▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁where ▁a ▁public ▁vote ▁exclus ively ▁selected ▁the ▁winner . ▁ ▁Lat via ▁was ▁drawn ▁to ▁comp ete ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁semi - final ▁of ▁the ▁Euro vision ▁Song ▁Cont est ▁which ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁ 9 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁Perform ing ▁as ▁the ▁closing ▁entry ▁during ▁the ▁show ▁in ▁position ▁ 1 8 , ▁" Line " ▁was ▁not ▁announced ▁among ▁the ▁top ▁ 1 0 ▁entries ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁semi - final ▁and ▁therefore ▁did ▁not ▁qual ify ▁to ▁comp ete ▁in ▁the ▁final . ▁ ▁Background ▁▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁Cont est , ▁Lat via ▁had ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁Euro vision ▁Song ▁Cont est ▁sevent een ▁times ▁since ▁its ▁first ▁entry ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁Lat via ▁won ▁the ▁contest ▁once ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁with ▁the ▁song ▁" I ▁W anna " ▁performed ▁by ▁Marie ▁N . ▁Following ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁semi - final s ▁for ▁the ▁, ▁Lat via ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁qual ify ▁to ▁comp ete ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Between ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁nation ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁qual ify ▁to ▁the ▁final ▁for ▁six ▁consecutive ▁years . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁contest , ▁Lat via ▁managed ▁to ▁qual ify ▁to ▁the ▁final ▁with ▁the ▁song ▁" L ove ▁In ject ed "