Andrus Veerpalu

Andrus Veerpalu ( born February 8, 1971 in Pärnu, Estonia ) is a former Estonian cross-country skier. The specialist of the classical technique won in 2001 as the first Este a gold medal at the world championships in cross country and in 2002 the first Estonian gold medalist at the Winter Olympics.

Sporting career

And of first success (1992-1999)

Veerpalu took at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France for the first time in an international cross-country skiing competition. He was able to record with space 21 a moderate success over the 10 km in the classical technique. In the subsequent pursuit competition on the 15-kilometer freestyle he dropped back to 42nd place. About the 50 km classic, he finished 44th. In the following season he started for the first time in the Cross Country World Cup, but could only in the rear of participants place. His best result was the 81st place on the 15-kilometer classic in the Austrian Ramsau. Veerpalu also took part in the 1993 Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun, Sweden and fought with the 31st place on the 30 km in the classical technique his best result of the season. At the Olympic Games in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway, he took over the 50 km classic 26th position.

Only in the 1994/95 season succeeded Veerpalu in the World Cup in the top thirty penetrate and gain World Cup points. On February 4, 1995, he finished in 25th place on the 30 km classic in Falun, Sweden. But the breakthrough in the world's top he succeeded only in the 1997/98 season, when he finished sixth on the 30 km in the classical technique was also placed in the top ten of a World Cup competition in Davos, Switzerland for the first time. At the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan was able to confirm this good result with eighth place on the 10 km classic. A year later he won at the Nordic World Ski Championships 1999 in Austria Ramsau his first international medal. Behind the Finn Mika Myllylä he won the silver medal in the 50 km in the classical technique.

World title and first Olympic victory (2001-2004)

In the 2000 /01 season Veerpalu missed at his home World Cup in Otepaeae fourth just short of the podium. Even a week later at the beginning of the Nordic World Ski Championships 2001 in Lahti, Finland in fifth he missed the 15-kilometer classic just another medal at the World Championships. On February 19, 2001, however, he won the race on the 30 km in the classical technique with 0.2 seconds ahead of Norwegian Frode Estil and became the first Estonian champion in cross-country skiing. The following year Veerpalu confirmed this result at the Olympic Games in 2002 in the U.S. Salt Lake City. In his first competition, the 15 kilometers to the classic technique, on 12 February 2002, he won again the gold medal ahead of Norway's Frode Estil and his Estonian compatriot Jaak Mae. This time he was victorious but with a clear lead of 36 seconds. The victory in this competition made ​​Veerpalu for the first Estonian Olympic gold medalist at the Winter Olympics. Eleven days later, he won behind the Russian Mikhail Ivanov the silver medal on the 50 km classic.

Veerpalu a successful start to the 2002/ 03 season. At his home World Cup in Otepaeae he finished third and was on 15 February 2003 in the Italian Asiago win his first World Cup competition shortly before the World Championships. He won the 10 km classic over again ahead of Norway's Frode Estil. This returned the favor at the Nordic World Ski Championships 2003 in the Italian Val di Fiemme and referred Veerpalu the final sprint of the 30 km classic, which were held as a mass start, to fourth place and secured the bronze medal behind his countrymen Thomas Alsgaard and Anders Aukland. Classical also about 15 km Veerpalu could fight no more coin. While his compatriot Jaak Mae was behind the German Axel Teichmann win the silver medal, to Veerpalu had to settle for eighth place. A week later his second victory was classic in Oslo, Norway in a World Cup competition on the 30 km. In the World Cup he was able to place first time this season in the top ten, finishing in seventh place overall. With two more wins and two third place finishes in World Cup competitions, the 2003/04 season was the most successful World Cup season for Veerpalu. In addition to wins in Davos and Nove Mesto and in third place in Lahti each of the 15 kilometers to the classic technique, the distance specialist for the first time succeeded in the sprint competition in Val di Fiemme a podium finish in a sprint competition. At the end of the season he once again took the seventh place in the overall World Cup and sixth place in the World Cup distance.

Second Olympic victory and injury (2005-2007)

In the season 2004/ 05 Veerpalu could also celebrate the first time in Otepaeae a victory in his home country. At 42 seconds ahead, he won the 15-kilometer in classical technique before his longtime Frode Estil counterparty and his Estonian compatriot Jaak Mae. While the 50 km classic to decide for Estil succeeded at the Nordic World Ski Championships 2005 in Oberstdorf, Veerpalu be had in the race, which was staged in the unloved by him mass start mode as satisfied in 2003 with fourth place. His most recent World Cup victory came on 12 March 2005 in Oslo. He won ahead of the German Jens Filbrich over the 50 km classic. A year later succeeded Veerpalu on his only start at the 2006 Olympic Games in Pragelato Italian to defend his gold medal in the 15 km classic. He won ahead of Czech Lukas Bauer and the German Tobias Angerer.

In summer 2006, Veerpalu had to undergo a knee surgery, so he could not participate in any World Cup competition in the following season. Instead, he started the year after his second Olympic gold medal in some competitions of cross-country Marathon Cup. In the overall standings this tournament run over distances of 42 kilometers and more he was able to occupy the 13th place overall.

Return to the World Cup and after a positive doping result End of career (2008 to 2011)

Veerpalu returned in December 2007 back to the World Cup and took over the 15-kilometer classic in Davos 21st place. In his second start, his home race in Otepaeae, he celebrated a strong comeback in fourth. At the beginning of the 2008/09 season proved Veerpalu with two seventh places about 15 km classic, that he still counts even at the age of 37 years a world leader. On 20 February 2009 Veerpalu crowned at the Nordic World Ski Championships his comeback by winning the world title over 15 kilometers in the classical style. Twelve days after his 38th birthday, he wrote itself as the oldest world champion ever in the history of the Nordic skiing sport a. Also in the pursuit competition he could keep long after the leading group. At the end of the specialist classical technique came in 19th place. In the team sprint, he reached with Aivar Rehemaa the finals and finished at the end of the eighth. This position he also reached with the Estonian team in the relay competition. Veerpalu focused in the season 2009/ 10 on the 50 km classic competition at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. So he played next few competitions in cross-country skiing World Cup also Isergebirgslauf, in which he could occupy the sixth place. At his home World Cup in Otepaeae he occupied in the absence of the world's elite second behind Lukas Bauer. As a final preparation race before the Olympics, he played the Tartu Maraton, where he finished ninth. He traveled late to the competitions in Vancouver and denied only the 50 km classic competition. He belongs to the end of the top group, but could not keep up with the younger runners in the final sprint and crossed the finish line in sixth. At the end of the season he won the pursuit competition in Lahti with sixth place in the prologue and the World Cup finals, where he finished in seventh place. Also in the 2010/11 season takes Veerpalu part in World Cup competitions. In Kuusamo and Davos, he finished about 10 and 15 km respectively to the classic 29th place. In Otepaeae he proved about 15 km classic again with fifth place, that it must be counted for the Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 in Oslo to favorites. However, shortly before the World Cup, he contracted a respiratory infection and had to stop training camp. On 23 February 2011 he said from participating in the World Cup and was the end of his athletic career known. On April 7, 2011, announced that an increased value was determined by growth hormones on 14 February in a doping test. The FIS detained him for three years. The International Sports Court overturned the ban in 2013 but because of doubts about the statistical methods of WADA.

World Cup wins

Private life

Veerpalu is married and lives with his wife Angela and the five common children Andrew ( * 1994), Anette (* 1996), Anders, Anlourdees and Andorres (* 2011) in the Estonian winter sports center Otepaeae. His oldest children Andrew and Anette have inherited the athletic talent from her father and could have enjoyed his first success in Estonian championships in the youth field. In March 2011 Anette Veerpalu won at the age of 14 years together with Triin Ojaste the Estonian champion in the women's sprint team. A day later, she won in the relay its wide Title at senior level. Andrew, who is in Norwegian Meråker visited the Skigymnasium and trained there, among others, Frode Estil, participated in Innsbruck at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012. About 10 km classic and in the relay competition he finished in eighth place. In the sprint competition, he was 15

Awards

  • Veerpalu was voted athlete of the year in Estonia in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2009.
  • 2005 Veerpalu was honored as the first Este with the Holmenkollen medal.
  • After his second Olympic gold medal in 2006 was Veerpalu, as well as his equally successful wife Kristina Šmigun country, on 22 February 2006 with the highest national award, the Order of the white star highest category awarded by the Estonian President Ilves.
  • Furthermore, were issued for Šmigun and Veerpalu special stamps from the Estonian Post.
  • After his first Olympic gold medal in 2002 he was awarded the Order of the Estonian Red Cross first class.
Winter Olympic Games Nordic skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics Nordic skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1999 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2001 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 2002–03 FIS Cross-Country World Cup 2003–04 FIS Cross-Country World Cup Tour de Ski 2008–09 Tour de Ski Ramsau am Dachstein FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1993 Nagano, Nagano Mikhail Ivanov (cross-country skier) FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2003 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2005 2008–09 FIS Cross-Country World Cup 2009–10 FIS Cross-Country World Cup Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics Jizerská padesátka 2010–11 FIS Cross-Country World Cup FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 World Anti-Doping Agency Italy Estonian Sportspersonality of the year Toomas Hendrik Ilves List of Olympic medalists in cross-country skiing Hallgeir Brenden Thomas Wassberg Gunde Svan List of FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in men's cross-country skiing Veikko Hakulinen Gjermund Eggen Magne Myrmo Marco Albarello Harri Kirvesniemi Per Elofsson Pietro Piller Cottrer Lars Berger Matti Heikkinen Petter Northug Matti Raivio Franco Nones Sergey Savelyev Nikolay Zimyatov Alexey Prokurorov
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