Sport Sport is a physical activity or game, often Competition, competitive and organization, organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The numbe ...

plays an important role in

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

n culture. Estonia first competed as a nation at the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch language, Dutch and German language, German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held i ...

, although the

National Olympic Committee A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games ...

was established in 1923. Estonian athletes took part at every

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

until the country was annexed by the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in 1940. The

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...

sailing regatta was held in the capital city

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

. Estonia has won most of its

Olympic medals An Olympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at one of the Olympic Games. There are three classes of medal to be won: gold, silver, and bronze, awarded to first, second, and third place, respectively. The granting of awards is laid ou ...

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

weightlifting Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can ...

, and

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

Athletics

Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

is popular in Estonia, shown by number of medals won this field of sport. Jüri Lossmann came in second on the marathon at the 1920 Olympic Games. Aleksander Klumberg won the bronze medal in 1924 in the men's decathlon competition. Between 2000 and 2009, Estonia scored at least one medal in major international competition in every year:

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, and

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

. Before that,

Erki Nool Erki Nool (born 25 June 1970) is an Estonian retired decathlete and former politician. Life and career Nool was born on 25 June 1970 in Võru. He grew up in an impoverished environment in the southern part of Võru. His father was a worker in ...

won the gold medal in

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

. * Notable athletes in Estonia:

, Gerd Kanter,

Andrus Värnik Andrus Värnik (born 27 September 1977) is a retired Estonian track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. He is a World Champion, having won gold in 2005. His personal best throw of 87.83 m, set in 2003, was the Estonian record ...

, Rasmus Mägi, Aleksander Tammert,

Pavel Loskutov Pavel Loskutov (born 2 December 1969 in Valka, Latvia) is a former Estonian long-distance runner who specialized in marathon races. He has competed in the Olympic marathon race four times consecutively, from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics to the ...

, Jüri Lossmann, Aleksander Klumberg

Basketball

Basketball is a notable sport in Estonia, and has often been called the "

national sport A national sport is a physical activity or sport that is culturally significant or deeply embedded in a nation, serving as a national symbol and an intrinsic element to a nation's identity and culture. Several sovereign states and constituent ...

of Estonia".

Estonia national basketball team The Estonia men's national basketball team () represents Estonia in international basketball matches. They are controlled by the Estonian Basketball Association. The team competed in their first international tournament at the 1936 Olympic Ga ...

participated in

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

and have appeared in

EuroBasket EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the E ...

eight times. They had twice finished EuroBasket on 5th place before Soviet occupation. Many Estonian players also represented and won medals with the Soviet team. After regaining independence, Estonia finished Eurobasket 6th in 1993. The domestic top-tier basketball championship is called the

Korvpalli Meistriliiga The Korvpalli Meistriliiga (KML) is the top-tier men's basketball league in Estonia. The league is organized by the Estonian Basketball Association and played under rules of basketball#International Rules of Basketball, FIBA rules. The competitio ...

BC Kalev/Cramo BC Kalev, also known as BC Kalev/Cramo for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Tallinn, Estonia. The team plays in the Korvpalli Meistriliiga (KML), the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League and the FIBA Europe Cup. Their ...

has the best results in the recent years, while University of Tartu team has won the league a record 26 times. Estonian clubs also participate in European and regional competitions. Estonia will co-host the, EuroBasket in

2029 Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 – Books, films and other works published in 1933 will enter the public domain. * March – The 2029 Special Olympics World Winter Games are scheduled to be held in Switzerland. * April 13 &n ...

along with Greece, Slovenia and Spain marking the first time they have hosted the EuroBasket.

Beach volleyball

Kristjan Kais Kristjan Kais (born 3 March 1976) is a retired Estonian beach volleyball player. With teammate Rivo Vesik, he represented Estonia in beach volleyball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, pre ...

and

Rivo Vesik Rivo Vesik (born 15 July 1980 in Pärnu) is a former Estonian beach volleyball player and current beach volleyball coach. With teammate Kristjan Kais, he represented Estonia in beach volleyball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China ...

have playing at the FIVB World Tour. In

, they won Zagreb Open and competed at the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...

. Their best result from

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

was 5th. Estonia featured national teams in

beach volleyball Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two to four players each on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side o ...

that competed at the

2018–2020 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup The 2018–2020 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup were a beach volleyball double-gender event. Teams representing European countries were split into groups of four, where an elimination bracket determined the two teams to advance to the next stag ...

in both the women's and the men's sections.

Cricket

The Estonia Cricket Association (ECA) was formed in 2007 and became members of the

International Cricket Council The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the global Sports governing body, governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England, and South Africa. In 1965, the body wa ...

in 2008. The ECA runs Men's and Women's leagues, playing 40-40, T20 and Super 8's competitions. It has member clubs in

and

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...

is also home to a unique variant of the game in Ice cricket. The Ice Cricket World Championship was held annually in the Estonian city of

played upon the surface of a frozen lake.

Cycling

Jaan Kirsipuu Jaan Kirsipuu (born 17 July 1969) is an Estonian former road bicycle racer, who currently works as a directeur sportif for UCI Continental team . He spent the majority of his career riding under the management of Vincent Lavenu, initially joini ...

has been the best Estonian road bicycle racer. He has won 4

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

stages and 1

Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...

stage. Kirsipuu also wore the

yellow jersey The general classification of the Tour de France is the most important classification of the race and determines the winner of the race. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification has worn the yellow jersey ( ). History For the first t ...

for six days in the

1999 Tour de France The 1999 Tour de France was a multiple stage bicycle race held from 3 to 25 July, and the 86th edition of the Tour de France. It has no overall winner—although American cyclist Lance Armstrong originally won the event, the United States Ant ...

. *

Erika Salumäe Erika Salumäe (born 11 June 1962) is an Estonian track bicycle racer who won the first Olympic gold medal for Estonia after the country regained independence in 1991. Salumäe was born in Pärnu, Estonia. She trained at VSS Kalev in Tallinn ...

is an Estonian track bicycle racer who won the first Olympic gold medal for Estonia after the country regained its independence in 1991. *

Tanel Kangert Tanel Kangert (born 11 March 1987) is an Estonian former road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional from 2008 to 2022. Early life Kangert was born in Vändra, Estonia. He attended kindergarten alongside fellow Estonian cyclist Rein Taara ...

has finished inside top 20 all the three Grand Tours - 13th place in

2013 Giro d'Italia The 2013 Giro d'Italia was the 96th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours. It started in Naples and finished in Brescia. Vincenzo Nibali of team Astana (cycling team), Astana won the General classific ...

, 11th place in

2013 Vuelta a España The 2013 Vuelta a España was the 68th edition of the race. Chris Horner won the 2013 Vuelta at the age of 41 on 15 September 2013, becoming the oldest ever Grand Tour winner. Horner beat his nearest challenger, Italian Vincenzo Nibali, by finis ...

and 20th place in

2014 Tour de France The 2014 Tour de France was the 101st edition of the race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The race included 21 stages, starting in Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom, on 5 July and finishing on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 27 July. The race ...

. In

he helped

Vincenzo Nibali Vincenzo Nibali (; born 14 November 1984) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional from 2005 to 2022. He is one of seven cyclists who have won all three of cycling's Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours i ...

to take the first place in General classification. *

Rein Taaramäe Rein Taaramäe (born 24 April 1987) is an Estonian professional road racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Continental team . Career Cofidis (2008–14) Taaramäe turned professional in 2008 for after riding for the team as a stagiaire in late 20 ...

finished the

2011 Tour de France The 2011 Tour de France was the 98th edition of Tour de France, the race. It started on 2 July at the Passage du Gois and ended on the Champs-Élysées stage in the Tour de France, Champs-Élysées in Paris on 24 July. The cyclists competed in 2 ...

in 11th place and won the 14th stage of

2011 Vuelta a España The 2011 Vuelta a España was held from 20 August to 11 September. The bicycle race began in Benidorm with a team time trial and ended, as is traditional, in Madrid. The 2011 Vuelta was the 66th edition of the race and was the first Vuelta in 33 ...

. He also held the white jersey for Stage 8 and 9 in the

2012 Tour de France The 2012 Tour de France was the 99th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours. It started in the Belgian city of Liège on 30 June and finished on the Champs-Élysées stage in the Tour de France, Champs ...

. * Aavo Pikkuus won 1976 Olympic gold medal with Soviet Union team time trial event.

Disc golf

Kristin Tattar Kristin may refer to: * Kristin (name), a Scandinavian form of Christine * ''Kristin'' (TV series), a 2001 American sitcom * Kristin Peak, Antarctica * Kristin School, a school in New Zealand See also * Kristen (disambiguation) Kristen may re ...

is Estonia’s most successful disc golfer of all time, and in 2022 she achieved the highest

PDGA The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and sustainable growth of disc golf. The PDGA is the global governing body of disc golf. The organization promotes the ...

rating of any Estonian female. She is the 2022 and 2023 Women's Professional Disc Golf Champion, and has also achieved the highest PDGA rating among all female athletes.

Fencing

Épée The (, ; ), also rendered as epee in English, is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. The modern derives from the 19th-century , a weapon which itself derives from the French small sword. This contains a ...

fencing Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: Foil (fencing), foil, épée, and Sabre (fencing), sabre (also spelled ''saber''), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fe ...

has been very successful for Estonia in the past few decades. Oksana Jermakova became the first fencing World Champion for Estonia winning Individual épée in

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

Irina Embrich Irina Embrich, née Zamkovaja (born 12 July 1980) is an Estonian left-handed épée fencer. Embrich is the 2024 individual European champion, a two-time team European champion, and a 2017 team world champion. A two-time Olympian, Embrich is a 20 ...

has won the most total medals for Estonia.

Nikolai Novosjolov Nikolai Novosjolov (born 9 June 1980) is an Estonian right-handed épée fencer, two-time individual world champion, and four-time Olympian. Novosjolov competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the 2012 Lond ...

became the world champion in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

and

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

. At 2013 Championships

Julia Beljajeva Julia Beljajeva (born 21 July 1992) is an Estonian right-handed épée fencer. Beljajeva is a two-time team European champion, 2017 team world champion, and 2013 individual world champion. A two-time Olympian, Beljajeva is a 2021 team Olympic ...

also won the gold medal. At the

2018 European Championships The 2018 European Championships were the first edition of the European Championships (multi-sport event), European Championships. It was a multi-sport event which took place in Berlin, Germany, and Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom (with Edinburg ...

Estonian women took a triple win in the individual épée. Both women's and men's épée teams have won championship medals. Women's épée team became the Olympic champions at the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

. Estonia has won 17

World Fencing Championships The World Fencing Championships is an annual competition in fencing organized by the International Fencing Federation. Contestants may participate in Foil (fencing), foil, épée, and Sabre (fencing), sabre events. History The FIE first organiz ...

medals and several

European Fencing Championships The European Fencing Championships is an annual top-level European fencing competition organized by the European Fencing Confederation. History The first competition bearing the name of "European Fencing Championships" was held in Paris in 1921 ...

medals. * Notable fencers in Estonia:

, Sven Järve, Oksana Jermakova,

Kaido Kaaberma Kaido Kaaberma (born 18 November 1968) is an Estonian épée fencer. Kaaberma won the bronze medal in the épée individual competition at the 1999 World Fencing Championships. He won a silver medal in 2001 with the Estonian épée team at the ...

Erika Kirpu Erika Kirpu (born 22 June 1992) is an Estonian right-handed épée fencer. Kirpu was born in Moscow to an Estonian father and a Russian mother of Ukrainian descent. Kirpu is a two-time team European champion and 2017 team world champion. A two ...

Kristina Kuusk Kristina Kuusk (born 16 November 1985) is an Estonian épée fencer. Career Kuusk began fencing in 1992, coached by Helen Nelis-Naukas, Boris Joffe and Kaido Kaaberma. From 2017, Kuusk began training under Peeter Nelis. She has won team épé ...

Katrina Lehis Katrina Lehis (born 19 December 1994) is an Estonian left-handed épée fencer, 2018 individual European champion, 2021 team Olympic champion, and 2021 individual Olympic bronze medalist. Career Lehis began fencing in 2004. Coached by Helen Ne ...

and Maarika Võsu.

Floorball

Estonia men's national floorball team has been successful at the

with best result 7th and multiple 8th places.

Football

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

is one of the most popular sports in Estonia by number of active players, although nothing special has been achieved. Estonia advanced to the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying play-offs.

Freestyle skiing

Kelly Sildaru won women's slopestyle at 2015 Dew tour. At just 13 years old, Kelly Sildaru might be the smallest competitor in the field, but she brought the biggest run of the contest, spinning all four directions and showcasing technicality on the rails in the process. On the jumps, Kelly landed a switch right 900, right corked 720, switch left 900 and left 720, and the judges rewarded her with a 90.80 to put her into 1st place. Kelly won Gold in the slopestyle event in the 2016 Winter X Games beating Tiril Sjåstad Christiansen. With this win, at age 13, Kelly became the youngest gold medalist to date at an X Games winter event. She was the gold medal favorite for the women's slopestyle event in 2018 Winter Olympics, but missed competing in the Games because of a knee injury. Her later career has not been so successful, but she managed to win bronze medal at the 2022 Olympics

Ice hockey

Ice hockey in Estonia is governed by the

Estonian Ice Hockey Association The Estonian Ice Hockey Association () is the national governing body of ice hockey in Estonia. Estonian membership in the International Ice Hockey Federation dated back to the 1930s, which had expired after the annexation of these countries by t ...

(Eesti Jäähokiliit). The top-tier league of men's

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

in Estonia is the

Meistriliiga Meistriliiga (), officially known as A. Le Coq Premium Liiga for sponsorship reasons, and commonly known as the Premium Liiga, is the highest division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. The league was founded i ...

(also known as ''Coolbet Hokiliiga'' for sponsorship reasons). The top-tier league of women's ice hockey in Estonia is the Naiste Hokiliiga.

Judo

Judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

is one of the most successful field of sport for Estonia. Since 1996, Estonia has won several medals in major international competitions. * 3 Olympic medals ** 3 Bronze medals:

and

. * 4

World Judo Championships The World Judo Championships are the highest level of international judo competition, next to the quadrennial judo events at the Summer Olympic Games. The world championships are held by the International Judo Federation annually, except the c ...

medals ** 3 Silver medals:

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

and bronze medal in 2003. * 15

European Judo Championships The European Judo Championships is the Judo European Championship organized by the European Judo Union. The 2015 European Judo Championships, 2015 and 2019 European Judo Championships, 2019 editions were held during the respective European Games. ...

medals. *

Indrek Pertelson Indrek Pertelson (born 21 April 1971) is an Estonian former international judoka. At the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics he won bronze medals in the men's Heavyweight (+100 kg) category. He has won the gold medal in the 1996 European Judo Cha ...

, Aleksei Budõlin and

Martin Padar Martin Padar (born 11 April 1979 in Tallinn, Estonia) is an Estonian judoka, who has competed in the men's half heavyweight (100 kg) and later in the heavyweight (+100 kg) category. A 2009 European champion, he has also competed at t ...

are the most famous Judo athletes in Estonia in the past years.

Motocross

Tanel Leok Tanel Leok (born 1 June 1985) is an Estonians, Estonian professional motocross racer. He has competed in the Motocross World Championships since 2001. Early life Tanel was born in Võru, Estonia and currently resides in Balen, Belgium. His fathe ...

is an Estonian

motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...

racer competing in the

Motocross World Championship The FIM Motocross World Championship is the premier championship of motocross racing, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), divided into two distinct classes: MXGP and MX2. Race duration is 30 minutes plus two laps ...

in MX1 class.

Racing

Paul Aron Paul Aron (; born 4 February 2004) is an Estonian racing driver who serves as a reserve driver in Formula One for Alpine F1 Team, Alpine. Aron most recently competed in the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship for Hitech Grand Prix, Hitech. Aron pr ...

is an Estonian racing driver. He finished third in the

FIA Formula 2 Championship The FIA Formula 2 Championship (F2) is a second-tier single-seater championship organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Held on road racing, racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the re ...

driving with

Hitech Grand Prix Hitech Grand Prix (formerly Hitech Racing, currently racing as Hitech TGR for sponsorship reasons) is a British motor racing team. It was founded by Dennis Rushen and David Hayle in 2002 and relaunched by Oliver Oakes in 2015. Currently, Hite ...

. Paul is currently a reserve driver for

Alpine F1 Team Alpine F1 Team, currently racing as BWT Alpine F1 Team for sponsorship reasons, is the name under which the Enstone-based Formula One team has been competing since the start of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. Formerly named Renault F1 ...

. *

Ralf Aron Ralf Aron (born 21 March 1998) is an Estonian racing driver, who currently competes in the 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship driving for Lone Star Racing. He previously competed in the 2024 GT World Challenge Asia driving for Climax Racing. Care ...

is an Estonian racing driver. He became champion in the

Italian F4 Championship Italian Formula 4 Championship is the first formula racing series regulated according to Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA Formula 4 regulations. The inaugural season was the 2014 Italian F4 Championship, effectively replacing the F ...

in 2015. *

Marko Asmer Marko Asmer (born 30 July 1984) is an Estonian former racing driver, who won the British Formula 3 Championship title in 2007. Asmer is also the first Estonian to test a Formula One car, having tested for the Williams BMW team in 2003, after ...

is an Estonian auto racing driver, whose career in

single seater An open-wheel car is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have their wheels below the body or inside fend ...

junior formula is notable for his British Formula Three Championship title in 2007. Asmer is also the first Estonian racing driver to test a

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

car. *

Tõnis Kasemets Tõnis Kasemets (born March 17, 1974) is an Estonian racing driver and a former competitor in the CART Champ Car World Series. He won the 2022 IMSA Prototype Challenge championship. Career Kasemets started racing karts in 1982, winning the Bal ...

is an Estonia racing driver. He has driven in

Champ Car World Series Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), ...

. His maiden achievement is the 2022 IMSA Prototype Challenge championship title. *

Kevin Korjus Kevin Korjus (born 9 January 1993) is an Estonian former racing driver. Career Karting Kevin Korjus was born in Tallinn, the son of former sidecarcross racer Aivar Korjus. He made his pan-European karting début in 2006, competing in the Rotax M ...

is an Estonian racing driver. He won the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship in 2010 and finished seventh in the

GP3 Series The GP3 Series, or GP3 for short, was a single-seater motor racing series launched in 2010 as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, introduced by GP2 organiser Bruno Michel. GP3 followed the entire European leg of the Formula One series and the ...

in 2013. *

Sten Pentus Sten Pentus (born 3 November 1981 in Tallinn) is an Estonian racing driver. He is a former Estonian Formula 4 Champion, and a previous winner of the Formula Baltic championship in a Reynard 903. At the end of the 2008 season, Pentus tested for ...

is an Estonian racing driver who competed in

Blancpain Sprint Series The GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) with the approval of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Born as the FIA GT Series in 2013, it was spo ...

. * Martin Rump is an Estonian racing driver and currently competing in

European Le Mans Series The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...

. He is the only Estonian who has competed

24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans () is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the city of Le Mans, France. It is widely considered to be one of the world's most prestigious races, and is one of the races—along with ...

. *

Jüri Vips Jüri Vips (; born 10 August 2000) is an Estonian racing driver. He most recently competed part-time in the NTT IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, driving the No. 75 Dallara IR-18. He has previously driven in both the FIA Formul ...

is an Estonian racing driver. Vips became champion of

2017 ADAC Formula 4 Championship The 2017 ADAC Formula 4 Championship was the third season of the ADAC Formula 4. It began on 29 April at Oschersleben and finished on 24 September at Hockenheim after seven triple header rounds. Teams and drivers In December 2016, ten teams and t ...

. He is currently competing in the

IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies sinc ...

with

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) is an auto racing team that has participated in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IndyCar Series. Headquartered in Zionsville, Indiana and Hilliard, Ohio, it is co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 50 ...

Rallying

Rallying became popular in Estonia during the Soviet time and it is still one the most popular sports in

. Legendary Estonian rally drivers like Heino Sepp,

Heiki Ohu Heiki Ohu (23 June 1943 – 28 December 2021) was an Estonian rally driver. He started rallying in 1970 under the guidance of Väino Touart. Heiki participated in European Rally Championship and in the World Rally Championship. Heiki Ohu achieved ...

, Vello Õunpuu, Joel Tammeka and many more, achieved good results compiting in the Soviet Union. These drivers made rallying very popular among Estonians. Every year there was Soviet Union National Rally Team where half of the rally drivers were from Estonia.

Markko Märtin Markko Märtin (born 10 November 1975 in Tartu) is a retired rally driver from Estonia, who competed in the World Rally Championship from 2000 until 2005. Career Märtin, as understudy to then-team mates Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz, rose to p ...

was the first Estonian to win

WRC WRC may refer to: Broadcasting stations * WRC-TV, a television station (virtual channel 4, digital channel 34) licensed to Washington, D.C., United States * Several radio stations in the Washington, D.C. area: ** WWRC, a radio station (570 AM) l ...

event, attracting Estonian rally fans more and more.

Ott Tänak Ott Tänak (; born 15 October 1987) is an Estonian rally driver and the 2019 World Rally Champion. He is currently teamed with Martin Järveoja and is competing for Hyundai Motorsport in the World Rally Championship. Tänak achieved his maiden ...

is the first Estonian to win the World Rally Championship title in 2019. Estonian WRC event,

Rally Estonia Rally Estonia is a rallying event organised each year in Estonia. It is the largest and most high-profile motorsport event in the country and runs on smooth gravel roads in the south of the country, some of which are purpose-built for the rally. ...

, gathers thousands of rally fans to watch top level drivers compiting. *

was the first Estonian who won a number of rallies in the

World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is an international rallying series owned and governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA. Inaugurated in 1973, it is the oldest FIA world championship after Formula One. E ...

. Markko has scored 5

WRC victories WRC may refer to: Broadcasting stations * WRC-TV WRC-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Washington, D.C., serving as the market's NBC outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside C ...

, total of 18 podium finishes, 207 points and 101 stage wins. In

, he finished the season with 3rd place. Markko was one of the best rally drivers, but retired after an accident in 2005. Rally fans from Estonia continued to be interested in WRC, visiting

Rally Finland Rally Finland (formerly known as the Neste Rally Finland, Neste Oil Rally Finland, 1000 Lakes Rally and Rally of the Thousand Lakes; , ) is a rallying, rally competition in the Finnish Lakeland in Central Finland. The rally is driven on wide an ...

and other rallies. *

is 2019 WRC Champion, and

Martin Järveoja Martin Järveoja (; born 18 August 1987) is an Estonian rally co-driver. He is currently teamed with Ott Tänak and is competing for Hyundai Motorsport in the World Rally Championship. Rally career He is the son of Estonian politician Toomas ...

won the FIA World Rally Championship for Co-Drivers that season. Previously Tänak had repeated Märtin's achievement by finishing 3rd overall in

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

, winning his fifth rally in August 2018 and eventually surpassing Märtin by winning his sixth rally in September 2018. Tänak also finished 3rd overall in

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, winning three rallies in a row and mathematically still being in the title race at the last rally of the season. He was the highest pointscorer for

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team is a competitor of the World Rally Championship (WRC) based in Finland, serving as the entry for the car manufacturer Toyota. Its team principal is former WRC driver Jari-Matti Latvala and its drivers for ...

that season, who won the Manufacturer's Championship that season. *

was added to the

calendar from 2020.

Rowing

Rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

is a popular sport in Estonia. One reason is

Jüri Jaanson Jüri Jaanson (born 14 October 1965) is the most successful Estonian rower of all time and the winner of five medals at World Rowing Championships. Biography Jaanson was born in Tartu, and had to overcome a particularly challenging childhood ...

, but there are also other well-known rowers in Estonia. Between 2004 and 2009, Estonia scored at least one medal in major international competition in every year:

, and

. After six years Estonia won bronze medal in

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

Tõnu Endrekson Tõnu Endrekson (born 11 June 1979) is an Estonian rower. He is a five-time Olympic finalist and dual Olympic medal winner. He was fourth in the double sculls event with Leonid Gulov at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and won a silver medal ...

Andrei Jämsä Andrei Jämsä (born 14 February 1982) is an Estonian rower. Due to a back injury he could not compete in 2007. He is a member of rowing club ''Pärnu Sõudeklubi'' (Pärnu Rowing Club) located in Pärnu. Junior years Jämsä was born in Pärn ...

Allar Raja Allar Raja (born 22 June 1983) is an Estonian rower. He is a member of rowing club ''SK Kalev'' located in Pärnu. Rowing career 2000–2008 Raja competed in the World Rowing Junior Championships in 2000 in the quadruple sculls event (19th) an ...

and

Kaspar Taimsoo Kaspar Taimsoo (born 30 April 1987) is an Estonian rower. He is a four time Olympian and four time European champion. He is a member of Viljandi Rowing Club (). Rowing career 2004–2008 Taimsoo made his first international appearance in the Ju ...

have also won an Olympic medal.

Sailing

Twin brothers Tõnu Tõniste and Toomas Tõniste competed in four consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1988. They won a silver and a bronze medal in the Men's 470 Class, for the Soviet Union (silver, 1988) and for Estonia (bronze, 1992).

Skiing

Skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...

is very popular in Estonia.

Otepää Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia (in contrast to the "summer ca ...

is a popular skiing resort. Otepää is also known as the "winter capital" of Estonia (in contrast to the "summer capital"

Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth-largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second-largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of ...

). It is also the annual Cross-country skiing World Cup event. The 2011 Nordic Junior World Ski Championships was held in Otepää also. In 2000,

Raul Olle Raul Olle (born 23 January 1968 in Tartu) is an Estonian cross-country skier. He represented Estonia at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano and at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. In 2000 he also won the Vasaloppet (Swedish langua ...

won

Vasaloppet (Swedish language, Swedish for 'the Vasa race') is an annual long distance cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country ski race held on the first Sunday of March. The course starts in the village of :sv:Berga, Malung-Sälens kommun, Berga, jus ...

, which is amongst the oldest, longest, and biggest cross-country ski races in the world. In 1999 Estonian skiing found success at international level, winning medals at

. Estonia has won 4 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medal at the

Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held in ...

. * Olympic medals:

, and

. *

medals:

, and

Andrus Veerpalu Andrus Veerpalu (born 8 February 1971) is a retired Estonian cross-country skier. He is Estonia's most successful Winter Olympian, having won the gold medal in men's 15 km classical in 2002 and 2006, and silver in men's 50 km classic ...

, Kristina Šmigun-Vähi and

Jaak Mae Jaak Mae (born February 25, 1972) is an Estonian cross-country skier who has competed since 1994. He won a bronze in the 15 km event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Mae won a silver medal in the 15 km event at the 2003 ...

are some of the most popular athletes in Estonia.

Speed skating

Ants Antson Ants Antson (11 November 1938 – 31 October 2015) was an Estonian speed skater who competed for the Soviet Union. Biography Antson trained at the Kalev Voluntary Sports Society. Coached by former World, Olympic, and European Champion Boris S ...

(competing for the Soviet Union) won a gold medal at the

1964 Winter Olympics The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Innsbruck 1964 (), were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964. The city was a ...

in Innsbruck, Austria for the 1500m. The same year he became the European Allround Champion and received the Oscar Mathisen Award.

Swimming

Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

is a popular sport among Estonians. Estonian athletes have found some success at the

European Short Course Swimming Championships The European Short Course Swimming Championships, variously referred to informally as the "Short Course Europeans" or "European 25m Championships", are a swimming meet, organized by LEN. The meet features swimmers from Europe, competing in event ...

–

Indrek Sei Indrek Sei (born 26 July 1972 in Tallinn) is a former freestyle swimmer from Estonia. He competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics for his native country, starting in 1992. Sei won the bronze medal in the 100m Individual Medley at the Euro ...

, Jane Trepp, Triin Aljand and Martti Aljand have won medals in the past years. * Triin Aljand won first long course swimming medal for Estonia in Debrecen 2012.

Tennis

Kaia Kanepi Kaia Kanepi (; born 10 June 1985) is an Estonian inactive professional tennis player. She achieved her career-high ranking of world No. 15 on 20 August 2012 and has won four singles titles on the WTA Tour. Described as a 'resident Grand Slam up ...

is an

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

professional female

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

player. Her career-high ranking was set at World No. 16 on 7 February 2011. Kanepi won her first WTA Tour Title in

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

in 2010, becoming the first Estonian female player to win a WTA title. She has also reached six Grand Slam Quarter-finals, becoming the first Estonian to achieve this and was the first Estonian to be ranked in the top twenty. *

Jürgen Zopp Jürgen Zopp (born 29 March 1988) is an Estonian retired tennis player. He is Estonia's all-time highest ranked male tennis player with a career-high singles ranking of World No. 71 in 2012. Career Zopp started playing tennis at the age of 6 a ...

made a breakthrough on the ATP tour in 2012, qualifying for the main draws of each the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon, and achieving his first main draw ATP tournament win in Bucharest, establishing himself as a top-100 player in the world rankings. *

Anett Kontaveit Anett Kontaveit (; born 24 December 1995) is an Estonian former professional tennis player. She was WTA rankings, ranked as high as world No. 2 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), which she first achieved on 6 June 2022 to become the highes ...

has won six singles titles on the WTA tour as well as eleven singles and five doubles titles on the ITF tour during her career. In June 2022, she reached her best singles ranking of world number 2, becoming the first Estonian singles player to reach the top 10 and highest-ranked of all time.

Volleyball

* The

Estonia men's national volleyball team The Estonia men's national volleyball team () is controlled by the Estonian Volleyball Federation (''Eesti Võrkpalli Liit'') and represents Estonia in international volleyball competitions. The team has reached the European Championshi ...

finished the 2009 European Volleyball Championship in 14th place, the 2011 European Volleyball Championship in 12th place and the 2015 European Volleyball Championship in 11th place.

Weightlifting

Weightlifting Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can ...

was one of the most successful field of sport for Estonia in the past. Alfred Neuland competed in the 1920 and 1924 Olympics and won a gold and a silver medal, respectively, becoming the first Olympic gold medalist from Estonia. Alfred Schmidt was a featherweight weightlifter who won a silver medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

Arnold Luhaäär Arnold Luhaäär (20 October 1905 – 19 January 1965) was an Estonian heavyweight weightlifter. He competed in the 1928 and 1936 Olympic Games and won a silver and a bronze medal, respectively. He missed the 1932 games because Estonia could not ...

competed in the 1928 and 1936 Olympics and won a silver and a bronze medal, respectively.

Jaan Talts Jaan Talts (born 19 May 1944) is a former Estonian weightlifter. He competed for the Soviet Union at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics and won a silver and a gold medal, respectively. Throughout his career, Talts won two world and four European titles ...

won a silver medal in weightlifting for the

at the 1968 Olympic games and a gold medal at the 1972 Olympic games. * Other notable weightlifters in Estonia: Jaan Kikkas, Harald Tammer and Mart Seim.

Wrestling

Wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

was the most successful and also very popular Olympic event for Estonia between 1920 and 1936. In

Heiki Nabi Heiki Nabi (born 6 June 1985) is an Estonian Olympic champion Greco-Roman wrestler. Nabi was born in Hilleste, Hiiumaa. At the 2006 World Wrestling Championships he won the gold medal in the men's Greco-Roman (96 kg) category and becam ...

became the first

amateur wrestling Amateur wrestling is a variant of wrestling practiced at Olympic Games, Olympic, Collegiate wrestling, collegiate, Scholastic wrestling, scholastic, and other levels. There are two international wrestling styles performed at the Olympic Games, fr ...

World Champion for Estonia. At the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, Nabi won the silver medal in the Men's Greco-Roman 120 kg. Nabi continued his great career winning second gold medal at 2013 World Championships and bronze medal at 2014 World Championships. * Notable wrestlers in Estonia:

Aleksander Aberg Aleksander Richard Aberg ( – 15 February 1920) was an Estonian professional Greco-Roman and free-style wrestling world champion of the early 20th century. He took part in the World Heavyweight Championship and was one of the three most famous ...

, Georg Baumann,

Georg Hackenschmidt Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt (1 August 1877 – 19 February 1968) was an Estonian strongman, amateur and professional wrestler, writer, and sports philosopher who is recognized as professional wrestling's first world heavyweight champion. ...

, Georg Lurich, Oskar Kaplur,

Osvald Käpp Osvald Käpp (17 February 1905 – 22 December 1995) was an Estonian wrestler who competed in freestyle and Greco-Roman lightweight events at the 1924, 1928 and 1932 Summer Olympics. He won the freestyle contest in 1928 and served as the Olympic ...

, Martin Klein,

Anton Koolmann Anton Koolmann (11 September 1899 – 29 June 1953) was a wrestler and coach from Kuusalu Parish, Estonia who took part at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Career 1924 after winning Estonian Greco-Roman wrestling National Championship ...

Johannes Kotkas Johannes Kotkas (3 February 1915 – 8 May 1998) was a heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler from Estonia who won a gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He held the European title in 1938, 1939 and 1947 and placed second at the 1953 world champion ...

, Jaan Jaago, Albert Kusnets,

August Neo August "Ago" Neo (12 February 1908 – 19 August 1982) was an Estonian wrestler who won two medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics: a silver medal in the freestyle wrestling and a bronze in Greco-Roman wrestling. His achievements were underscored by ...

Eduard Pütsep Eduard Pütsep (21 October 1898 – 22 August 1960) was an Estonian wrestler. He competed in Greco-Roman wrestling in the 1920, 1924 and 1928 Olympics and won a gold medal in the bantamweight division in 1924, becoming the first Olympic champion ...

Voldemar Väli Voldemar Väli (10 January 1903 – 13 April 1997) was an Estonian two-time Olympic medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling. Career Voldemar Väli was born in Kuressaare, on the island of Saaremaa. He began training in wrestling at age 17, and four ...

and female wrestler

Epp Mäe Epp Mäe (born 2 April 1992) is an Estonian Freestyle wrestling, freestyle wrestler. She won the silver medal in the 2021 World Wrestling Championships – Women's freestyle 76 kg, women's 76 kg event at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships he ...

. *

Kristjan Palusalu Kristjan Palusalu (until 1935 Kristjan Trossmann, – 17 July 1987) was an Estonian heavyweight wrestler and Olympic winner. Palusalu became the first and only wrestler in Olympic history ever to win both the Greco-Roman and freestyle heavy ...

is one of the most well-known athletes in Estonia even though he competed 80 years ago in the

Other sports

Sumo wrestling is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a '' rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring ('' dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by ...

hasn't been popular in Estonia, but Baruto found real success in this sport. *

Margus Hunt Margus Hunt (born 14 July 1987) is an Estonian former professional American football defensive end. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. He played college football at SMU. He also played for the I ...

is an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

, playing in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He was junior world champion in shot put and discus throw, having never played football before starting university in the US. *

Andrus Murumets Andrus Murumets (born 20 July 1978) is an Estonian strongman and entrant to the World's Strongest Man contest. He reached 5th in the World Rankings according to the IFSA rankings in 2008. Andrus competed in the IFSA World Championships in 2005 ...

is an Estonian strongman. He won

Strongman Champions League The Strongman Champions League is a Strongman competition circuit, with several Grand Prix events throughout the year and the Strongman Champions League overall champion title going to the overall winner at the end of the season. Competitors in ...

in 2009. *

Kiiking Kiiking () is a sport which involves a person making a swing gain increasingly more momentum, to pass over the spindle with the longest shafts possible. It was invented in Estonia by Ado Kosk in 1993; in Estonian, ''kiik'' means a swing. In a ...

, a relatively new sport, was invented in 1996 by Ado Kosk in Estonia. Kiiking involves a modified swing in which the rider of the swing tries to go around 360 degrees. * Estonia has also won many medals in

ice yachting An iceboat (occasionally spelled ice boat or traditionally called an ice yacht) is a recreational or competition sailing craft supported on metal runners for traveling over ice. One of the runners is steerable. Originally, such craft were boats ...

competitions. * Estonian sportsmen have also won several medals at

inshore powerboat racing Inshore powerboat racing is a form of water-based motorsport using powerboats in sheltered or inland stretches of water, including lakes, rivers, docks and sheltered bays. It is often referred to as circuit powerboat racing because of the frequen ...

championships. *Robin Kool, also known as

Ropz Robin Kool (born 22 December 1999), better known as ropz, is an Estonian professional ''Counter-Strike 2'' player for Team Vitality. Kool has played in eleven Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championships, Majors, winning the PGL Major An ...

, is a professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player, joining

Mousesports Mouz (stylized as MOUZ), formerly mousesports, is a professional esports organisation based in Germany. It fields teams in several games but is particularly known for its '' CS2'' team. MOUZ was one of the founding members of the G7 Teams. H ...

at the age of 17.

International championships hosted by Estonia

Gallery

Gallery of famous Estonian sportspeople

References

External links

Homepage of Estonian Olympic Committee
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sport In Estonia *Estonia