Erki Nool

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 a furniture factory and his mother was in charge of the finances of a school. There were six children, with Erki the third youngest. When he was 13, from the suggestion of his father he moved to a sports-focused boarding school, where he could eat a free warm meal three times a day.{{cite news |last=Silvennoinen |first=Santtu |title=Kun köyhä Erki rantautui Suomeen, KGB oli kintereillä – tamperelaisen rakennusmestarin upea teko sai itkun silmään: "Virolaisia luultiin varkaiksi" |url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/yleisurheilu/a/f303e776-da4d-4ed6-8616-f15a87b46971 |access-date=25 June 2020 |work=Iltalehti |date=25 June 2020}}

In those days the economy was in a poor condition. When traveling to over-seas competitions, they didn't get their own cabin in the cruise ship, but instead just slept in the hallways and then competed and trained the next day. They also didn't have indoor athletics training facilities for winter. Nool was brought to tears when he was gifted a new, pristine pair of sneakers.

After Estonia became independent on 20 August 1991, Nool was vocal about his dream of competing in the Olympics as part of the Estonian team. He took part in the Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics decathlon but he ended up having to stop and pull out. Little by little he developed and by the mid-1990s he was among the top athletes in decathlon. In September 1997 he founded his own sports club and in 1998–2009 he organized international decathlon competition "Reval Hotels Cup".

When he won gold for decathlon at the 1998 Budapest European Championships, he became a sports hero. Two years later, when he won the gold medal for decathlon in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, he became a national hero. Although Nool did not place first in any individual event, his total score was the highest. There was a dramatic moment in discus throw, but luckily the competition referee decided to over-rule a judge, who had red-flagged his last and only valid attempt due to alleged step-out. The reinstatement of his 43.66-metre third throw sparked unsuccessful counter-protests from other teams. Nool took gold ahead of the Czech Roman Šebrle and American Chris Huffins.{{Cite web|url=https://sport.err.ee/1140297/tana-20-aastat-tagasi-tuli-erki-nool-sydney-olumpiavoitjaks|title=Täna 20 aastat tagasi tuli Erki Nool Sydney olümpiavõitjaks|date=28 September 2020|website=ERR}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ekjl.ee/uudised/tana-20-aastat-tagasi-erki-nool-tuli-sydney-olumpiavoitjaks/|title=Täna 20 aastat tagasi: Erki Nool tuli Sydney olümpiavõitjaks|date=28 September 2020|website=Eesti Kergejõustikuliit}}

He has been voted as Estonia's sexiest man and in the 2000s the most popular Estonian. In 2006, Nool participated as a celebrity contestant on the first season of Tantsud tähtedega, an Estonian version of Dancing with the Stars. His professional dancing partner was Ave Vardja.{{Cite web |date=20 November 2006 |title=Nool ja Vardja langesid tantsusaatest välja |url=https://www.postimees.ee/1600387/nool-ja-vardja-langesid-tantsusaatest-valja |website=Postimees}}

In 2005–2017, Erki Nool was the Vice Chairman of the EOC Athletes Commission and 2007–2011 member of the European Athletics Development Committee. 2008–2012, he was also member of the executive committee of the Estonian Olympic Committee.{{Cite web |title=Erki Nool's sports biography |url=https://esbl.ee/biograafia/Erki_Nool |access-date= |website=esbl.ee}}

On 4 March 2007, Nool was elected to the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu, representing the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica.{{Cite web|url=https://www.riigikogu.ee/?page=isikukaart&op=ems&pid=72887|title=Erki Nool politician career on Riigikogu.ee|website=Riigikogu}} He has since left politics and now focuses on his real estate business and athletics school, with 450 students.

His son Robin Nool (born in 1998) competed in pole vault with a record of 5.40 m.{{cite web |title=Robin Nool |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/estonia/robin-nool-14662809 |website=World Athletics |access-date=25 January 2022}}

Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

{{updated|May 26, 2024}}

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{{succession box

| title = Estonian Sportsman of the Year

| before = Jüri Jaanson

| after = Andrus Veerpalu

| years = 1996–1998

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{{succession box

| title = Estonian Sportsman of the Year

| before = Andrus Veerpalu

| after = Andrus Veerpalu

| years = 2000

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{{succession box

| before = Tõnu Tõniste

| title = Flagbearer for {{EST}}

| years = 2004 Athens

| after = Martin Padar

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Category:1970 births

Category:Living people

Category:Politicians from Võru County

Category:Sportspeople from Võru

Category:Estonian decathletes

Category:Estonian sportsperson-politicians

Category:Olympic athletes for Estonia

Category:Olympic gold medalists for Estonia

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Category:Isamaa politicians

Category:World Athletics Championships medalists

Category:European Athletics Championships medalists

Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)

Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Estonia

Category:Goodwill Games medalists in athletics

Category:Members of the Riigikogu, 2007–2011

Category:Members of the Riigikogu, 2011–2015

Category:Competitors at the 2001 Goodwill Games