Estonian Sports
During fifteen years of independence, Estonians have become richer and more self-conscious. However, individualism and vices such as disregard and indifference have also become more common. The experience of success in a sports arena is the best way to overcome these vices. If a fellow countryman or -woman gives an outstanding performance, a sea of blue, black and white flags will wave, dissensions and domestic tensions will be forgotten, and the whole nation will feel strongly united.
Many positive emotions and the great joy of victory were felt by Estonians during the last few Olympic Games.
The results of fifteen years of painstaking and wise training of cross-country skiers became apparent during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. The cross-country skiers of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany and Russia have kept an eye on their Estonian competitors Kristina Šmigun, Andrus Veerpalu and Jaak Mae for years. But in Turin, the national anthem of Estonia was played three times for gold medal winners. This was more than one dared to dream of.
Kristina Šmigun, the winner of two gold medals, became the heroine of the Turin Olympic Games. Kristina, raised in a family of skiers, was well known in winter sports circuits for ten years, but in the most significant race, the Olympics, something had always gone wrong. However, this time Šmigun completed the race victorious and beaming with happiness. The celebration of victory continued a day after Šmigun's second win, when Veerpalu added a second Olympic gold to his collection of medals.
International news agencies were astonished by the fact that the citizens of a small town in southern Estonia called Otepää won three Olympic gold medals - more than Norway, Finland, Russia or Germany. Veerpalu, who had won a gold and a silver medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, became the most successful Olympian in the history of Estonian sports. The skiing enthusiasm of the father of four children has not faded away — he hopes to participate in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, discus thrower Gerd Kanter was crowned an Olympic champion. He had already reached the peak of world-class discus throwing the year before, when he became the world champion in Osaka. Kanter's next goal is to set a new world record. Currently the best Estonian track and field athlete of recent years boasts a personal best that is the third-longest throw in discus history.
Estonian rowers were rewarded for years of hard work on the Olympic rowing waters this year. At his sixth Olympic Games, Jüri Jaanson, along with Tõnu Endrekson, won a silver medal in the double sculls event. Jüri Jaanson also won a medal in the previous Olympic Games, when he earned a bronze in the single sculls event. Both Jaanson and Tõnu Endrekson have many medals on their mantles from world championships as well. Jaanson, a man with a long athletic career, reached world champion status back in 1990.
The most visible Estonian athlete in Europe in the 1990s was Erki Nool, and in the 2000 Sydney Olympics he won the gold medal in the decathlon. Other Estonian track and field athletes rose up in his footsteps - javelin thrower Andrus Värnik, who became a world champion in 2005, and discus throwers Gerd Kanter and Aleksander Tammert, the latter of which won an Olympic bronze medal in 2004.
Many other talented athletes are also on their way to the top. Margus Hunt, who won the discus throw as well as shot put in the 2006 World Junior Championship in Beijing, was chosen as one of the best track and field athletes under the age of 20 in 2006. Gold medals were also given in Beijing to Kaire Leibak for the triple jump and to Marek Niit for the 200m dash. The Chinese were astonished by the success of the Estonians, and they consider Estonia a great country in athletics.
The year 2008 also saw success in Estonian tennis. Our top racket Kaia Kanepi was the second Estonian in history to make it to the quarter final in a Grand Slam event, the French Open. Toomas Leius had reached that same point 43 years earlier. He was among the best in the world at the time, but his career was hindered by restrictions set by the Soviet Union regarding athletes participating in foreign competitions. As Kaia Kanepi’s career continues to go well, Estonian sports fans hope to see her in next year’s big tournaments as well. At the end of 2008, Kanepi has risen to her highest spot yet on the WTA's world rankings list - she is among the 30 best female tennis players.
At the beginning of the 20th century, when Estonians desired to become independent from tsarist Russia, poets and artists kept the ideas of freedom alive, but athletes such as Georg Lurich also played an important role. During the first Republic, wrestlers were the most well-known Estonian athletes, and their achievements were highlighted by the victories of Kristjan Palusalu. The descendent of a peasant won two gold medals (one in Greco-Roman wrestling and one in freestyle wrestling) at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The success of Estonians in wrestling continued until the beginning of the 1950s, then came to an end. Yet the autumn of 2006 brought a change - Heiki Nabi was crowned Greco-Roman heavyweight champion of the world in China. The 20-year-old was considered a successor of Palusalu: he too has a peasant background, but behaves modestly and nobly.
For years, rally enthusiasts followed the deeds of rally driver Markko Märtin and his co-driver Michael Park. In 2002 they were invited to join the Ford team, and in the next season Märtin and Park became the leaders of the team.
Märtin and Park formed a harmonious team and became close friends. The Briton believed that his Estonian partner was capable of competing for the title of world champion. But in 2005, although the two had almost flawless teamwork, they had a tragic crash on the roads of Wales. Märtin ran off the road, and Park was killed. A monument in memory of Park was erected in Tallinn, and rallies to memorialise him are also being organised. The teamwork of Märtin and Park was almost perfect, and it was a fine example of co-operation between Europeans.
Co-operation between Estonia and Great Britain has continued in another motor sport series as well. In 2007, Marko Asmer won the championship title for the British HiTech team in British Formula 3. British F3 has been a starting point for many Formula 1 drivers. During the 2008 season Marko Asmer did indeed become the first Estonian to reach the Formula 1 class as a test driver for the BMW Sauber team.
In another example of Estonian athleticism, Indrek Pertelson and Alexei Budõlin have both done well in the sport of judo. Each won a bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and Pertelson added another one in 2004 in Athens.
The world of sports should be free from all prejudices of national, political, religious or racial nature. The supporters, who travel to all corners of the globe to support their favorite athletes, but still respect the athletes of other nations, preserve this ideal. The cross-country skiing resort of Otepää, a small town in picturesque southern Estonia, is annually filled with sports enthusiasts from abroad when a portion of the cross-country skiing World Cup is held there. Just like at Holmenkollen in Norway, Falun in Sweden and Lahti in Finland, the flags of many nations can be seen waving in Otepää. Otepää is special, since cries of encouragement and support can be heard from the mouths of locals in support of visiting athletes.
Cross-country skiing has a special significance for Estonians. During snowy winters, skiing is a pastime for the whole family. The skiing season culminates with the 60-kilometre Tartu Marathon, which challenges thousands of people to pit their physical resolve against the challenging course. The Tartu Marathon is a member of the international Worldloppet series. In 2007, for instance, there were competitors from 23 countries.
Sports do not only excite people, but they can also play a significant role in promoting mutual international friendship and co-operation. Therefore, Estonians are happy and proud that the success of their athletes is playing a part in the process of bettering relations between nations.