Estonia is a Northern European country located in the Baltic region. Sports is an integral part of the Estonian culture and they were one of the few countries that had sent quite a few athletes to the early parts of the Olympics. 

Estonian athlete playing badmintonEstonian athletes playing badminton

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in Estonia as well as beach volleyball, cricket, cycling and as with most European country, football. They have finished 5th place twice in the FIBA EuroBasket and have also qualified for the EuroBasket 2015 which will be held in Ukraine.

Estonia has also produced quite a handful of world class cyclists like Jaan Kirsipuu who has won the Tour de France 4 times and a Vuelta a Espana stage. Erika Salumae is one of the best Estonian track racer who took home an Olympic gold medal after Estonia has regained its independence. Judo is also one of the sports that Estonia has been performing quite well in the international stage garnering 3 Olympic medals, 4 World Judo Championships medals, and 15 European Judo Championships medals. When it comes to the biggest international stage in sports, Estonia has won a total of 45 Olympic medals as an independent nation (14 gold, 12 silver, 19 bronze), including at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.

Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Estonia. Is there something missing? If you know of something that should be listed here, please let us know.

Popular sports of Estonia

Estonia Sporting Success

  • 45 total Olympic medals (14 gold, 12 silver, 19 bronze) since regaining independence, plus medals won pre-Soviet occupation between 1920 and 1936
  • Wrestler Kristjan Palusalu won two gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, still Estonia's best individual Summer Games record
  • Cross-country skiers Andrus Veerpalu and Kristina Šmigun-Vähi have each won three Olympic medals (two golds and a silver apiece)
  • Gold medal in the women's team epée fencing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
  • Tallinn was designated European Capital of Sport for 2025, reflecting the city hosting around 90-95 international sporting events most years

Great athletes from Estonia

  • Jaan Kirsipuu (cycling)
  • Erika Salumäe (track cycling) — Olympic champion in the women's sprint at the 1992 Barcelona Games
  • Kristjan Palusalu (wrestling) — double Olympic champion at the 1936 Berlin Games
  • Andrus Veerpalu and Kristina Šmigun-Vähi (cross-country skiing) — Estonia's most decorated Winter Olympians
  • Gerd Kanter (athletics) — discus throw gold medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Estonia Sports trivia

  • The first identical triplets to compete against each other were Leila, Liina and Lily Luik from Estonia who took part in the marathon at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
  • Although Estonia has never hosted a full Olympic Games, the sailing events of the 1980 Moscow Olympics were held in the Gulf of Finland off Tallinn, then part of the Soviet Union.

Estonia at major events

Past sporting events hosted in Estonia

  • 2018 UEFA Super Cup (football), A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn — Atlético Madrid beat Real Madrid
  • 2018 European Junior Badminton Championships, Tallinn
  • 2016 and 2023 European Amateur (golf) Championship, Estonian Golf & Country Club
  • 2023 and 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 European Triathlon Championship, Tallinn
  • Tallinn has hosted roughly 90-95 international sporting events per year in recent years, including numerous World and European Championships and Cup legs across sports such as judo, powerboating, disc golf and winter swimming

Upcoming sporting events in Estonia

  • 2027 European Mixed Team Badminton Championships, Kalev Sports Hall, Tallinn, 6-10 January 2027

Annual sporting events held in Estonia

  • IRONMAN Tallinn and IRONMAN 70.3 Tallinn — annual triathlon events, running since 2016 (originally in Otepää, moved to Tallinn in 2022)
  • Tallinn Marathon — annual road running event held each September
  • European Disc Golf Festival, Tallinn Song Festival Grounds — held annually since the early 2020s
  • Estonian International (badminton) — long-running annual tournament on the Badminton Europe/BWF circuit

Sporting Facilities in Estonia

  • A. Le Coq Arena (Lilleküla Stadium), Tallinn — capacity 14,336, Estonia's largest football stadium and home of the national team, FC Flora and FCI Levadia Tallinn; hosted the 2018 UEFA Super Cup
  • Tondiraba Ice Hall, Tallinn — capacity 7,700, Estonia's largest indoor arena, home of the national ice hockey team and HC Vipers
  • Unibet Arena, Tallinn — capacity 7,200, home of the national basketball team and BC Kalev/Cramo