Erki Nool
 Nool in 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Erki Nool | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 25 June 1970 Võru, Estonia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 84 kg (185 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Estonia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Decathlon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 8815 (2001)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Erki Nool (born 25 June 1970 in Võru, Estonia) is an Estonian decathlete and former politician.
Life and career[]
Nool grew up in an impoverished environment in the southern part of Võru. His father was a worker in a furniture factory and his mother was in charge of the finances of a school. There were six children, with Erki the third youngest. When he was 13, from the suggestion of his father he moved to a sports-focused boarding school. There he could eat a warm meal three times a day for free.[1]
In those days the economy was in a poor condition. When traveling to competitions they didn't even get their own cabin in the cruise ship but instead just slept in the hallways and then competed and trained the next day. They also didn't even have winter athletics training facilities. Nool was brought to tears when he was gifted a new, pristine pair of sneakers. Getting to eat yogurt every morning was also new and memorable.[1]
After Estonia became independent on 20 August 1991, Nool was vocal about his dream of competing in the Olympics as part of the Estonian team. He took part in the Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics decathlon but he ended up having to stop and pull out.[1] Little by little he developed and by the mid 1990s he was among the top athletes in decathlon.[1] On September 1997 he established the first private athletics school in Estonia.[2]
When he won gold for decathlon at the 1998 Budapest European Championships, he became a sports hero. Two years later, when he won the gold medal for decathlon in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, he became a national hero.[1] Although Nool did not place first in any individual event, his total score was the highest. Nool won the title after the competition referee decided to over-rule a discus judge, who had red-flagged his last and only valid attempt due to alleged step-out. The reinstatement of his 43.66-metre third throw sparked unsuccessful counter-protests from other teams. Nool took gold ahead of the Czech Roman Šebrle and American Chris Huffins.
He has been voted as Estonia's sexiest man and in the 2000s the most popular Estonian.[1] In 2006, Nool participated as a celebrity contestant on the first season of Tantsud tähtedega, an Estonian version of Dancing with the Stars. His professional dancing partner was Ave Vardja.
Since 2005, Erki Nool has been the Vice Chairman of the EOC Athletes Commission and since 2007, member of the European Athletics Development Committee. Since 2008, he is also member of the Executive Committee of the Estonian Olympic Committee.
On 4 March 2007, Nool was elected to the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu, representing the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica.[3] He has since left politics and now focuses on his real estate business and athletics school, with 450 students.[1]
His son Robin Nool (born in 1998) is pole vaulter with a record of 540 cm.[1][4]
Achievements[]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Estonia
| |||||
| 1992 | Olympic Games | Barcelona, Spain | — | Decathlon | DNF |
| 1994 | European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 10th | Decathlon | 7953 pts |
| 1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 4th | Decathlon | 8268 pts |
| World Indoor Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 7th | Heptathlon | 5887 pts | |
| 1996 | European Indoor Championships | Stockholm, Sweden | 1st | Heptathlon | 6188 pts |
| Olympic Games | Atlanta, United States | 6th | Decathlon | 8543 pts | |
| 1997 | World Championships | Athens, Greece | 6th | Decathlon | 8413 pts |
| World Indoor Championships | Paris, France | 2nd | Heptathlon | 6213 pts | |
| 1998 | European Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 1st | Decathlon | 8667 pts |
| IAAF World Combined Events Challenge | 1st | Decathlon | 25,967 pts | ||
| 1999 | World Indoor Championships | Maebashi, Japan | 2nd | Heptathlon | 6374 pts |
| World Championships | Seville, Spain | 14th | Decathlon | 7568 pts | |
| 2000 | European Indoor Championships | Ghent, Belgium | 3rd | Heptathlon | 6200 pts |
| Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 1st | Decathlon | 8641 pts | |
| IAAF World Combined Events Challenge | 1st | Decathlon | 26,089 pts | ||
| 2001 | World Indoor Championships | Lisboa, Portugal | 5th | Heptathlon | 6074 pts |
| World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 2nd | Decathlon | 8815 pts | |
| IAAF World Combined Events Challenge | 2nd | Decathlon | 25,839 pts | ||
| Goodwill Games | Brisbane, Australia | 3rd | Decathlon | 8323 pts | |
| 2002 | European Indoor Championships | Vienna, Austria | 3rd | Heptathlon | 6084 pts |
| European Championships | Munich, Germany | 2nd | Decathlon | 8438 pts | |
| 2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | — | Decathlon | DNF |
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 8th | Decathlon | 8235 pts |
| World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 5th | Heptathlon | 6093 pts | |
| 2005 | European Indoor Championships | Madrid, Spain | 12th | Heptathlon | 5712 pts |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Silvennoinen, Santtu (25 June 2020). "Kun köyhä Erki rantautui Suomeen, KGB oli kintereillä – tamperelaisen rakennusmestarin upea teko sai itkun silmään: "Virolaisia luultiin varkaiksi"". Iltalehti. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ About Erki Nool on Decathlon2000.ee Archived 2007-06-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Erki Nool politician career on Riigikogu.ee
- ^ "Robin Nool". European Athletics. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Erki Nool. |
- Erki Nool at World Athletics
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Erki Nool". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
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- 1970 births
- Living people
- People from Võru
- Sportspeople from Võru
- Estonian decathletes
- Estonian sportsperson-politicians
- Olympic athletes of Estonia
- Olympic gold medalists for Estonia
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Isamaa politicians
- World Athletics Championships medalists
- European Athletics Championships medalists
- Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)
- 21st-century Estonian politicians
- World Athletics Championships athletes for Estonia
- Goodwill Games medalists in athletics
- Members of the Riigikogu, 2007–2011
- Members of the Riigikogu, 2011–2015
- Competitors at the 2001 Goodwill Games