Kristina Šmigun-Vähi
Estonian cross-country skier and politician
Kristina Šmigun-Vähi Kristina Šmigun in
Otepää in 2006
Born (1977-02-23 ) 23 February 1977 (age 47) Tartu , EstoniaHeight 168 cm (5 ft 6 in) Ski club Oti Sportclub Seasons 16 – (1993 –2007 , 2010 ) Starts 179 Podiums 50 Wins 16 Overall titles 0 – (2nd in 2000 and 2003 ) Discipline titles 2 – (1 LD , 1 MD ) 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
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
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
All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS) .[ 4]
Olympic Games
3 medals – (2 gold, 1 silver)
World Championships
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
Kristina Šmigun and Kateřina Neumannová in 2006
Season titles
2 titles – (1 long distance, 1 middle distance)
Season
Discipline
1999
Long Distance
2000
Middle Distance
Season standings
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
—
—
—
—
2000
23
—
—
—
2001
24
10
—
—
—
23
—
—
2002
25
4
—
—
—
24
—
—
2003
26
—
—
—
41
—
—
2004
27
5
—
—
47
—
—
2005
28
4
—
—
70
—
—
2006
29
17
11
—
—
38
—
—
2007
30
11
5
—
—
NC
DNF
—
2010
33
32
22
—
—
84
—
6
Individual podiums
16 victories – (16 WC )
50 podiums – (49 WC , 1 SWC )
No.
Season
Date
Location
Race
Level
Place
1
1998–99
27 December 1998
Garmisch-Partenkirchen , Germany
1.0 km Sprint F
World Cup
2nd
2
5 January 1999
Otepää , Estonia
10 km C Individual
World Cup
3rd
3
12 January 1999
Nové Město , Czech Republic
15 km F Mass Start
World Cup
1st
4
19 February 1999
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
Oslo , Norway
30 km F Mass Start
World Cup
3rd
7
1999–2000
5 December 1999
Kiruna , Sweden
5 km C Individual
World Cup
3rd
8
10 December 1999
Sappada , Italy
10 km F Individual
World Cup
1st
9
28 December 1999
Garmisch-Partenkirchen , Germany
1.5 km F Sprint
World Cup
1st
10
8 January 2000
Moscow , Russia
15 km F Mass Start
World Cup
2nd
11
12 January 2000
Nové Město , Czech Republic
15 km F Mass Start
World Cup
2nd
12
16 February 2000
Ulrichen , Switzerland
5 km C Individual
World Cup
1st
13
20 February 2000
Lamoura Mouthe , France
44 km F Mass Start
World Cup
2nd
14
3 March 2000
Lahti , Finland
1.2 km Sprint F
World Cup
1st
15
2000–01
29 November 2000
Beitostølen , Norway
5 km F Individual
World Cup
3rd
16
20 December 2000
Davos , Switzerland
15 km C Mass Start
World Cup
3rd
17
2001–02
25 November 2001
Kuopio , Finland
5 km F Individual
World Cup
3rd
18
12 December 2001
Brusson , Italy
10 km F Individual
World Cup
3rd
19
15 December 2001
Davos , Switzerland
10 km C Individual
World Cup
2nd
20
22 December 2001
Ramsau , Austria
15 km F Mass Start
World Cup
1st
21
2 March 2002
Lahti , Finland
10 km F Individual
World Cup
1st
22
16 March 2002
Oslo , Norway
30 km F Mass Start
World Cup
2nd
23
2002–03
23 November 2002
Kiruna , Sweden
5 km F Individual
World Cup
1st
24
30 November 2002
Rukatunturi , Finland
10 km C Individual
World Cup
2nd
25
7 December 2002
Davos , Switzerland
10 km F Individual
World Cup
2nd
26
14 December 2002
Cogne , Italy
10 km C Mass Start
World Cup
2nd
27
21 December 2002
Ramsau , Austria
5 km + 5 km C/F Pursuit
World Cup
3rd
28
4 January 2003
Kavgolovo , Russia
5 km F Individual
World Cup
1st
29
12 January 2003
Otepää , Estonia
15 km C Mass Start
World Cup
2nd
30
18 January 2003
Nové Město , Czech Republic
10 km F Individual
World Cup
3rd
31
2003–04
22 November 2003
Beitostølen , Norway
10 km F Individual
World Cup
1st
32
28 November 2003
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
Toblach , Italy
15 km F Mass Start
World Cup
1st
35
20 December 2003
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
Falun , Sweden
7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit
World Cup
3rd
38
10 January 2004
Otepää , Estonia
15 km C Mass Start
World Cup
2nd
39
2004–05
20 November 2004
Gällivare , Sweden
10 km C Individual
World Cup
2nd
40
26 November 2004
Rukatunturi , Finland
10 km F Individual
World Cup
2nd
41
28 November 2004
10 km C Individual
World Cup
1st
42
11 December 2004
Lago di Tesero , Italy
7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit
World Cup
2nd
43
18 December 2004
Ramsau , Austria
15 km F Mass Start
World Cup
1st
44
2005–06
27 November 2005
Rukatunturi , Finland
10 km F Individual
World Cup
3rd
45
7 January 2006
Otepää , Estonia
10 km C Individual
World Cup
2nd
46
2006–07
18 November 2006
Gällivare , Sweden
10 km F Individual
World Cup
2nd
47
26 November 2006
Rukatunturi , Finland
10 km C Individual
World Cup
3rd
48
11 March 2007
Lahti , Finland
10 km C Individual
World Cup
1st
49
2009–10
12 December 2009
Davos , Switzerland
10 km F Individual
World Cup
3rd
50
21 March 2010
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
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
References
External links
5 km + 10 km combined 5 km + 5 km combined 7.5 km + 7.5 km double
5 km + 10 km combined 5 km + 5 km combined 5 km + 5 km double 7.5 km + 7.5 km double