3x3 star Nauris Miezis on how the Olympic title has changed his life: “I want to win a gold medal again” 

“You cannot explain this,” Nauris Miezis said after a thoughtful pause.

Sitting for an interview with Olympics.com in Vienna, Austria during the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup, nearly two years on from striking gold in the inaugural men's Olympic 3x3 basketball tournament, the Latvian remembered the day his life changed forever.

“Goosebumps!” he said, pointing to his arm as he recalls the experience, “still.”

It’s at once obvious as 32-year-old Miezis recalls the Olympic tournament that being a gold medallist is still something he hasn't fully accepted.

If the lingering disbelief painted on his face when asked what it means to be an Olympic champion wasn’t enough to show the sincerity of his humility, then the tattoo of the word ‘impossible’ with the letters ‘im’ struck through on his left arm etched onto his skin when the team qualified for the Games, tells the story of an athlete whose Olympic journey to now has unfolded like a dream.

“It was incredible. You can’t explain this with words,” Meizis continued. “It was only after two days when I was on the plane going home and I was sitting on the chair just holding my gold medal, and only at that moment did I realise what we did.

“It is good that big men cry,” he added smiling, “but I was crying in the plane like a small child.”

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Nauris Miezis after winning Tokyo gold: "We put a big bag on our shoulders"

Since his Olympic triumph, Miezis’ life has changed in a number of ways.

One that stands out to the Latvian is the attention he and the group now receive.

When they landed home after Tokyo it was unlike anything they could have imagined. Crowds gathered in their droves to welcome their new heroes. Fans lined the road waving flags, cheering in approval. The population of the small Eastern European nation is only around 1.8 million, but at that time Miezis says it felt like five million.

The spotlight that fell on them then hasn’t faded an inch since. And Miezis says that includes their expectation of the team.

“We put a big bag on our shoulders,” he admitted. “Now in Latvia, they know we are Olympic champions. They’re also expecting from this World Cup that we’re going to be champions.

“They need to understand that here, there are a lot of good teams and it’s not easy to win. But they think a little bit different. If we get a bronze medal everyone in Latvia will say it’s a failure but it’s not.”

Meizis’ slight hesitancy when it comes to guaranteeing top results speaks a little to the nature of 3x3.

While it’s true in all sports anyone can win on the day, in 3x3 it is magnified by the fact a sharpshooter with hot hands can ruin anyone’s day, even if you are an Olympic champion. And it’s something the Latvian is all too aware of: “You just go step-by-step, do everything we prepared, and you need to be ready for this.”

Miezis targeting Olympic repeat at Paris: "I want to be there"

Miezis’ considered approach also permeates his outlook for Paris 2024. The qualification path to the Games in France for 3x3 is long and winding, and sure to be filled with upsets. 

“What will happen I can’t tell you now,” Miezis said, alluding to the difficulty of the challenge the defending champions must take just to make sure they are in Paris. “There’s still one year to go and anything can happen.”

As a result the team are trying not to look too far ahead yet. They are currently fixed on clinching the world title – the one accolade they are missing from their trophy cabinet. Then, he explained, their road proper to Paris will begin.

If it seems for a moment, that Miezis comes across as a little too measured about getting to the Games then such an assumption would be a severe underestimation of the ferocity of the competitor within. When the time will come to fight for what he wants the Latvian said he is prepared to do what it takes.

“I am that person who hates losing,” Meizis underlined. “A lot. No matter what I am doing. Even if they are small things, I hate losing. I need to win every situation.”

“If you ask [about Paris 2024], then for me, I want to be there," he concluded definitively. "I want to win a gold medal again."