Artūrs Motmillers

In the interwar period Artūrs Motmillers became one of the best distance runners in Latvia, winning multiple national titles and setting more than a dozen records. In 1924 Motmillers became the national champion in four different disciplines with victory in the 1,500 metres, 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres, and cross-country race. These performances earned him a place on the Olympic team for the 1924 Paris Games where he ran in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, finishing tenth in the latter. He continued to focus at the longer distances, doing the 5,000 and 10,000 metres double at the Latvian championships in 1925.

Motmillers then moved up to the marathon, becoming the national champion in 1928 and 1931, and setting a national record in 1933 that stood for almost twenty years. He ran in the event at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics but finished 38th. After missing out on the 1932 Los Angeles Games he returned to the Olympics for the 1936 Berlin Games where he placed 28th in the marathon. One year earlier he won the 12th edition of the Košice Peace Marathon in Czechoslovakia.

During the Nazi occupation of Latvia in World War II Motmillers gave refuge to several Jews saving them from certain death. Towards the end of 1944 the Soviet forces had regained control but this led to the arrest of Motmillers for things he allegedly said about the regime. This resulted in him being deported to a camp in Sverdlovsk but he was eventually allowed to return to Latvia in 1946. He later worked in a jewellery store but things went from bad to worse when he was arrested again in the 1960s. Motmillers was accused of violations of the shop and illegal trade, and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Personal Bests: 5000 – 15:47.0 (1933); 10000 – 32:44.0 (1924); Mar – 2-41:38 (1933).