Estonia at the Olympics

I've often wondered if anyone one won an Olympic medal for both Estonia and the Soviet Union. I've asked a few Estonians, but none of them have known. Perhaps they lack my interest in obscure and completely pointless trivia! Well, after some exhaustive research (i.e 5 minutes clicking around Wikipedia!) I have discovered that it has indeed happened. Erika Salumäe won a gold medal for the Soviet Union in Track Cycling in the 1988 Barcelona games, and then matched the feat in Seoul in 1992 as an Estonian. Remember that one, it's sure to be the clincher at the next pub trivia night you go to!

I thought that there may have been a someone who won a medal in the prewar period, and then in the early soviet times. When I looked at Wikipedia I thought I was onto something, as Estonia won 7 medals at the 1936 Berlin games. Then I realised that there was a heck of a lot of time before the next Olympics, because of the disruption caused by a little thing called the Second World War. And even after the war, many Estonians had other things to do, like working in labour camps. The Wikipedia entry for Kristjan Palusalu is a movie in itself. I especially like the bit about him being the model for the Bronze Soldier.

Getting back to these Olympics, look out for Gert Kanter in the Discus tomorrow. He's the current world champion and a really good chance to take Estonia's first gold medal, and second overall of these games. Eesti already has a silver in the Mens Pairs Rowing, where they were beaten by Aussies Drew Ginn and Duncan Free. That race was the perfect result for me, my home country winning, and my current adopted country coming in second (and they edged out the Kiwis!!) I must say that I get more excited about an Estonian doing well than an Aussie. Not because I've become less patriotic since I've lived in Tallinn (though god knows I'm glad to avoid the Aussie only TV coverage and shouts of Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi). It's just the fact that being a small country, Estonia doesn't feature so much, and it seems a real achievement when they do well. So if you see an Estonian while you're watching th games, cheer them on. I will be.