Agate Caune

Agate Caune
Agate Caune in 2023
Personal information
NationalityLatvian
Born (2004-08-07) 7 August 2004 (age 20)
Valmiera, Latvia
Sport
CountryLatvia
SportAthletics
Event(s)3000m, 5000m
ClubValmieras Sporta Skola
Coached byLīga Dzene[1]
Raitis Ravinskis[2]
Achievements and titles
Personal bests3000 m: 8:39.78 (Chorzów 2023) NR NU20R
5000 m: 15:00.48 (Budapest 2023)
10,000 m: 31:55.79 (Valmiera 2022) NU20R
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Latvia
European Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Kraków-Małopolska 5000 m
European U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Jerusalem 3000 m
Gold medal – first place 2023 Jerusalem 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2021 Tallinn 5000 m

Agate Caune (Latvian pronunciation: [ɑːgɑːtɛ saʊnɛ] ah-GAH-teh sown-eh; born 7 August 2004 in Valmiera, Latvia) is a Latvian track and field athlete. A multiple national champion, she is also the Latvian national record holder over 3000 metres.[3] She was named the Rising Star of the Year[4] and the female U20 Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 2022.[5][6]

Career

Early career

Caune started out in 2019 as the Latvian U16 champion in the 1500 metres and 3000 metres events. Gradually, she became the 2020 Latvian U18 champion in the indoor and outdoor 3000 metres. During the following 2021 Latvian U18 Championships, she won gold in the 800 metres and 1500 metres. Additionally, she gained her first national title in the 5000 metres the same year.

2021

From Valmiera, Caune won the silver medal in the 5000m at the 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn, whilst just 16 years-old. She then went to the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi and finished sixth in the 3000m.

2022

She was the national champion in the 5000 metres for the second time, as well as the Latvian 10,000 metres champion in 2022. Throughout the year, she was declared the Latvian U20 champion for distances such as the: indoor 800 metres, indoor and outdoor 1500 metres, and outdoor 3000 metres.

Competing at the 2022 World U20 Championships, held in Cali, Colombia, she finished sixth in the 3000m final and ran 15:43.56 to finish fourth in the 5000m. Caune ran 15:12.94 for the 5000m in Karlsruhe, Germany in May 2023.[7][8]

2023

She remains the champion of the 2023 Latvian 10,000 metres. Currently, she has national titles in the outdoor 1500 metres and indoor 3000 metres. She received further awards at the 2023 Latvian U20 Championships when she won in categories like the indoor 800 metres and the indoor and outdoor 1500 metres.

At the 2023 European Indoor Championships held in Istanbul in March 2023, Caune qualified for the final, where she set a new Latvian U20 record for the 3000m, clocking 8:56.88 to finish in eleventh place.[9][10]

In May 2023, Caune won a 5k event at the Riga Marathon, running it in 15:23 seconds, beating the Jeļena Prokopčuka best previous time from 2009, by seven seconds.[11] Caune then won a gold medal in the 5000 meters at the 2023 European Team Games running 15:15.21 in the Second Division race.[12]

On July 16, 2023, in Silesia, Caune made her Diamond League debut and finished in seventh place in the 3000m distance, running 8:39.78 to break the Latvian national record.[13]

In August 2023, Caune won gold medals in the 3000 metres and 5000 metres at the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships in Jerusalem. She set a new championship record of 15:03.38 in the 5000 metres.[14][15] Caune subsequently went on to the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. She used a bold strategy—heading straight to the front of the pack and not slowing down as the distance between her and her competitors increased—that helped her advance to the next round of the 5000 metres. However, prior to the final event, Caune withdrew due to a pelvic injury that had been present from the past few days. Upon the recommendation of her doctors, she elected to miss the race and not risk worsening her condition if she were to run.[16]

Caune (centre) at the 2023 European Indoor Championships

2024

She was selected to compete for Latvia at the 2024 Olympic 5000 meters in Paris. She ran in the first heat Aug. 2. The first eight finishers qualified for the second round. Caune finished 16th in her heat (and 33rd overall) in a time of 15:38.19.[17]

Achievements

Information from her World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

Personal bests

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Notes
Representing  Latvia
2021 European Team Championships Second League Stara Zagora, Bulgaria 4th 3000 m 9:38.23
European U20 Championships Tallinn, Estonia 8th 3000 m 9:21.52 PB SB
2nd 5000 m 16.17.56 EU18L
World U20 Championships Nairobi, Kenya 18th (h) 1500 m 4:37.49
6th 3000 m 9:45.26
2022 World U20 Championships Cali, Colombia 6th 3000 m 9.25.92
4th 5000 m 15:43.56 PB SB
2023 European Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 11th 3000 m 9:01.33 EU20L
European Team Championships Second Division Chorzów, Poland 1st 5000 m 15:15.21
European U20 Championships Jerusalem, Israel 1st 3000 m 8:53.20
1st 5000 m 15:03.85 CR
World Championships Budapest, Hungary 12th (h) 5000 m 15:00.48
2024 European Championships Rome, Italy 16th 5000 m 15:28.04
Olympic Games Paris, France 33rd (h) 5000 m 15:38.19

National titles

See also

References

  1. ^ Dambrova, Austra (24 November 2021). "Vieglatlēte Agate Caune šogad pārsteigusi daudzus". Valmieras novada pašvaldība. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  2. ^ "LVS - Agate Caune". Latvia Athletics Union. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Agate Caune". World Athletics. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  4. ^ Ozerinskis, Emil (12 March 2022). "Valmieras novada gada sportists - Babris, uzlecošā zvaigzne - Caune". Sportacentrs. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  5. ^ Balčus, Elizabeth (21 December 2022). "AIZVADĪTA "GADA BALVA VIEGLATLĒTIKĀ 2022"". Latvian Athletics Union. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  6. ^ ""Gada balva vieglatlētikā 2022" balvas iegūst valmierieši – treneris Ravinskis un vieglatlēte Caune!". Valmieras novada pašvaldība. 28 December 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Jerusalem and Budapest beckons for rising Latvian distance running prodigy Caune". European-Athletics. 2 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  8. ^ Cukurs, Jūlijs (5 August 2022). "Agate Caune – sestā ātrākā juniore pasaulē". Eliesma.lv. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Runner Caune enters the finals of the European Indoor Championships in the 3000 meters distance". baltics.news. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  10. ^ "The talented runner Agate Caune looks back on the winter season, which was successfully planned". Jauns.lv. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Caune wins the five-kilometer race with a new Latvian record". Jauns.lv. 7 May 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Agate Caune has been declared the champion of the European Games in 5000 meters running". delfi.lv. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Caune debijā Dimanta līgā uzstāda jaunu Latvijas rekordu 3000 metru skrējienā". Sportazinas. 16 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  14. ^ Henderson, Jason (11 August 2023). "At the double – Laros and Caune impress in Jerusalem". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Double gold for Caune, Laros and Zakrzewski as records fall in Jerusalem". World Athletics. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Caune pasaules čempionātā nepiedalīsies 5000 metru skrējiena finālā". www.lsm.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Latvian Olympic Athletes Named". eng.lsm.lv. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
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