Estonia (EST)

Overview

NOCEesti Olümpiakomitee
Flagbearers50

Participants

Olympic Games 390
Youth Olympic Games 107
Other competitors with EST nationality 95

Description

Three Estonian athletes were members of the Russian team at the 1912 Olympic Games. As a separate nation, Estonia competed at the Olympic Games continuously from 1920 to 1936. At the 1924 Olympic Winter Games, Estonia was represented at the Opening Ceremony, but no athletes competed. They first competed at the Olympic Winter Games in 1928, and also competed in 1932 and 1936.

From 1952-88, Estonia was a republic of the USSR and thus did not compete as an independent nation, but many Estonian athletes competed for the Soviet Union. During this time the most successful Estonians were the fencer Svetlana Tširkova (two gold in 1968 and 1972), the weightlifter Jaan Talts (one gold and one silver in 1968 and 1972) as well as the swimmer Ivar Stukolkin, who won gold and bronze in 1980. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, Estonia declared and was granted its independence. The nation returned to the Olympic fold by competing in 1992, in both Albertville and Barcelona, and has competed at every Olympic Games and Olympic Winter Games since.

Through 2022, Estonia has won 44 Olympic medals, with 21 from 1920 to 1936. Thirteen of these were gold medals, including an emotional victory for Erika Salumäe in women’s match sprint cycling in 1992. Estonia has won 36 medals at the Summer Olympics (10 golds). At the Summer Olympics, the Estonian athlete with the best record is wrestler Kristjan Palusalu, with two medals, both golds.

Estonia first competed at the Olympic Winter Games of 1928, and also competed in 1932 and 1936. Competing continuously since 1992 Albertville, Estonia has appeared at 11 Olympic Winter Games, and has won eight medals, with four gold medals, in cross-country skiing and freestyle skiing. Estonians have competed in Alpine skiing (9 athletes), biathlon (32), cross-country skiing (42), figure skating (14), freestyle skiing (1), luge (2), Nordic combined (11), ski jumping (8), and speed skating (4).

Two Estonian cross-country skiers, Andrus Veerpalu and Kristina Šmigun-Vähi, have both won three Olympic medals, both with two golds and one silver. The other Estonian Winter Olympic medals were won by cross-country skier Jaak Mae in the 2002 men’s 15 kilometres event, and by freestyle skier Kelly Sildaru in the 2022 women’s slopestyle event.

Estonia has never hosted an Olympic Games, but in 1980, all of the sailing events of the Moscow Olympics were actually held in the Gulf of Finland off Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.

Participations by edition

Olympic Games

Edition As Men Women Total
1920 Summer Olympics Estonia 14 0 14 Results
1924 Summer Olympics Estonia 37 0 37 Results
1928 Summer Olympics Estonia 20 0 20 Results
1928 Winter Olympics Estonia 2 0 2 Results
1932 Summer Olympics Estonia 2 0 2 Results
1936 Summer Olympics Estonia 33 0 33 Results
1936 Winter Olympics Estonia 3 2 5 Results
1992 Summer Olympics Estonia 33 4 37 Results
1992 Winter Olympics Estonia 14 5 19 Results
1994 Winter Olympics Estonia 17 9 26 Results
1996 Summer Olympics Estonia 35 8 43 Results
1998 Winter Olympics Estonia 15 5 20 Results
2000 Summer Olympics Estonia 31 2 33 Results
2002 Winter Olympics Estonia 14 3 17 Results
2004 Summer Olympics Estonia 31 11 42 Results
2006 Winter Olympics Estonia 17 9 26 Results
2008 Summer Olympics Estonia 34 13 47 Results
2010 Winter Olympics Estonia 18 12 30 Results
2012 Summer Olympics Estonia 23 9 32 Results
2014 Winter Olympics Estonia 18 7 25 Results
2016 Summer Olympics Estonia 28 18 46 Results
2018 Winter Olympics Estonia 16 4 20 Results
2020 Summer Olympics Estonia 19 14 33 Results
2022 Winter Olympics Estonia 14 11 25 Results

Youth Olympic Games

Edition As Men Women Total
2010 Summer Youth Olympics Estonia 4 4 8 Results
2012 Winter Youth Olympics Estonia 9 8 17 Results
2014 Summer Youth Olympics Estonia 7 10 17 Results
2016 Winter Youth Olympics Estonia 10 7 17 Results
2018 Summer Youth Olympics Estonia 9 14 23 Results
2020 Winter Youth Olympics Estonia 15 10 25 Results

Participations by discipline

Olympic Games

Discipline (Sport) Men Women Total
Alpine Skiing (Skiing) 4 5 9 Results
Archery 1 2 3 Results
Athletics 61 16 77 Results
Badminton 1 2 3 Results
Basketball (Basketball) 8 0 8 Results
Beach Volleyball (Volleyball) 4 0 4 Results
Biathlon 18 14 32 Results
Boxing 3 0 3 Results
Canoe Sprint (Canoeing) 2 0 2 Results
Cross Country Skiing (Skiing) 27 15 42 Results
Cycling Mountain Bike (Cycling) 2 1 3 Results
Cycling Road (Cycling) 13 2 15 Results
Cycling Track (Cycling) 1 1 2 Results
Equestrian Dressage (Equestrian) 0 1 1 Results
Fencing 5 8 13 Results
Figure Skating (Skating) 7 7 14 Results
Football (Football) 11 0 11 Results
Freestyle Skiing (Skiing) 0 1 1 Results
Judo 4 0 4 Results
Luge 1 1 2 Results
Modern Pentathlon 1 0 1 Results
Nordic Combined (Skiing) 11 0 11 Results
Rhythmic Gymnastics (Gymnastics) 0 1 1 Results
Rowing 19 0 19 Results
Sailing 14 5 19 Results
Shooting 5 2 7 Results
Ski Jumping (Skiing) 8 0 8 Results
Speed Skating (Skating) 3 1 4 Results
Swimming (Aquatics) 16 7 23 Results
Table Tennis 1 0 1 Results
Tennis 0 3 3 Results
Triathlon 1 1 2 Results
Weightlifting 18 0 18 Results
Wrestling 28 1 29 Results

Youth Olympic Games

Discipline (Sport) Men Women Total
3-on-3 Ice Hockey (Ice Hockey) 3 0 3 Results
3x3 Basketball (Basketball) 4 8 12 Results
Alpine Skiing (Skiing) 2 2 4 Results
Archery 1 0 1 Results
Athletics 7 6 13 Results
Badminton 0 1 1 Results
Biathlon 7 7 14 Results
Cross Country Skiing (Skiing) 4 4 8 Results
Curling 6 6 12 Results
Cycling Road (Cycling) 0 2 2 Results
Figure Skating (Skating) 3 4 7 Results
Freestyle Skiing (Skiing) 0 1 1 Results
Judo 1 1 2 Results
Karate 0 1 1 Results
Mixed Sports 2 3 5 Results
Nordic Combined (Skiing) 4 1 5 Results
Rhythmic Gymnastics (Gymnastics) 0 1 1 Results
Rowing 0 2 2 Results
Sailing 1 1 2 Results
Ski Jumping (Skiing) 4 1 5 Results
Speed Skating (Skating) 2 0 2 Results
Swimming (Aquatics) 6 4 10 Results
Wrestling 0 1 1 Results

Medals by Games

Edition Competition Type Gold Silver Bronze Total
2006 Winter Olympics Olympic Games 3 0 0 3
1936 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 2 2 3 7
1928 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 2 1 2 5
1920 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 1 2 0 3
1924 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 1 1 4 6
2002 Winter Olympics Olympic Games 1 1 1 3
2008 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 1 1 0 2
2000 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 1 0 2 3
1992 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 1 0 1 2
2020 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 1 0 1 2
2020 Winter Youth Olympics Youth Olympic Games 1 0 0 1
2012 Winter Youth Olympics Youth Olympic Games 0 2 0 2
2004 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 0 1 2 3
2012 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 0 1 1 2
2010 Winter Olympics Olympic Games 0 1 0 1
2016 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 0 0 1 1
2018 Summer Youth Olympics Youth Olympic Games 0 0 1 1
2022 Winter Olympics Olympic Games 0 0 1 1

Medals by sport

Olympic Games

Sport Gold Silver Bronze Total
Wrestling 5 2 4 11
Cross Country Skiing 4 2 1 7
Athletics 2 1 3 6
Weightlifting 1 3 3 7
Fencing 1 0 1 2
Cycling Track 1 0 0 1
Rowing 0 2 1 3
Boxing 0 1 0 1
Judo 0 0 3 3
Sailing 0 0 2 2
Freestyle Skiing 0 0 1 1

Youth Olympic Games

Sport Gold Silver Bronze Total
Freestyle Skiing 1 0 0 1
Biathlon 0 2 0 2
Rowing 0 0 1 1

Most successful competitors

Includes medals won as part of mixed teams.

Olympic Games

Athlete Nat Gold Silver Bronze Total
Kristina Šmigun-Vähi EST 2 1 0 3
Andrus Veerpalu EST 2 1 0 3
Kristjan Palusalu EST 2 0 0 2
Alfred Neuland EST 1 1 0 2
Voldemar Väli EST 1 0 1 2
Gerd Kanter EST 1 0 1 2
Katrina Lehis EST 1 0 1 2
Erika Salumäe EST
URS
1 0 0 1
Osvald Käpp EST 1 0 0 1
Eduard Pütsep EST 1 0 0 1
Erki Nool EST 1 0 0 1
Erika Kirpu EST 1 0 0 1
Irina Embrich EST 1 0 0 1
Julia Beljajeva EST 1 0 0 1

Youth Olympic Games

Athlete Nat Gold Silver Bronze Total
Kelly Sildaru EST 1 0 0 1
Arlet Levandi EST 1 0 0 1
Marek Potšinok EST 1 0 0 1
Rene Zahkna EST 0 2 0 2
Adelina Beljajeva EST 0 1 0 1
Erik Potšinok EST 0 0 1 1
Greta Jaanson EST 0 0 1 1

IOC Members

Friedrich Akel 1928—1932
Joakim Puhk 1936—1942