The Estonian Athlete of the Year () is an annual award presented by the Estonian Olympic Committee (Eesti Olümpiakomitee, EOK) to one male and one female sportsperson judged to have delivered the best performance over the course of the year. The winners of the award, which was first conceived in the 1930s and has been presented every year since 1955, are chosen by an aggregated vote from sporting journalists, national sporting federations, and the public at large.

Initially an accolade presented to one individual, the award was split into male and female categories beginning in 1967. In 2020 the two categories were merged due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the international and national sporting calendars. The athlete with the most wins is cyclist Erika Salumäe, who has won the award on nine occasions.

List of award winners

Cyclist Erika Salumäe has won Athlete of the Year more than any other athlete, male or female, with nine wins between 1983 and 1996. Skier Kristina Šmigun-Vähi is the second-most decorated winner, having been chosen as Female Athlete of the Year on eight occasions. Of male athletes, the most successful are weightlifter Jaan Talts, cyclist Aavo Pikkuus, and skier Andrus Veerpalu, each with five wins. Pikkuus holds the record for the most consecutive awards won, achieving his five successively between 1974 and 1978.

The youngest ever Athlete of the Year recipient is swimmer Kaire Indrikson who won in 1977 at the age of sixteen, while Aavo Pikkuus is the youngest male winner on record, achieving the first of his five wins in 1974 at the age of twenty. With a combined age of 39 years at the time of the 1977 awards, Indrikson and Pikkuus additionally constitute the youngest pair of winners from a single year. Chess player Paul Keres is the oldest person to be recognised as Athlete of the Year, winning his third award in 1962 at the age of 46. The oldest woman to win is fencer Heidi Rohi, who in 2001 was awarded Athlete of the Year at the age of 35. Keres also holds the record for the longest span of time over his awards, his third in 1962 coming 26 years after his first award in 1937. In awards presented solely after the Second World War, this distinction is held among male athletes by rower Jüri Jaanson, who won the award three times over fifteen years (1990–2004), and among female athletes by Erika Salumäe and Kristina Šmigun-Vähi, who each won their awards over fourteen-year periods (1983–1996 and 1997–2010 respectively).

Three members of the same family have each won Athlete of the Year: Ulvi Voog-Indrikson in 1957, her daughter Kaire Indrikson in 1977, and her granddaughter Triin Aljand in 2011 and 2012.

By year Single award (1955–1966; 2020)

Year Athlete of the Year Ref. Athlete Sport 1955 Feliks Pirts Shot put 1956 Uno Palu Decathlon 1957 Ulvi Voog-Indrikson Swimming 1958 Uno Palu (2) Decathlon 1959 Paul Keres Chess 1960 Hanno Selg Modern pentathlon 1961 Toomas Leius Tennis 1962 Paul Keres (2) Chess 1963 Toomas Leius (2) Tennis 1964 Ants Antson Speed skating 1965 Toomas Leius (3) Tennis 1966 Mart Vilt Middle-distance running From 1967–2019 the award was split into male and female categories (see below)2020 Ott Tänak (2) and Martin Järveoja Rallying

Split award (1967–2019; 2021– )

Year Male Female Ref.Athlete Sport Athlete Sport 1967 Jaan TaltsWeightliftingLaine ErikMiddle-distance running1968 Jaan Talts (2)WeightliftingLaine Erik (2)Middle-distance running1969 Jaan Talts (3)WeightliftingSvetlana TširkovaFencing1970 Jaan Talts (4)WeightliftingTiiu ParmasTennis1971 Vambola HelmMotorcycle racingLuule TullMotorcycle racing1972 Jaan Talts (5)WeightliftingRaissa RuusMiddle-distance running1973 Ain VildeIce yachtingIlla RaudikUnderwater orienteering1974 Aavo PikkuusCyclingEndla VellendArchery1975 Aavo Pikkuus (2)CyclingVirve HoltsmeierArchery1976Aavo Pikkuus (3)CyclingLiivi ErmShooting1977Aavo Pikkuus (4)CyclingKaire IndriksonSwimming1978Aavo Pikkuus (5)CyclingReet PalmRowing1979Jaak UudmäeTriple jumpReet Palm (2)Rowing1980Jaak Uudmäe (2)Triple jumpMarina TrofimovaSwimming1981Jüri PoljansSprint canoeingInna RoseShooting1982Heino PuusteJavelin throwInna Rose (2)Shooting1983Heino Puuste (2)Javelin throwErika SalumäeCycling1984Tiit HaagmaIce yachtingErika Salumäe (2)Cycling1985Riho SuunCyclingKaija Parve-HelinurmBiathlon1986Heino Puuste (3)Javelin throwKaija Parve-Helinurm (2)Biathlon1987Jaan EhlvestChessErika Salumäe (3)Cycling1988Allar LevandiNordic combinedErika Salumäe (4)Cycling1989Jaan Ehlvest (2)ChessErika Salumäe (5)Cycling1990Jüri JaansonRowingErika Salumäe (6)Cycling1991Tiit SokkBasketballKristiina NurkFinswimming1992Kaido KaabermaFencingErika Salumäe (7)Cycling1993Indrek SeiSwimmingOksana JermakovaFencing1994Ago MarkvardtNordic combinedMargrit ToomanModern pentathlon1995Jüri Jaanson (2)RowingErika Salumäe (8)Cycling1996Erki NoolDecathlonErika Salumäe (9)Cycling1997Erki Nool (2)DecathlonKristina ŠmigunSkiing1998Erki Nool (3)DecathlonJane SalumäeLong-distance running1999Andrus VeerpaluSkiingKristina Šmigun (2)Skiing2000Erki Nool (4)DecathlonKristina Šmigun (3)Skiing2001Andrus Veerpalu (2)SkiingHeidi RohiFencing2002Andrus Veerpalu (3)SkiingKristina Šmigun (4)Skiing2003Andrus VärnikJavelin throwKristina Šmigun (5)Skiing2004Jüri Jaanson (3)RowingKristina Šmigun (6)Skiing2005Andrus Värnik (2)Javelin throwMaarika VõsuFencing2006Andrus Veerpalu (4)SkiingKristina Šmigun (7)Skiing2007Gerd KanterDiscus throwIrina EmbrichFencing2008Gerd Kanter (2)Discus throwKaia KanepiTennis2009Andrus Veerpalu (5)SkiingKsenija BaltaLong jump2010Nikolai NovosjolovFencingKristina Šmigun-Vähi (8)Skiing2011Gerd Kanter (3)Discus throwTriin AljandSwimming2012Heiki NabiWrestlingTriin Aljand (2)Swimming2013Nikolai Novosjolov (2)FencingJulia BeljajevaFencing2014Rasmus MägiHurdlingErika KirpuFencing2015Mart SeimWeightliftingEpp MäeWrestling via the National Library of Estonia2016Rasmus Mägi (2)HurdlingKsenija Balta (2)Long jump2017Ott TänakRallyingJulia Beljajeva (2)Fencing 2018Magnus KirtJavelin throwSaskia AlusaluSpeed skating2019Magnus Kirt (2)Javelin throwKelly SildaruFreestyle skiing2021Rasmus Mägi (3)HurdlingKatrina LehisFencing2022Janek ÕiglaneDecathlonKelly Sildaru (2)Freestyle skiing2023Karel TilgaDecathlonEneli JefimovaSwimming2024Johannes ErmDecathlonEneli Jefimova (2)Swimming2025Johannes ErmDecathlonEneli Jefimova (3)Swimming

By number of wins The tables below list the individuals who have won Athlete of the Year more than once.

+Key†Indicates awards won before separate male and female categories

+ Athlete of the Year winners (male)Athlete Sport Years won Jaan Talts Weightlifting 5 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 Aavo Pikkuus Cycling 5 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 Andrus Veerpalu Skiing 5 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009 Erki Nool Decathlon 4 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000Toomas Leius† Tennis 3 1961, 1963, 1965 Heino Puuste Javelin throw 3 1982, 1983, 1986 Jüri Jaanson Rowing 3 1990, 1995, 2004 Gerd Kanter Discus throw 3 2007, 2008, 2011 Rasmus Mägi Hurdling 3 2014, 2016, 2021Uno Palu† Decathlon 2 1956, 1958Paul Keres† Chess 2 1959, 1962 Jaak Uudmäe Triple jump 2 1979, 1980 Jaan Ehlvest Chess 2 1987, 1989 Andrus Värnik Javelin throw 2 2003, 2005 Nikolai Novosjolov Fencing 2 2010, 2013 Magnus Kirt Javelin throw 2 2018, 2019 Ott Tänak Rallying 2 2017, 2020 Johannes Erm Decathlon 2 2024, 2025

+ Athlete of the Year winners (female)Athlete Sport Years won Erika Salumäe Cycling 9 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996 Kristina Šmigun-Vähi Skiing 8 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010 Eneli Jefimova Swimming 3 2023, 2024, 2025 Laine Erik Middle-distance running 2 1967, 1968 Reet Palm Rowing 2 1978, 1979 Inna Rose Shooting 2 1981, 1982 Kaija Parve-Helinurm Biathlon 2 1985, 1986 Triin Aljand Swimming 2 2011, 2012 Ksenija Balta Long jump 2 2009, 2016 Julia Beljajeva Fencing 2 2013, 2017 Kelly Sildaru Freestyle skiing 2 2019, 2022

See also Estonian Young Athlete of the Year Estonian Coach of the Year Estonian Sports Team of the Year

Notes

References

General

Specific

External links Official website List of winners