Viljar Loor

Viljar Loor, probably the best Estonian volleyball player ever, took up volleyball when he was 10-years-old and was coached by his father Valdur, who was also known as a volleyball player and referee in Estonia. In 1970, Loor débuted at the Estonian SSR Championships and in the same year won the Soviet junior championships as a member of the Estonian SSR junior team. In 1971 and 1973 Loor helped Soviets win the European junior championships, being named captain of the Soviet junior team in 1971. Until 1975 and in 1983-1985, Loor played with Kalev Tallinn, from 1975 until 1983 he played with CSKA Moskva and he finished his sporting career in 1985-1986 with Autobussikoondis Tallinn. With CSKA Moskva, Loor won seven Soviet titles (1975, 1976, 1979-1983), the Soviet Cup in 1982, and the European Champions League in 1982. He also won Estonian SSR championships in 1974, 1985 and 1986. Internationally, Loor played with the Soviet national team from 1975-1983 and won Olympic gold in 1980, World Championships in 1978 and 1982, the World Cup in 1977 and 1981, European Championships in 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981 and 1983 and the European Cup in 1975, 1977, 1982 and 1983. After finishing his sporting career, Loor worked as the vice director of Tartu Agro, an Estonian SSR state agricultural concern and after the fall of the Soviet Union he and his brother Heldur, who was also a national level volleyball player, established their own building construction firm. From 2008 until his death, Loor was also the president of Estonian Olympians Association.