Erika Salumäe

Erika Salumäe

Erika Salumäe signing a book "To stay alive" about her life
Personal information
Full name	Erika Salumäe
Born	(1962-06-11) 11 June 1962 Pärnu, Soviet Union
Team information
Discipline	Track
Role	Rider
Medal record Women's Track cycling Representing the  Soviet Union Olympic Games 1988 Seoul Sprint Representing  Estonia Track cycling Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona Sprint World Championships 1984 Barcelona Sprint 1986 Colorado Springs Sprint 1987 Vienna Sprint 1989 Lyon Sprint 1995 Bogotá Sprint
Infobox last updated on September 7, 2008

Erika Salumäe (born 11 June 1962) is an Estonian track bicycle racer who won the first Olympic gold medal for Estonia after the country regained its independence in 1991. As of 2014 she remains as the only Estonian female medallist at the Summer Olympics after regaining their independence.

She was born in Pärnu. She trained at VSS Kalev in Tallinn. At the 1983 Summer Universiade she won two gold medals, in the women's sprint and women's 500 m time trial and the silver medal in the women's points race.^[1] Salumäe won the gold medal in track cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, competing for the USSR team and in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, competing for Estonia.^[2]

At World Championships from 1984 to 1989, she won 2 golds (1987 and 1989), 2 silvers (1984 and 1986) and 1 bronze (1995).^[3] From 1982 to 1989, she set 15 world records and was elected the Best Estonian Athlete in 1983, 1984, 1987–1990, 1992, 1995, and 1996.

In 2008, Salumäe participated as a celebrity contestant on the third season of Tantsud tähtedega, an Estonian version of Dancing with the Stars. Her professional dancing partner was Kristjan Kuusk.

References

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