LASMANIS Karlis

General
FATHER'S SUPPORT
He credits his father, two-time Olympic rower Ugis Lasmanis, for providing mental support during his preparations for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "My father shares his experiences with me. He's been there and knows how to get ready for the competition and can tell me secrets about how to get ready. He has told me a lot of stories but one that stood out was incredible. Before an Olympics, he had a bad injury and needed surgery in his lower back. But he fought on for the Olympics, which was amazing. He has always shared stories with me of how intense the training camps were and how he prepared his body. I'm listening to him and I think I'm two or three per cent more ready than other guys who don't have that experience."(fiba.basketball, 05 May 2021; worldtour.fiba3x3.basketball, 23 Jan 2020)

OLYMPIC IMPACT FOR 3X3
He believes the inclusion of 3x3 basketball at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will be beneficial for the sport's development. "For any sport, the Olympic Games is the highest mountain to climb. The introduction of 3x3 to the Olympic programme is a recognition of the influence and popularity of this game. This means that even more money can come into our sport. From its origins in streetball, where players would almost kill each other, 3x3 has since turned into an organised and professional spectacle." (slamdunk.ru, 20 Mar 2019)

DOCUMENTARY FILM
In 2019 a Latvian documentary film called 'From the Ghetto to the Olympics' was made, covering the origins of the Team Riga club. He plays for the team and hopes that the documentary will inspire youngsters to take up the sport. "The film consists of a large number of recordings made during our performances in all tournaments. Our team cameramen collected all these videos, and they became part of the movie. In short, the film was made in order to motivate young people to do sports. Another important point is to show everyone that becoming a pro is not so difficult if you put enough effort into it." (slamdunk.ru, 20 Mar 2019)