Kristina Šmigun-Vähi

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Kristina Šmigun-Vähi
Kristina Šmigun in Otepää in 2006
Born (1977-02-23) 23 February 1977 (age 47)
Tartu, Estonia
Height168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Ski clubOti Sportclub
World Cup career
Seasons16 – (19932007, 2010)
Starts179
Podiums50
Wins16
Overall titles0 – (2nd in 2000 and 2003)
Discipline titles2 – (1 LD, 1 MD)
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing  Estonia
International nordic ski competitions
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 1 0
World Championships 1 3 2
Total 3 4 2
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2006 Turin 10 km classical
Gold medal – first place 2006 Turin 15 km double pursuit
Silver medal – second place 2010 Vancouver 10 km freestyle
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2003 Val di Fiemme 10 km double pursuit
Silver medal – second place 1999 Ramsau 15 km freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2003 Val di Fiemme 10 km classical
Silver medal – second place 2003 Val di Fiemme 15 km classical
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Ramsau 30 km classical
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Val di Fiemme 30 km freestyle
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1997 Canmore 5 km classical
Gold medal – first place 1997 Canmore 15 km freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1995 Gällivare 5 km classical
Silver medal – second place 1995 Gällivare 15 km freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1996 Asiago 5 km classical
Silver medal – second place 1996 Asiago 15 km freestyle
Updated on 27 January 2019.

Kristina Šmigun-Vähi (born 23 February 1977) is a former Estonian female cross-country skier and politician. She is the most successful Estonian female cross-country skier with two Olympic gold medals. In 2019 she was elected as a Member of the Estonian Parliament.[1]

Career[edit]

On 12 February 2006, she won the Winter Olympics gold medal for the 7.5 km + 7.5 km double pursuit, becoming the first Estonian woman to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. Four days later, she won a second gold medal in the 10 km classical.

On 15 February 2010, she won her third Olympic medal, a silver in the 10 km freestyle race. With two golds and one silver, Šmigun-Vähi is the most successful Estonian athlete in Olympic history (summer or winter), tying the record of men's cross-country skier Andrus Veerpalu.

Šmigun-Vähi has also found success at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, earning six medals. This included one gold (2003: 5 km + 5 km double pursuit), three silvers (1999: 15 km, 2003: 10 km, 15 km), and two bronzes (1999, 2003: both in 30 km).

On 2 July 2010, Šmigun-Vähi announced that she will quit her professional sport career to focus on her family and her daughter Victoria-Kris. On 24 October 2016, the World Anti-Doping Agency Athletes' Commission stated that Šmigun-Vähi faced a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing before the end of October.[2]

Personal life[edit]

She is the daughter of former cross-country skiers Rutt and Anatoli Šmigun. Her sister Katrin Šmigun and cousin Aivar Rehemaa were also cross-country skiers.

Šmigun-Vähi is married to her long-time manager Kristjan-Thor Vähi, She missed the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons due to pregnancy. She has two children, daughter born in 2008 and son born in 2011.[3]

Cross-country skiing results[edit]

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[4]

Olympic Games[edit]

  • 3 medals – (2 gold, 1 silver)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
1994 17 30 28 27
1998 21 46
2002 25 DNF 7 13 7 25
2006 29 Gold Gold 8
2010 33 Silver DNF 27

World Championships[edit]

  • 6 medals – (1 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
1995 18 5 20
1997 20 28 8 9
1999 22 9 Silver 6 Bronze
2001 24 12 41 CNX[a] 19
2003 26 Silver Silver Gold Bronze
2005 28 4 DNF 14 13
2007 30 9 10 6 15
a. 1 Cancelled due to extremely cold weather.

World Cup[edit]

Kristina Šmigun and Kateřina Neumannová in 2006

Season titles[edit]

  • 2 titles – (1 long distance, 1 middle distance)
Season
Discipline
1999 Long Distance
2000  Middle Distance 

Season standings[edit]

 Season   Age  Discipline standings Ski Tour standings
Overall Distance Long Distance Middle Distance Sprint Tour de
Ski
World Cup
Final
1993 16 NC
1994 17 60
1995 18 29
1996 19 17
1997 20 13 21 15
1998 21 19 15 27
1999 22 4 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2000 23 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2001 24 10 23
2002 25 4 24
2003 26 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 41
2004 27 5 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 47
2005 28 4 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 70
2006 29 17 11 38
2007 30 11 5 NC DNF
2010 33 32 22 84 6

Individual podiums[edit]

  • 16 victories – (16 WC)
  • 50 podiums – (49 WC, 1 SWC)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1 1998–99 27 December 1998 Germany Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany 1.0 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd
2 5 January 1999 Estonia Otepää, Estonia 10 km C Individual World Cup 3rd
3 12 January 1999 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 1st
4 19 February 1999 Austria Ramsau, Austria 15 km F Mass Start World Championships[1] 2nd
5 27 February 1999 30 km C Mass Start World Championships[1] 3rd
6 20 March 1999 Norway Oslo, Norway 30 km F Mass Start World Cup 3rd
7 1999–2000 5 December 1999 Sweden Kiruna, Sweden 5 km C Individual World Cup 3rd
8 10 December 1999 Italy Sappada, Italy 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st
9 28 December 1999 Germany Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany 1.5 km F Sprint World Cup 1st
10 8 January 2000 Russia Moscow, Russia 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 2nd
11 12 January 2000 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 2nd
12 16 February 2000  Switzerland  Ulrichen, Switzerland 5 km C Individual World Cup 1st
13 20 February 2000 France Lamoura Mouthe, France 44 km F Mass Start World Cup 2nd
14 3 March 2000 Finland Lahti, Finland 1.2 km Sprint F World Cup 1st
15 2000–01 29 November 2000 Norway Beitostølen, Norway 5 km F Individual World Cup 3rd
16 20 December 2000  Switzerland  Davos, Switzerland 15 km C Mass Start World Cup 3rd
17 2001–02 25 November 2001 Finland Kuopio, Finland 5 km F Individual World Cup 3rd
18 12 December 2001 Italy Brusson, Italy 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd
19 15 December 2001  Switzerland  Davos, Switzerland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
20 22 December 2001 Austria Ramsau, Austria 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 1st
21 2 March 2002 Finland Lahti, Finland 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st
22 16 March 2002 Norway Oslo, Norway 30 km F Mass Start World Cup 2nd
23 2002–03 23 November 2002 Sweden Kiruna, Sweden 5 km F Individual World Cup 1st
24 30 November 2002 Finland Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
25 7 December 2002  Switzerland  Davos, Switzerland 10 km F Individual World Cup 2nd
26 14 December 2002 Italy Cogne, Italy 10 km C Mass Start World Cup 2nd
27 21 December 2002 Austria Ramsau, Austria 5 km + 5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 3rd
28 4 January 2003 Russia Kavgolovo, Russia 5 km F Individual World Cup 1st
29 12 January 2003 Estonia Otepää, Estonia 15 km C Mass Start World Cup 2nd
30 18 January 2003 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd
31 2003–04 22 November 2003 Norway Beitostølen, Norway 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st
32 28 November 2003 Finland Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
33 29 November 2003 7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 1st
34 6 December 2003 Italy Toblach, Italy 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 1st
35 20 December 2003 Austria Ramsau, Austria 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd
36 21 December 2003 7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 1st
37 6 January 2004 Sweden Falun, Sweden 7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 3rd
38 10 January 2004 Estonia Otepää, Estonia 15 km C Mass Start World Cup 2nd
39 2004–05 20 November 2004 Sweden Gällivare, Sweden 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
40 26 November 2004 Finland Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km F Individual World Cup 2nd
41 28 November 2004 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st
42 11 December 2004 Italy Lago di Tesero, Italy 7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 2nd
43 18 December 2004 Austria Ramsau, Austria 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 1st
44 2005–06 27 November 2005 Finland Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd
45 7 January 2006 Estonia Otepää, Estonia 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd
46 2006–07 18 November 2006 Sweden Gällivare, Sweden 10 km F Individual World Cup 2nd
47 26 November 2006 Finland Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 3rd
48 11 March 2007 Finland Lahti, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st
49 2009–10 12 December 2009  Switzerland  Davos, Switzerland 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd
50 21 March 2010 Sweden Falun, Sweden 10 km F Pursuit Stage World Cup 3rd

Note: 1 Until the 1999 World Championships, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

Overall record[edit]

Result Distance Races[a] Sprint Ski
Tours
Individual
Events
  Team Events[5] All
Events
≤ 5 km[b] ≤ 10 km[b] ≤ 15 km[b] ≤ 30 km[b] ≥ 30 km[b] Pursuit[c] Team Sprint   Relay[d]
1st place 3 5 4 2 2 16 16
2nd place 9 5 1 1 1 1 18 18
3rd place 3 8 1 2 2 16 16
Podiums 6 22 10 3 1 5 3 50 50
Top 10 16 46 18 7 1 13 8 1 110 12 122
Points 27 57 27 9 2 19 22 1 164 1 19 184
Others 2 2 1 4 9 9
DNF 1 1 1
Starts 29 59 27 9 2 20 26 2 174 1 19 194
a. 1 Classification is made according to FIS classification.
b. 1 2 3 4 5 Includes individual and mass start races.
c. 1 Includes pursuit and double pursuit races.
d. 1 May be incomplete due to lack of appropriate sources for some relay races prior to 1995/96 World Cup season.

Note: Until 1999 World Championships and 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were part of the World Cup. Hence results from those races are included in the World Cup overall record.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Kristina Šmigun-Vähi: tunnen ennast poliitikas nagu päike". ERR. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  2. ^ Butler, Nick (24 Oct 2016). "Šmigun-Vähi facing CAS hearing after "positive" retest at Turin 2006". INSIDETHEGAMES.BIZ. Dunsar Media Company Limited. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  3. ^ "Palju õnne! Kristina Šmigun-Vähi sai poja!". Delfi. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  4. ^ "SMIGUN-VAEHI Kristina". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Kristina Smigun-Vähi". SkiSport365. Retrieved 27 March 2018.

External links[edit]

Awards
Preceded by Estonian Sportswoman of the Year
1997
Succeeded by
Preceded by Estonian Sportswoman of the Year
19992000
Succeeded by
Preceded by Estonian Sportswoman of the Year
20022004
Succeeded by
Preceded by Estonian Sportswoman of the Year
2006
Succeeded by
Preceded by Estonian Sportswoman of the Year
2010
Succeeded by