Indrek Pertelson

Indrek Pertelson (* April 21, 1971 in Tallinn, Estonian SSR ) is a retired Soviet and Estonian judoka. He was European champion and medalist at World Championships and Olympic Games.

Sporting career

Pertelson began at the age of seven years with the judo sport. He trained with the Soviet youth coaches Aavo Pohgala, who later became his personal trainer. So Pertelson celebrated already in the junior age successes. In 1990 and 1991 he was European Junior Champion in the class to 95 kg. At the Goodwill Games in 1994 in St. Petersburg, he could win the silver medal. In 1996 he won the gold medal in the open weight class at the European Championships in The Hague. Pertelson could still collect a silver medal and three bronze medals at European Championships more. At the 1999 World Championships in Birmingham Pertelson became vice world champion. This result he was able to repeat in Bucharest in 2003. In each case the bronze medal in the heavyweight (over 100 kg), he was able to win at the Olympic Summer Games 2000 in Sydney and at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Pertelson won four World Cup races in his career. His first World Cup victory he celebrated in Paris in 1994, his last in 1999 in Minsk. Pertelson launched several years for multiple German champion TSV Abensberg in the Judo - Bundesliga.

After the active sports career

After Pertelson withdrew from competitive sport after the 2004 Olympics, he is still active in the sport of judo. He supports his equally successful compatriot Aleksei Budõlin in the preparations for the Olympic Games 2008. Moreover, he is an employee of Sport Director of the European Judo Union Daniel Lascău.