Latvia’s Edgars Bergs, already the winner of a silver medal in the shot put, has earned a bronze medal in the F35 men’s discus event during the Paralympic Games in Athens Greece. He also set a personal best in the event.

“I did not expect to win a medal here,” Bergs said after his Sept. 24 victory, according to the Athens 2004 Web site. “I am very excited. I had a new personal best, so what more can you ask for? It’s very good.”

Bergs had two successful throws, the first one sailing 40.71 meters for the bronze.

Feng Yan of China won the gold and set a Paralympic record with a throw of 43.33 meters. The silver went to Xin Han Fu, also of China.

Bergs is one of seven Latvian athletes competing in the games for disabled athletes.

With a throw of 18.98 meters, Aigars Apīnis has won a gold medal for Latvia in the discus event during the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. He also set a new Paralympic record.

Apīnis won in the F52 class. His first of three throws in the Sept. 21 final broke the record set in 2000 by Ghader Modobber Raz of Iran.

““I have been preparing for four years to come to Athens and win the gold medal,” Apīnis said after the event, according to the official Athens 2004 Web site. “What makes it more important for me is the fact that this is the first Paralympic Games (gold) medal for my country.”

The silver medal went to Rico Glagla of Germany and the bronze to Peter Martin of New Zealand.

“I was very anxious because athletes with better personal bests competed,” Apīnis said. “So until the last moment of the competition I was afraid that someone might throw further than I had.”

His gold medal is the second medal for Latvia. Edgars Bergs won a silver in the shot put on Sept. 21.

Latvian shot putter Edgars Bergs has won a silver medal in the Paralympic Games underway in Athens, Greece. Bergs’ first effort of 13.55 meters also is his personal best in the event.

The gold medal in the finals of the Sept. 20 men’s shot put went to Wei Guo of China. The bronze went to Thierry Cibone of France.

Bergs, a Saldus native who recently marked his 20th birthday, is one of seven athletes representing Latvia in the games. The others are Aigars Apinis, Maija Emulova, Sanita Lietniece, Andis Ozolnieks, Ingrīda Priede and Ivita Strode. All are competing in athletics events.

The Paralympic Games, for athletes with disabilities, opened Sept. 17 and run through Sept. 28.

In the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia, the Latvian team won three bronze medals.