Mikhail Kaaleste

{{short description|Estonian canoeist}}

{{Infobox speed skater

| name = Mihhail Kaaleste

| nationality = Estonian

| sport = canoe sprint

| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|8|20|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Väike-Vertuskino, Saatse Vald, Petseri County, Estonia

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|5|5|1931|8|20|df=yes}}

| death_place =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport|Men's canoe sprint}}

{{MedalOlympic}}

{{MedalSilver|1956 Melbourne|K-2 1000 m}}

{{MedalWorldChampionships}}

{{MedalBronze|1958 Prague|K-2 1000 m}}

{{MedalBronze|1958 Prague|K-4 1000 m}}

}}

Mikhail Kaaleste (born Mihail Stoljarov; 20 August 1931 – 5 May 2018)[https://www.esbl.ee/biograafia/Mihhail_Kaaleste ESBL] Kaaleste, Mihhail. Retrieved 13 June 2022. was an Estonian sprint canoeist who competed in 1950s. He won a silver medal in the K-2 1000 m event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.[http://lesgaft.spb.ru/staff/756 Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования Национальный государственный Университет физической культуры, спорта и здоровья имени П. Ф. Лесгафта] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028043139/http://lesgaft.spb.ru/staff/756 |date=2014-10-28 }}Динамо. Энциклопедия

Kaaleste changed his last name in 1940 from Stoljarov. Originally going into cross-country skiing, he was changed to sprint canoeing by his coaches at Dynamo Sports Club. After winning a silver medal in Melbourne, Kaaleste won two bronze medals at the 1958 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Prague (K-2 1000 m, K-4 1000 m). He also won several medals in the Soviet Union in cross-country skiing in the 1950s.[http://rus.postimees.ee/2249787/jestonija-ocenila-zaslugi-kaaleste Postimees]

In 1964, he became coach for the Dynamo Leningrad biathlon and cross-country skiing. Kaaleste's wife, Anna, finished ninth in the 10 km cross-country skiing event at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo.