Here are the results of all of the Winter Olympics events in which Estonia has competed to date. For each event, we present the medalists and all Estonian finishers. Estonian competitors are shown in blue.
Estonian Olympic team results 2010
Estonia has so far captured one medal: the silver medal in the Ladies’ 10km Freestyle Cross-Country Skiing event, which was won by Kristina Šmigun-Vähi.
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Tagged estonia, estonian olympic team 2010, Kristina Šmigun-Vähi, olympics, vancouver 2010, winter olympics
Kristina Šmigun-Vähi
Estonia yesterday captured its first medal of the 2010 Olympics. Kristina Šmigun-Vähi, winner of two gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, claimed the silver medal in the women’s 10km freestyle cross-country event. She finished just 6.6 seconds behind gold medal winner Charlotte Kalla of Sweden.
Šmigun-Vähi’s achievement capped a significant comeback for the 32-year-old skier. She had “retired” from cross-country skiing after the 2006-2007 season in order to have a baby. She missed the past two seasons and began training for the Vancouver games only recently.
In other events Estonia has been far less successful. The country has to date participated in five events (men’s and women’s cross country skiing, men’s and women’s biathlon, and pairs figure skating), but Šmigun-Vähi can claim the country’s only competitive performance so far. Estonia will also compete in alpine skiing, ladies’ figure skating, ice dancing, and snowboarding.
The table below presents the top three finishers and all Estonian finishers in each medal event in which Estonia has competed. Estonian athletes are shown in blue.
| Cross-Country Skiing – Ladies’ 10 km F (15 Feb)
78 competitors |
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| 1 (gold) | Charlotte Kalla (Sweden) | 24:58 | |
| 2 (silver) | Kristina Smigun-Vähi | 25:05 | |
| 3 (bronze) | Marit Bjoergen (Norway) | 25:14 | |
| 58 | Tatjana Mannima | 28:13 | |
| Cross-Country Skiing – Men’s 15 km F (15 Feb)
95 competitors |
|||
| 1 (gold) | Dario Cologna (Switzerland) | 33:36 | |
| 2 (silver) | Pietro Piller Cottrer (Italy) | 34:01 | |
| 3 (bronze) | Lukas Bauer (Czech Republic) | 34:12 | |
| 51 | Aivar Rehemaa | 36:13 | |
| 67 | Karel Tammjarv | 37:38 | |
| Figure Skating – Pairs Short Program (14 Feb)
20 competitors |
|||
| 1 (gold) | China | ||
| 2 (silver) | China | ||
| 3 (bronze) | Germany | ||
| 19 | Maria Sergejeva & Ilja Glebov | ||
| Biathlon – Men’s 10 km Sprint (14 Feb)
87 competitors |
|||
| 1 (gold) | Vincent Jay (France) | ||
| 2 (silver) | Emil Hegle Svendsen (Norway) | ||
| 3 (bronze) | Jakov Fak (Croatia) | ||
| 31 | Indrek Tobreluts | ||
| 48 | Kauri Koiv | ||
| 62 | Roland Lessing | ||
| Biathlon – Women’s 7.5 km Sprint (13 Feb)
88 competitors |
|||
| 1 (gold) | Anastazia Kuzmina (Slovakia) | ||
| 2 (silver) | Magdalena Neuner (Germany) | ||
| 3 (bronze) | Marie Dorin (France) | ||
| 55 | Eveli Saue | ||
| 64 | Kadri Lehtla | ||
| 83 | Kristel Viigipuu | ||
| 84 | Sirli Hanni | ||
Andrus Veerpalu
The twenty-first Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver are in only their second full day, and Estonia’s athletes have not even begun to compete, but away from the ice and the snow the Estonian team has already experienced both a victory and a defeat.
The victory came in the Parade of Nations on Friday, as Estonia caught the eyes of viewers around the world with its smartly designed outfits. An ongoing “Top Opening Ceremony Outfit” poll on the Huffington Post ranks Estonia 6th, behind the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Latvia (go Balts!), and Bermuda. The Estonian outfits were designed by Estonian fashion house Monton. Click on the image below for a better look.
So much for the victory. The defeat came today with the suspension of Estonian cross-country skier Kaspar Kokk, whose blood test revealed hemoglobin levels above the permissible limit. He will be forced to miss the opening cross-country skiing event on Monday but, subject to further testing, will be eligible to rejoin the team on Wednesday.
Estonia looks smart in the Parade of Nations (12 Feb 10, Vancouver)
Kokk’s teammates will begin competing for medals when the cross-country skiing events kick off on Monday. Estonia is a flat country accustomed to long, snowy winters, so it’s no surprise that Estonians are avid cross-country skiers. For Estonians it’s not just a sport; often, it’s a mode of transportation.
Since the country’s re-independence in 1991, all six of its Winter Olympics medals have been won in cross-country skiing events. The team hopes to continue its success this year. Andrus Veerpalu (above) won two medals in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City (the 15km gold and the 50km silver), and one in the 2006 Turin games (15km gold). He’ll be competing in both events this year as well and, although he just celebrated his 39th birthday, he’s considered to be a strong contender at both distances.
Read more about the outlook for Estonia’s Winter Olympic team here.
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Tagged andrus veerpalu, estonia, kaspar kokk, monton, vancouver 2010, winter olympics
In the same week that Estonia’s ministry of finance announced that the country had completed its application to join the eurozone, the Bank of Estonia released the newest — and perhaps the last — Estonian kroon coin. The silver coin was issued to commemorate the Vancouver Winter Olympics and carries a nominal denomination of 10 kroons.
The eye-catching design is meant to depict “a dynamic stylised image of racing cross-country skiers.” While you may or may not be able to discern the skiers in the rather abstract image, what you will see on the coin is the word “krooni” for perhaps the last time. And its probable status as the last kroon-denominated coin to be minted by Estonia should greatly enhance its collectible value.
Interested in picking one up for your collection? Notwithstanding its modest face value, it’s made of real silver, so it will cost you 350 kroons. Information on how to order the coin is here.
Posted in Economic, History, News
Tagged estonia, estonian kroon, euro, winter olympics
