Estonian Winter Sport Heroes
Helgi Leesment
Calgary, Alberta
The 2006 Winter Olympics are just a few months away in Italy and various winter sport World Cup events are already underway in many parts of the world. Are there any Estonians to watch for?
You bet!
Being a northern country, Estonians have excelled in winter sports. Of course, these activities didn’t start out as organized competitions; for centuries they were merely a mode of travel during long, frozen, snowy winters. Estonians have been best at cross-country skiing. When that sport became combined with other disciplines, Estonians gleefully participated in those as well, at times making them champions or top finishers in Nordic Combined (cross-country skiing plus ski-jumping) and Biathlon (cross-country skiing plus shooting with rifles carried on the skier’s backs).
You may be unaware that some past major medal winners were Estonian; as they are not listed as such in official standings. Because of Estonia’s complicated political history, ethnic Estonian participants in various World Cup and Olympic competitions have competed under the Russian flag (up to 1918), Estonian flag (1918-1939), Soviet Union flag (1940-1990) and Estonian flag again as of 1991, the year the country regained its independence.
The Estonian Olympic medalists are:
Olympics 2002, Salt Lake City Cross-country skiing Andrus Veerpalu,
15 km classic race, gold
Cross-country skiing Andrus Veerpalu,
50 km classic race, silver
Cross-country skiing Jaak Mäe
15 km classic, bronze
Olympics 1988, Calgary Nordic combined Allar Levandi, bronze
Olympics 1964, Innsbruck Speed skating Ants Antson gold
Considering the relatively small number of Estonians and the number of international sports medals won by them, this country is an amazing hot-bed of winter sports heroes!
A sampling of Estonian names to watch for in sports news this winter:
Kristina Smigun, age 28, rose to international prominence in cross-country skiing as of 1999. Since then she has won 39 World Cup medals (14 gold, 12 silver, 13 bronze). In World Cup overall season standings, Kristina has rated 10 th in 2001, 5 th in 2004, 4 th in 1999, 2002 and 2005, 2 nd in 2000 and 2003. She has been Estonian women’s champion 26 times between 1991 and 2005, plus she has been selected Estonian Athlete of the Year 7 times. At her first World Cup competition of the 2005-2006 season, Kristina Smigun won the Gold Medal.
Kristina Smigun
Andrus Veerpalu , age 34, rose to international prominence in cross-country skiing as of 1999. At the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Andrus won a Gold Medal in the 15 km classic style, and a Silver medal in the 50 km classic style competitions. He has won 11 World Cup medals, including 7 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze. In World Cup overall season standings, Andrus was rated 7 th in 2003 and 2004, 13 th in 2005. He has been Estonian men’s champion 20 times between 1990 and 2005, and has been voted Athlete of the Year in 1999, 2001 and 2002. At his first World Cup competition of the 2005-2006 season, Andrus Veerpalu took 6 th place.
Jaak Mae , age 33, rose to international prominence in cross-country skiing as of 2002. At the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake
City, Jaak won a silver medal in the 15 km classical style competition. He also won Silver in a 15 km World Cup race in 2003. He has a total of 5 World Cup medals, two silver and three bronze. In overall World Cup standings, Jaak has rated from 33 rd to 6 th this century. He has been Estonian champion 10 times. At his first World Cup competition of the 2005-2006, Jaak Mäe took 7 th place.
Tiiu Nurmberg , age 23, born in Montreal of Estonian parents. Has been accepted as a competitor on Estonia’s Alpine Ski Team for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games at Torino, Italy.
Diana Rennik & Aleksei Saks , ages 20 & 24 respectively, ice-skating competitors in the Pairs category. Placed 16 th at the March 2005 World Championship. Qualified as one of 20 pairs to compete at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games at Torino, Italy.
Jana Rehemaa The 2005-2006 World Cup cross-country ski season has two stops in Canada, Vernon, BC December 10-11 and Canmore, Alberta December 15-18 (no competitions on the 16 th) . Because the Estonian Ski Federation is putting most of this season’s resources towards the February 2006 Olympics in Italy, it is sending only one skier to compete at Canmore. She is 26 year old Jana Rehemaa who is currently in her last year of the International Affairs degree program at the University of Colorado, on an athletic scholarship. Quips Jana “In order to win this scholarship, I merely had to ski better than the others”. She became seriously interested in skiing at age 12; since then has been Estonian women’s champion a couple of times. Internationally, she placed 10 th at a World Junior Championships. Her coach in Estonia is Anatoli Smigun, her uncle, who also coaches his daughters (Jana’s cousins) Kristina and Katrin Smigun.
Jana Rehemaa
Jana will compete at Canmore on Thursday December 15 in the women’s 10 km freestyle race and Saturday December 17 in the women’s 15 km Classic style race.
Albertans are encouraged to go to Canmore on Dec 15 & 17, pick a spot at the side of the competition trail and cheer the Canadian skiers as well as Jana! If you have any flags, wave them as you cheer the skiers! Specific times for the races will be publicized closer to the competition dates.
Jana Rehemaa
Photo courtesy: Univ. Colorado CUBuffs.com
Mae, Smigun and Veerpalu photos courtesy of Estonian Ski Federation: Jüri Järve
Estonian Santa wins title in Winter Games
Santa Clauses from all over the world were in Gallivare, Sweden in late November, 2005 for the annual Santa Claus Games. This year’s competition included Santa’s from seven countries.
More than 50 Santas competed in classic events such as sleigh and reindeer racing, porridge eating, singing, and chimney climbing. Last year’s winner from England relinquished his crown to the Santa from Estonia.
The Estonian newspaper Õhtuleht, in its November 23, 2005 edition, reports that Aare Rebban won the gold medal at the recent Santa Claus Games in Gallivare, Sweden . According to the article, the golden Santa started to practice his craft in elementary school. As Santa, he traveled back-and- forth on the local bus line for hours and rewarded poetic passengers by handing out cigarettes and candy to appreciative adult passengers.
Aare participated in the Santa Claus Games for the first time this year. In the sleigh race, he reached the finish line ahead of the reindeer but lost some style points! In another event, the contestants had to climb up to a rooftop chimney . Playing his accordion, he entertained the audience by singing “White Christmas” in Swedish for the benefit of the appreciative crowd.
