Beijing was also the first ever given to an athlete in the new BMX sports class. 

Štrombergs’ year of glory in 2008 was not a lucky coincidence, but the result of years of hard work and determination. Already at the age of 5, he knew that he wanted to become a bicycle racing champion. A mere four years later, at the age of 9, he became a world title holder in his age group at the World Challenge competition in England. This was followed by a European junior championship and other awards. This year, Štrombergs has already garnered three wins at the National Bicycle League championship in the United States, and his list of racing victories is likely to grow much longer over the years ahead.