Estonian Athlete of the Year
{{Short description|Estonian award}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox award
| name = Athlete of the Year
(Aasta Sportlane)
| current_awards =
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| description =
| presenter = Estonian Olympic Committee
| country = Estonia
| website = https://aastasportlane.eok.ee/
| most_wins = Erika Salumäe (9)
}}
The Estonian Athlete of the Year ({{langx|et|Eesti Aasta Sportlane}}) is an annual award presented by the Estonian Olympic Committee (Eesti Olümpiakomitee, EOK) to one male and one female sportsperson judged to have delivered the best performance over the course of the year. The winners of the award, which was first conceived in the 1930s and has been presented every year since 1955, are chosen by an aggregated vote from sporting journalists, national sporting federations, and the public at large.
Initially an accolade presented to one individual, the award was split into male and female categories beginning in 1967. In 2020 the two categories were merged due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the international and national sporting calendars.{{cite web|url=https://sport.postimees.ee/7122235/eesti-aasta-sportlase-valimine-loppeb-sudaool|title=HÄÄLETA {{pipe}} Algas "Aasta sportlane 2020" rahvahääletus|language=et|website=EER Sport|publisher=Eesti Rahvusringhääling|date=1 December 2020|access-date=26 December 2020}} The athlete with the most wins is cyclist Erika Salumäe, who has won the award on nine occasions.
List of award winners
File:Erika_Salumäe_(cropped).JPG (pictured in 2009) won Athlete of the Year a record nine times between 1983 and 1996]]
Cyclist Erika Salumäe has won Athlete of the Year more than any other athlete, male or female, with nine wins between 1983 and 1996. Skier Kristina Šmigun-Vähi is the second-most decorated winner, having been chosen as Female Athlete of the Year on eight occasions. Of male athletes, the most successful are weightlifter Jaan Talts, cyclist Aavo Pikkuus, and skier Andrus Veerpalu, each with five wins.{{cite web|url=https://sport.delfi.ee/news/varia/muu/eesti-spordiaasta-valimistel-on-seni-koige-rohkem-laineid-loonud-salumae-ja-smigun-vahi?id=80614089|title=Eesti spordiaasta valimistel on seni kõige rohkem laineid löönud Salumäe ja Šmigun-Vähi|language=et|website=Delfisport|first=Madis|last=Kalvet|date=27 December 2017|access-date=13 November 2020}} Pikkuus holds the record for the most consecutive awards won, achieving his five successively between 1974 and 1978.{{cite web|url=https://aastasportlane.eok.ee/varasemad-aastad|title=Varasemad aastad|language=et|trans-title=Early years|website=Aasta Sportlane|publisher=Eesti Olümpiakomitee|access-date=9 November 2020}}
The youngest ever Athlete of the Year recipient is swimmer Kaire Indrikson who won in 1977 at the age of sixteen, while Aavo Pikkuus is the youngest male winner on record, achieving the first of his five wins in 1974 at the age of twenty. With a combined age of 39 years at the time of the 1977 awards, Indrikson and Pikkuus additionally constitute the youngest pair of winners from a single year.{{cite web|url=https://sport.ohtuleht.ee/656532/mart-roosna-aasta-sportlaste-valik-margiline-nii-heas-kui-ka-mitte-nii-heas-mottes|title=Märt Roosna {{pipe}} Aasta sportlaste valik – märgiline nii heas kui ka mitte nii heas mõttes|language=et|website=Õhtuleht|first=Märt|last=Roosna|date=30 December 2014|access-date=15 November 2020}} Chess player Paul Keres is the oldest person to be recognised as Athlete of the Year, winning his third award in 1962 at the age of 46. The oldest woman to win is fencer Heidi Rohi, who in 2001 was awarded Athlete of the Year at the age of 35. Keres also holds the record for the longest span of time over his awards, his third in 1962 coming 26 years after his first award in 1937. In awards presented solely after the Second World War, this distinction is held among male athletes by rower Jüri Jaanson, who won the award three times over fifteen years (1990–2004), and among female athletes by Erika Salumäe and Kristina Šmigun-Vähi, who each won their awards over fourteen-year periods (1983–1996 and 1997–2010 respectively).{{cite web|url=https://sport.postimees.ee/3958263/spordiaasta-tahtede-eel-mis-uhendab-andrus-veerpalu-jaan-taltsi-ja-aavo-pikkuusi|title=Spordiaasta Tähtede eel: mis ühendab Andrus Veerpalu, Jaan Taltsi ja Aavo Pikkuusi?|language=et|website=Postimees|date=26 December 2016|access-date=17 November 2020}}
Three members of the same family have each won Athlete of the Year: Ulvi Voog-Indrikson in 1957, her daughter Kaire Indrikson in 1977, and her granddaughter Triin Aljand in 2011 and 2012.
=By year=
==Single award (1955–1966; 2020)==
File:Hoogoven Schaaktoernooi Keres, Bestanddeelnr 922-0145.jpg (pictured in 1969) was awarded Athlete of the Year twice, in 1959 and 1962, following his pre-war win in 1937]]
==Split award (1967–2019; 2021– )==
File:Jaan Talts 1972.jpg (pictured in 1972) was a five-time Athlete of the Year winner between 1967 and 1972]]
File:Aavo_Pikkuus_1977.jpg (pictured in 1977) was named the men's Athlete of the Year five times consecutively from 1974 to 1978]]
File:RK_Jüri_Jaanson.jpg (pictured in 2015) was voted male Athlete of the Year three times between 1990 and 2004]]
File:Kristina_Šmigun-Vähi_(EST).JPG (pictured in 2006) was named the women's Athlete of the Year eight times between 1997 and 2010]]
File:Julia_Beljajeva_2013_WCh.jpg (pictured in 2013) was selected as the female Athlete of the Year in 2013 and 2017]]
===By number of wins===
The tables below list the individuals who have won Athlete of the Year more than once.
| class="wikitable"
|+Key |
| width=20px align=center style="background-color:lightgray"|†
|Indicates awards won before separate male and female categories |
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Athlete of the Year winners (male) | |||
| width=150px|Athlete | width=100px|Sport | {{abbrv|No.|Number of awards won}} | class="unsortable"|Years won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaan Talts | Weightlifting | style="text-align:center;"|5 | 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 |
| Aavo Pikkuus | Cycling | style="text-align:center;"|5 | 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 |
| Andrus Veerpalu | Skiing | style="text-align:center;"|5 | 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009 |
| Erki Nool | Decathlon | style="text-align:center;"|4 | 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 |
| bgcolor=lightgray|Toomas Leius† | bgcolor=lightgray|Tennis | style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=lightgray|3 | bgcolor=lightgray|1961, 1963, 1965 |
| Heino Puuste | Javelin throw | style="text-align:center;"|3 | 1982, 1983, 1986 |
| Jüri Jaanson | Rowing | style="text-align:center;"|3 | 1990, 1995, 2004 |
| Gerd Kanter | Discus throw | style="text-align:center;"|3 | 2007, 2008, 2011 |
| Rasmus Mägi | Hurdling | style="text-align:center;"|3 | 2014, 2016, 2021 |
| bgcolor=lightgray|Uno Palu† | bgcolor=lightgray|Decathlon | style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=lightgray|2 | bgcolor=lightgray|1956, 1958 |
| bgcolor=lightgray|Paul Keres† | bgcolor=lightgray|Chess | style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=lightgray|2 | bgcolor=lightgray|1959, 1962 |
| Jaak Uudmäe | Triple jump | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 1979, 1980 |
| Jaan Ehlvest | Chess | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 1987, 1989 |
| Andrus Värnik | Javelin throw | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 2003, 2005 |
| Nikolai Novosjolov | Fencing | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 2010, 2013 |
| Magnus Kirt | Javelin throw | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 2018, 2019 |
| Ott Tänak | Rallying | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 2017, 2020{{efn|Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the male and female awards were merged for 2020.}}{{efn|Shared with Martin Järveoja.}} |
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Athlete of the Year winners (female) | |||
| width=150px|Athlete | width=100px|Sport | {{abbrv|No.|Number of awards won}} | class="unsortable"|Years won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erika Salumäe | Cycling | style="text-align:center;"|9 | 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996 |
| Kristina Šmigun-Vähi | Skiing | style="text-align:center;"|8 | 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010 |
| Laine Erik | Middle-distance running | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 1967, 1968 |
| Reet Palm | Rowing | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 1978, 1979 |
| Inna Rose | Shooting | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 1981, 1982 |
| Kaija Parve-Helinurm | Biathlon | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 1985, 1986 |
| Triin Aljand | Swimming | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 2011, 2012 |
| Ksenija Balta | Long jump | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 2009, 2016 |
| Julia Beljajeva | Fencing | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 2013, 2017 |
| Kelly Sildaru | Freestyle skiing | style="text-align:center;"|2 | 2019, 2022 |
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{refbegin}}
General
- {{cite web|url=http://www.eok.ee/sportlased/eesti_parimateks_valitud|title=Eesti Parimateks Valitud Mees- Ja Naissportlased, Võistkonnad Ja Treenerid 1955 – 2009|language=et|trans-title=Male and Female Athletes, Teams and Coaches Selected as the Best in Estonia 1955–2009|website=Eesti Olümpiakomitee|date=27 December 2009|access-date=29 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420161254/http://www.eok.ee/sportlased/eesti_parimateks_valitud|archive-date=20 April 2010}}
Specific
{{refend}}
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://aastasportlane.eok.ee/ Official website] {{in lang|et}}
- [https://aastasportlane.eok.ee/varasemad-aastad List of winners]
{{National Sportsperson of the Year}}
Category:Estonian sports trophies and awards
Category:National sportsperson-of-the-year trophies and awards
Category:Awards established in 1955