Kārlis Bukass was a Latvian sportsman who competed in long-distance races on both the track and on the snow. As a long-distance runner Bukass became the national champion in the marathon in 1927. This earned him a place on the Olympic team for the 1928 Amsterdam Games but he did not start the race. Also in 1927 he won a 50 kilometres cross-country ski race in Latvia, before becoming the national champion in the ski relay in 1928. By 1933 he had founded the Rīga Ski Club and had set his sights on competing at the Olympics, this time at the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Games. His Olympic appearance, however, was disappointing, with him finishing 69th in the 18 kilometres cross-country event. After the war Bukass lived in exile in Germany before moving to England and finally settling in Canada.
Latvia