BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

Rally Italia Sardegna: Kruuda to return to WRC2 with new Peugeot

Karl Kruuda will join the R5 revolution in Sardinia next week when he returns to the World Rally Championship at the wheel of a Peugeot 208T16. The 21-year-old Estonian ace is switching to the new-generation machine having made two appearances in the 2014 WRC2 category in a Ford Fiesta Super 2000.

Kruuda, who won his class on Rally Sweden in February and holds a strong fourth place in the WRC2 title standings, says a new car will mean a new approach to the gravel event, which takes place from June 5-8.

“I still have a lot to learn about the car because I've only done one small test and one local rally in Estonia,” said Kruuda. “That means I don't have the confidence yet to push to the limit of the car. I will take it a bit easier at the start, not like my last WRC rally in Portugal where I was pushing quite a lot. The main goal is to bring the car to the finish and if there are problems then we will use the rally to solve them.”

Having spent much of his recent career driving normally aspirated Ford Fiestas, Kruuda says he's still adapting to the turbocharged Peugeot, which is being run by the Tagai Racing Technology team from Hungary.

Estonia storms to gold

Four straight wins seals instant return to Division I.

BELGRADE – Unstoppable Estonia sweeps the field to win promotion from the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division II Group A in Belgrade to next year’s Division I Group B.

Never shaken nor stirred and eager to make amends for their disappointing demotion during last year's Division I Group B tournament in Donetsk, Ukraine, a new-look Estonia bounced straight back up a division with their credentials hardly been put to test. Seeing off Iceland (4-1), Australia (5-1) and Serbia (5-2), promotion was secured during Day 4 thanks to a 16-3 trouncing of newly promoted Israel. It marks the winning start and job done for the vastly experienced Finnish coaching duo, Sakari Pietilä and Harri Rindell, who stepped in at the helm of Estonia ahead of the tournament.

"We are the best team here, but this can also sometimes prove to be the hardest thing; to win when you know you must do so and while the pressure is on," said Pietilä, who together with his sidekick Rindell accepted the offer to take charge of Estonia just one month ahead of the Division II Group A in Belgrade giving them little time to stamp their mark on the roster. "The biggest challenge for us during our preparations was to try and find what players were best suited to play together," he continued.

Marko Albert : The Estonian power express

Marko Albert captured his first Ironman title at the 30th edition of Ironman New Zealand and we talked to this fast Estonian about the race and naked bungee jumping.

Slowtwitch: Nice work in Taupo.

Marko Albert: Thank you. It was one of those days when things went to the right direction. I had the shape to take most out of the opportunity that presented itself during the race!

ST: Describe one of those opportunities.

Marko: I am an old ITU racer. I know that the value of putting everything into a break and hoping it will work. That is the only way I have had success in triathlon. Both of my ITU World Cup podiums and also the 70.3 win have been done like this. Now an Ironman as well…

ST: You looked super thrilled when you crossed the line. How sweet was that win?

Marko: Ironman win has been on my short list of things I wanted to achieve in triathlon. In the past I have had 3rd place in Austria 2011 and 2nd after Bevan Docherty in New Zealand last year. So when you have had that dream of winning and believed that one day it will come trough, all the emotions just surfaced after crossing the finish line in Taupo. I never planned this kind of finish line celebrations - it was some place where the 14 years of dreaming, spectators, music and Mike Reilly took me!

ST: Did he call you an Ironman?

Marko: Mike Reilly probably did call me an Ironman, but I was just so so happy about being an Ironman Champion that I hardly heard anything else. Then I gave an interview that I can’t remember much either.

BMX and skateboarding event to take place in Tallinn

One of the Europe's most well-known BMX and skateboarding events is returning to Tallinn for the 14th year in a row on February 22-23, Tallinn Tourism Board said in a statement, cites LETA.

Bringing together the best riders and skateboarders in the world, the event aims at celebrating everything that is amazing about BMX and skateboarding. Altogether the audience will be able to see 180 athletes, both established riders as well as new talents in BMX and street/park skateboarding. The event will also webcast live in HD on session.ee and Redbull.tv.

Simple Session in collaboration with Visit Estonia have also put together a cool set of guides to Tallinn's hip hangouts, skating places and walking routes.

Estonia charges men over match-fixing

The Public Prosecutor's office in Estonia said on Monday it had charged 11 men for match-fixing in 2011 and 2012.

The office said in a statement that the charges related to 12 domestic league games, three Europa League matches and a fixture in Lithuania.

The 11 men approached footballers in Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine who were prepared to fix games for money, the statement read.

The accused are alleged to have pocketed €108 000 from the scam.

Last week two men were charged with conspiracy to defraud as part of an investigation into match-fixing in English lower-league soccer. Earlier this year an inquiry by European police forces, Europol and national prosecutors uncovered a global betting scam run from Singapore.

About 680 suspicious matches, including the Champions League and qualifying games for the World Cup and European Championships, were identified in the probe.

European Rally Championship - 2014 calendar with the Estonian Rally on July 17th/19th

La commission des rallyes FIA s’est réunie à Genève le mois dernier afin de définir le calendrier 2014 du championnat d’Europe des rallyes.

Celui-ci comporte 12 manches dont un nouveau rallye et trois épreuves mythiques qui font leur retour.

Jännerrallye (3-5 janvier), Rally Liepāja (31 janvier-2 février), Sibiu Rally Romania (27 février-1 mars), Acropolis Rally (28-30 mars), Circuit of Ireland Rally (17-19 avril), Rallye Açores (15-17 mai), Ypres Rally (19-21 juin), Rally Estonia (17-19 juillet), Barum Rally Zlín (29-31 août), Cyprus Rally (19-21 septembre), Rallye International du Valais (23-25 octobre), Tour de Corse (6-8 novembre).

Estonia refuses citizenship for Russian figure skater

TALLINN – The Estonian government has denied citizenship to figure skater Alexander Zaboev, who had hoped to switch allegiances from Russia to participate at the Sochi Olympic Games, the tiny Baltic country announced Thursday.

Yekaterinburg-born Zaboev, 24, has been skating with Estonia’s Natalja Zabijako since October 2012 and the pair managed to win an Olympic spot for Estonia after taking ninth place at the Nebelhorn Trophy September.

The Estonian figure skating federation petitioned the government to fast-track Zaboev's application “for special merits," but its efforts appear to have been in vain, according to a statement from the Cabinet of Ministers that gave no explanation for the decision.

Estonia will now be represented only in singles disciplines by Jelena Glebova in the women's field and Viktor Romanenkov in the men's. With no replacements to call upon in the pairs category, Estonia relinquishes its spot to Israeli pair Andrea Davidovich and Evgeni Krasnopolski, who finished 10th at the Nebelhorn Trophy.

In Vancouver, Estonian pair of Maria Sergejeva and Ilja Glebov finished 19th, but both skaters retired soon after the Olympics. Mixed-nation pairs are allowed to skate on the Grand Prix circuit but Olympic rules require both to be from one nation. In May, two other figure skaters left Russia as Polina Shelepen switch to Israel and Ivan Bariev to Italy.

The Olympic figure skating competition is scheduled for February 6-20.

Amphibious car leaves Estonia on land and water trip around the globe

Tallinn - An Estonian on Saturday began a trip around the world in a Toyota Land Cruiser that he turned into an amphibious vehicle that will cross land, oceans and rivers on a 60,000 kilometre journey.

Mait Nilson, 44, a mechanical engineer who worked on the project for the past seven years, waved goodbye to friends and fans as he set off from Taillin on a journey he estimates will take nine months.

"This has been my dream since I was a 10-year-old boy and spent summers at our cottage near lake Peipsi in East Estonia," Nilson told AFP before his departure in the vehicle dubbed Amphibear. Photos on his website www.amphibear.com depict a vehicle that looks much like a typical 4x4, aside from large attachments surrounding it which allow it to metamorphose into a 10 metre boat.

It sports an anchor, hydraulic pump and portable toilet. A stove is built into the back door.
"The first sea crossing will be the Strait of Gibraltar, the first river crossing is in Senegal, and the first ocean crossing is the Atlantic," Nilson told AFP.
He will be joined by several co-pilots on different legs of the journey.

"Amphibear can cover 120 nautical miles in a day in ideal conditions. Most legs last less than 5 days and can be covered when the weather forecast is good. On land the car-boat can drive at speeds of up to 110 km/h," Nilson said.

The vehicle will cover 60,000 kilometres (37,000 miles) through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Cape Verde, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, USA, Canada and Russia.

"So far I have spent around 200 hours at sea with my amphibious car," Nilson added. "As an amphibious vehicle, Amphibear has some disadvantages when compared to a catamaran or a boat. It has a higher centre of gravity, less room for crew and equipment. "Its big advantage is low wind drag, meaning less risk to capsize due to wind than sailing catamarans," Nilson said.

Russian figure skater seeks Estonia switch for Sochi dream

TALLINN – Russian figure skater Alexander Zaboev is seeking Estonian citizenship, in part in order to compete in the Sochi Olympic Games in February.

Yekaterinburg-born Zaboev, 24, has been skating with Estonia’s Natalja Zabijako since October 2012 and the pair managed to qualify for the Olympics after taking ninth place at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany last month.

“I want to get Estonian citizenship not only to participate in Sochi, but to continue represent the country in the future,” Zaboev said on Estonian TV. “I want to represent Estonia and contribute to the development of figure skating in this country.”

Mixed-nation pairs are allowed to skate on the Grand Prix circuit, but Olympic rules require both to be from one nation, and Zaboev will be the one to switch because Russia’s Sochi slot is occupied by gold medal favorites Tatyana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov. 

The Estonian figure skating federation has already petitioned the government to fast-track Zaboev's application “for special merits,” and a final decision is expected by January 11. If Zaboev doesn’t get citizenship in time, then Estonia will only be represented in the singles by Jelena Glebova and Viktor Romanenkov.

In May, two other figure skaters left Russia – Polina Shelepen switched to Israel and Ivan Bariev to Italy. The Olympic figure skating competition is scheduled for February 6-20.

Alexandr Vilf

Baruto leaves sumo wrestling in surprise move

Estonia's only professional sumo wrestler, Kaido Höövelson, aka Baruto, has unexpectedly announced that he is retiring from the sport.

The 28-year-old said the decision was motivated by a knee injury that has turned out to be more serious than originally thought, inhibiting him from using his full might against his opponents, reported uudised.err.ee. "I can't do it with half power,“ he said.

"My sumo career has been unusual and overall very successful. Even more than the titles and awards, I value the people that the sport introduced me to and there are a lot of them. I love Japan and Japanese culture, which has developed me as a person and gave me opportunities to learn to know myself and the world better,“ Baruto said.

Baruto made his professional sumo debut in May 2004, rising to the top division two years later. In March 2010, he was promoted to Ozeki, the second highest rank in the sport. Over the course of his career, he won multiple awards for fighting spirit. At the end of last year, however, his injuries began causing him to miss tournaments or forfeit bouts.

He added that when in Japan, he always felt the support of Estonia. "The interest of regular folks, and also the professional and respectful interest of journalists, was pleasant. All in all it was perhaps the biggest motivator because I worked in Japan but home is in Estonia .“

The wrestler said he was happy to be a promoter of the sumo sport in Estonia. "I intend to continue this activity. Through the years I have gained a lot of contacts who can advance our shared interests.“

Baruto will return to Estonia after September 20. "I still have to go to Japan numerous times in the near future, because ending an athletic career there is tied to many ceremonies. When those end, I will stay home and start living an Estonian life.“

"Who would have expected this ?" - Van Persie stunned at Estonia draw

The Manchester United striker salvaged a point for Oranje with an injury-time penalty, but team-mates Arjen Robben and Kevin Strootman were frustrated with the result. Robin van Persie was left stunned after his last-gasp penalty was only enough to earn a draw for Netherlands against Estonia on Friday.

Van Persie converted a spot-kick after being tugged back in the area in the final minute of injury time of the World Cup qualifier which saw Louis van Gaal's side lose their perfect record in Group D. The Manchester United star admits it was a "bizarre" match to be involved in.

"Who would have expected this?" he told SBS. "This is what's so good about football. It's unfortunate that we didn't win, but that's all part of it.

"We knew that this week would be difficult. Everyone thought this would be easy, but these youngsters are very fit. The boy who scored two [Konstantin Vassiljev] is very good. "It was a bizarre game. We must be glad that we equalised. With a little luck, we could even have made it 3-2."

Estonian national basketball team gets to Eurobasket - 2015

The Estonian national basketball team won a repeat march against Bulgaria on Sunday in Tallinn, securing a place in the 2015 European Championships final tournament in Ukraine, LETA/Public Broadcasting reports.

Estonia had lost the first game against Bulgaria abroad but took the lead from the start on Sunday in Tallinn and won the game with 61:49. The two games combined score was 116:107 in Estonia's favor.

The Estonian national basketball team has participated in the European Championships final tournament in 1993 and 2001 and thus the 2015 tournament will be the third, Postimees adds.

Finn Class World Championship - Australia's sailors head to Estonia

Finn Gold Cup 2013 gets underway in Tallinn, Estonia, next week. Australia’s Finn sailors are preparing for their biggest event of the year with racing scheduled to begin on Monday.

Four Australian sailors have made the trip to Estonia for the Finn class World Championship, including London 2012 Olympic Games representative Brendan Casey and up-and-coming Finn sailors Oliver Tweddell, Jake Lilley and Joe McMillan.

Casey has had limited time in the boat since the end of the 2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup back in April but is looking forward to taking on the best Finn sailors in the world next week. 'Without much racing under my belt since the end of the World Cup series in France my approach here is very simple, eyes wide open and go for it,' said Casey.

Oliver Tweddell was the top placed Australian at the recent Finn European Championship, finishing the event 18th, with the Victorian keen to take on the large fleet. 'The Gold Cup is a very prestigious event and it’s always great fun to be a part of,' said Tweddell. 'This year we have 97 Finns entered so it will be another big fleet and the quality is extremely high, which will make racing very intense.

Double victory for Estonia in "World Fencing Championships"

Estonian fencers Nikolai Novosjolov and Julia Beljajeva won the men's and women's individual epee tournaments at the World Fencing Championships in Budapest on Thursday night.

It was truly an amazing night for Estonia, as Novosjolov, in the men's final, crushed Ruben Limardo Gascon of Venezuela. His win was soon followed by the victory from Beljajeva, a 21-year-old underdog whose results have astounded critics of the sport in the last two days.

In the men's final, the ease of the 15:7 victory came as a surprise for fans, as Gascon was by no means an opponent to be taken lightly, holding a gold medal from the London Olympics. Novosjolov, a 33-year-old Haapsalu native, won the épée event at the 2010 world championships and took silver at the European championships in 2012.

In the women's final, Beljajeva came up on top in a closer match with Russia's Anna Sivkova after defeating Hungarian Emese Szasz in a close semifinal. Beljajeva was part of the Estonian team that won the European Championships in Zagreb in late June.

Estonia wants another European union

Joining the European Union in 2004 clearly wasn’t enough for Estonia: its international rally now wants a place on the European championship calendar.

Rally Estonia, which is taking place this week, is targeting a 2014 ERC slot with event chief Urmo Aava confirming that the country’s government will decide next month whether or not it will splash the cash on securing a round of the regional championship.

Speaking to Becs Williams in Otepaa yesterday, Aava, a stage winner in the world championship in the past, said: “We can never say never but looking to the calendar and the plans the FIA has for the WRC then that looks like mission impossible. But where we should be and what championship we can organise a very good rally for is the European championship. We are working for that and at the moment we are waiting a decision from the government, which should be in August. Will they support us or not because always if you want to organise a high-level rally you need money.”

Aava, who has been at the helm of Rally Estonia for four years having called time on his driving career, added: “But it’s not all about money, it’s also making sure that the police, ambulance and rescue services are 100 per cent ready.”

Approximately 20,000 spectators are set to attend this year’s Rally Estonia, not bad for a country with a population of 1.2 million.

Days of doping darkness return to haunt Russia

A day after news that an old steroid dating back to the 1980s, stanozolol, had been administered to an Estonian teenage swimmer, Russian swimmer Nikita Maksimov has been banned for two years after testing positive for the anabolic steroid at the core of East Germany’s State Plan 14:25 systematic doping programme of the 1970s and 1980s, Oral-Turinabol. FINA, the international governing body, reports that Maksimov tested positive for the substance in a sample taken during training in March. The Russian federation has suspended the swimmer until April 3, 2015.

FINA reports: On March 3, 2013, a swimmer Nikita Maksimov (RUS) was tested positive to the substance Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone/ Oral-Turinabol (Class S.1.1.a Exogenous Anabolic Androgenic Steroids) following an out-of-competition doping control test conducted in Krugloe (RUS). The Russian Swimming Federation imposed a sanction of 2 years’ ineligibility on the athlete starting on April 4, 2013.

Estonia claims 3rd place, breaks record at Track and Field Championships

The Estonian decathlon and heptathlon teams battled to third place in the Super League of the European Cup in Combined Events held in Tallinn over the weekend.

France won the event, with a total of 41,421 points, beating runner-up Russia (41,032). Estonia collected just five points fewer than Russia. Ukraine and Italy suffered relegation to the first league.

On Friday, team member Mikk Pahapill said that the aim was to avoid the two last places and subsequent relegation, in the tournament that featured the continent's top eight teams.

But the bronze medal is not the only result to celebrate, as Grit Šadeiko broke the Estonian heptathlon record, amassing 6221 points. She came third in the individual event and earned a pass to the Moscow World Championships in August.

The men, competing in the decathlon part of the meet, fared no worse, with Mikk Pahapill claiming third and Andres Raja sixth. The mens' team led the standings until the last event, the 1,500 meters, but was then overtaken by France.

York City boss captures Estonia winger Sander Puri

ESTONIAN international winger Sander Puri has agreed to join York City in a two-year deal.

Puri, who is due to gain a 50th cap for his country in Monday’s friendly against Belarus, has become Nigel Worthington’s fourth summer signing following the arrivals of Ryan Jarvis, Craig Clay and Ryan Bowman.

The move is still subject to a successful medical when the 25-year-old attacker returns from international duty following further matches against Trinidad & Tobago and Krgystan. City boss Nigel Worthington first encountered Puri when he was Northern Ireland manager and Estonia were in the same Euro 2012 qualifying group.

Estonia beat Worthington’s team 4-1 and 2-1 during that competition and the Minstermen chief also received a glowing reference on his new signing from former Northern Ireland team-mate Jimmy Nicholl, who is now in charge of Kilmarnock.

Nicholl took on Puri as a trialist last season before he went on to join fellow Scottish Premier League outfit St Mirren in March, making two appearances for the Paisley side. Having started his career in Estonia, where he was named Young Footballer of the Year in 2009, Puri has also plied his trade in Greece, Poland and Hungary and has scored goals against Lithuania and Armenia for his country.

Kanepi beats Peng in Brussels Open final

The WTA's 40th-ranked player Kaia Kanepi of Estonia beat No.34 Peng Shuai of China 6-2 7-5 to win the Brussels Open.Kaia Kanepi of Estonia beat Peng Shuai of China 6-2 7-5 to win the Brussels Open on Saturday.

Kanepi won the fourth tournament in her WTA career by racing out to build a big lead before surviving some late jitters and clinching a big boost ahead of the French Open which starts on Sunday.

"This win gives me confidence and I feel good going to Roland Garros," 27-year-old said. The sun finally broke out over the Heysel courts on Saturday after a week filled with frustration over the unusually cold and wet conditions.

"It has been a really tough week because wind and weather and cold," she said. The long delays forced the players to finish both semis and the final on the same day. In Saturday morning's semi-finals, eighth-seeded Peng defeated Romina Oprandi of Switzerland in a tough three-setter 6-4 2-6 6-4.

Kanepi moved into the final by edging Jamie Hampton of the United States, 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

The players were given a few hours rest before the final. Peng, ranked 34th in the world, already reached the final in 2011. Kanepi is 40th in the WTA rankings and reached the semi-finals in Brussels last year.

Worldwide sanctions imposed on players from Estonia and Lebanon

FIFA can today confirm the worldwide extension of sanctions imposed on eight players by the Estonian Football Association and one player by the Lebanese Football Association relating to match-manipulation and fraud investigations.

The eight Estonian players each received a one-year ban from all football-related activities while the Lebanese player was banned from all football-related activities for life.

The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee extended the sanctions to have worldwide effect on 6 May 2013, in accordance with article 78 paragraph 1(c) and article 136ff of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

The Estonian FA has been cooperating with national judicial authorities after the State Prosecutor Office opened fraud investigations in 2011 against the eight players for allegedly receiving money from a bookmaker in connection with a number of matches of the Estonian top league, the Meistriliiga, and the Estonian Cup.

Following the criminal investigation of the State Prosecutor Office, the Estonian FA disciplinary board opened its own proceedings and decided on 1 March 2013 to impose on each player a one-year ban from all football-related activities in Estonia. The Estonian FA has specified that the bans are temporary at this stage, as more evidence and information is currently being gathered.