Erika Salumäe

Erika Salumäe (Russian Эрика Акселевна Салумяэ transcribed Erika Akselewna Salumjae; born June 11, 1962 in Pärnu, Estonian SSR) is a former Soviet and Estonian cyclist. She was the first Olympic champion of Estonia since the renewed sovereignty in 1991.

Erika Salumäe won at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, while still a starter for the USSR, the gold medal in the women's sprint track cycling. In the final, she defeated the German Christa Roth burger. This success could be repeated under adverse conditions at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. After the secession of Estonia in 1991 were made by the Soviet Union Salumäe was cut off from the former sports promotion. Therefore, they had to travel to Barcelona without their own material. Their victory was achieved with a borrowed road bike of the Australian team. Salumäe thus won the first gold medal in the Olympics for the young Estonian nation. In 1996 she participated for the third time in the Olympic Games and finished sixth in the sprint.

Between 1981 and 1989 Salumäe won at the World Championships ten times the gold medal, three silver and three times the Bronze. In the Summer Universiade 1983, she won gold in 1985, 1987 and 1988, she was able to win the Soviet championship. Throughout her career, Erika Salumäe also unveiled on 15 world records. It was 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995 and 1996 Sportswoman of the Year in the Estonian SSR and Estonia and received the 2001 Order of the Estonian Red Cross in the 1st category. She is also President of the Estonian School Sport Union.

In November 2013 Estonian media reported that Erika Salumäe, who now lives in Spain Denia, her two gold medals, her wheel and other souvenirs made ​​to auction off her athletic career in London. The proceeds of the auction of around € 95,000 she needed for a back surgery. The Estonian Olympic Committee would have bought back the objects like the Estonian Sports Museum, but it lacked the means.