Mareks Ārents

Mareks Ārents
Personal information
NationalityLatvian
Born (1986-08-05) 5 August 1986
Riga, Latvia
Height1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight78 kg (172 lb)
Sport
Country Latvia
SportTrack and field
EventPole vault
Coached byIgors Izotovs, Marita Ārente, Maigonis Pūliņš
Achievements and titles
Personal best5.70 m (2016)

Mareks Ārents (born 6 August 1986) is a Latvian former track and field athlete who specialised in the pole vault. He won the Latvian outdoor national championship 12 times and the national indoor title nine times. He represented Latvia at multiple major championships, including the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. He later acted as coach to his compatriot, and 2024 Olympian, Valters Kreišs.[1]

Athletics career

He qualified for 2012 Summer Olympics in London, but did not reach the final, making a best jump of 5.35 metres.[2][3][4]

At the 2013 European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, he jumped 5.50 m, ranking him in 11th place, missing the final by 10 cm.[5] He went on to compete at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow, but his 5.25 best clearance did not qualify him for the final.[6]

He competed at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, China where he cleared 5.55 metres.[7]

He cleared 5.50 metres to place sixth overall at the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on countback, despite having cleared the same height as the bronze medal winner Robert Renner of Slovenia.[8] He subsequently competed the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro where he cleared 5.45 metres but did not progress to the final.[9]

He placed joint-eighth overall at the 2017 European Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia with a best height of 5.60 metres.[10]

Post-athletics career

After the conclusion of his athletics career he coached his younger compatriot Valters Kreišs who made his debut at the Olympics at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[11]

Competition record

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing  Latvia
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 22nd (q) 5.35 m
2013 European Indoor Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 11th (q) 5.50 m
Universiade Kazan, Russia 8th 5.30 m
World Championships Moscow, Russia 33rd (q) 5.25 m
2014 European Championships Zürich, Switzerland NM
2015 European Indoor Championships Prague, Czech Republic 11th (q) 5.60 m
World Championships Beijing, China 25th (q) 5.55 m
2016 European Championships Amsterdam, Netherlands 6th 5.50 m
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 16th (q) 5.45 m
2017 European Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 8th 5.60 m
2018 European Championships Berlin, Germany 22nd (q) 5.36 m

References

  1. ^ "Mareks Ārents". World Athletics. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  2. ^ Kārtslēcējam Ārentam olimpiskais B normatīvs – 5.60 Archived 6 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Mareks Ārents Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  4. ^ "The XXX Olympic Games". World Athletics. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  5. ^ "European Indoor Championships". World Athletics. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  6. ^ "IAAF World Championships". World Athletics. 10 August 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  7. ^ "IAAF World Championships". World Athletics. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  8. ^ "European Athletics Championships". World Athletics. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  9. ^ "The XXXI Olympic Games". World Athletics. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  10. ^ "European Indoor Championships". World Athletics. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  11. ^ "Breaking records and growing dreadlocks. Pole vaulter Valters Kreiss strives to overtake his coach". lsm.lv. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2025.