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. Since 2019, Šmigun-Vähi, a member of the Reform Party, has served as a member of the Estonian Parliament.
Cross-country skiing 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.
Cross-country skiing results All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games 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 — 12 1998 21 — — — 46 — 2002 25 7 13 7 25 — 2006 29 Gold Gold 8 — — — 2010 33 Silver 27 — — —
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 1993 16 35 — 31 — — 1995 18 5 — 20 — 11 1997 20 28 8 9 — — 1999 22 9 Silver 6 Bronze — 2001 24 12 41 — 19 — 2003 26 Silver Silver GoldBronze — — 2005 28 4 14 — 13 — 2007 30 9 10 6 — 15 —
a. Cancelled due to extremely cold weather.
World Cup
Season titles 2 titles – (1 long distance, 1 middle distance) SeasonDiscipline1999 Long Distance2000 Middle Distance
Season standings Season Age Discipline standingsSki Tour standingsOverallDistanceLong DistanceMiddle DistanceSprintTour deSkiWorld CupFinal 1993 16 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 2010 33 32 22 84 — 6
Individual podiums
16 victories – (16 ) 50 podiums – (49 , 1 )
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place1 1998–99 27 December 1998 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany 1.0 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd2 5 January 1999 Otepää, Estonia 10 km C Individual World Cup 3rd3 12 January 1999 Nové Město, Czech Republic 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 1st4 19 February 1999 Ramsau, Austria 15 km F Mass Start World Championships 2nd5 27 February 1999 30 km C Mass Start World Championships 3rd6 20 March 1999 Oslo, Norway 30 km F Mass Start World Cup 3rd7 1999–2000 5 December 1999 Kiruna, Sweden 5 km C Individual World Cup 3rd8 10 December 1999 Sappada, Italy 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st9 28 December 1999 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany 1.5 km F Sprint World Cup 1st10 8 January 2000 Moscow, Russia 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 2nd11 12 January 2000 Nové Město, Czech Republic 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 2nd12 16 February 2000 Ulrichen, Switzerland 5 km C Individual World Cup 1st13 20 February 2000 Lamoura Mouthe, France 44 km F Mass Start World Cup 2nd14 3 March 2000 Lahti, Finland 1.2 km Sprint F World Cup 1st15 2000–01 29 November 2000 Beitostølen, Norway 5 km F Individual World Cup 3rd16 20 December 2000 Davos, Switzerland 15 km C Mass Start World Cup 3rd17 2001–02 25 November 2001 Kuopio, Finland 5 km F Individual World Cup 3rd18 12 December 2001 Brusson, Italy 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd19 15 December 2001 Davos, Switzerland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd20 22 December 2001 Ramsau, Austria 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 1st21 2 March 2002 Lahti, Finland 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st22 16 March 2002 Oslo, Norway 30 km F Mass Start World Cup 2nd23 2002–03 23 November 2002 Kiruna, Sweden 5 km F Individual World Cup 1st24 30 November 2002 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd25 7 December 2002 Davos, Switzerland 10 km F Individual World Cup 2nd26 14 December 2002 Cogne, Italy 10 km C Mass Start World Cup 2nd27 21 December 2002 Ramsau, Austria 5 km + 5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 3rd28 4 January 2003 Kavgolovo, Russia 5 km F Individual World Cup 1st29 12 January 2003 Otepää, Estonia 15 km C Mass Start World Cup 2nd30 18 January 2003 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd31 2003–04 22 November 2003 Beitostølen, Norway 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st32 28 November 2003 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd33 29 November 2003 7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 1st34 6 December 2003 Toblach, Italy 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 1st35 20 December 2003 Ramsau, Austria 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd36 21 December 2003 7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 1st37 6 January 2004 Falun, Sweden 7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 3rd38 10 January 2004 Otepää, Estonia 15 km C Mass Start World Cup 2nd39 2004–05 20 November 2004 Gällivare, Sweden 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd40 26 November 2004 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km F Individual World Cup 2nd41 28 November 2004 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st42 11 December 2004 Lago di Tesero, Italy 7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 2nd43 18 December 2004 Ramsau, Austria 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 1st44 2005–06 27 November 2005 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd45 7 January 2006 Otepää, Estonia 10 km C Individual World Cup 2nd46 2006–07 18 November 2006 Gällivare, Sweden 10 km F Individual World Cup 2nd47 26 November 2006 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 3rd48 11 March 2007 Lahti, Finland 10 km C Individual World Cup 1st49 2009–10 12 December 2009 Davos, Switzerland 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd50 21 March 2010 Falun, Sweden 10 km F Pursuit Stage World Cup 3rd
Note: Until the 1999 World Championships, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.
Overall record
ResultDistance RacesSprintSkiToursIndividualEvents Team EventsAllEvents≤ 5 km ≤ 10 km≤ 15 km ≤ 30 km≥ 30 km PursuitTeam Sprint Relay1st place 3 5 4 – – 2 2 – 16 – – 162nd place – 9 5 1 1 1 1 – 18 – – 183rd place 3 8 1 2 – 2 – – 16 – – 16Podiums 6 22 10 3 1 5 3 – 50 – – 50Top 10 16 46 18 7 1 13 8 1 110 – 12 122Points 27 57 27 9 2 19 22 1 164 1 19 184Others 2 2 – – – 1 4 – 9 – – 9 – – – – – – – 1 1 – – 1 Starts 29 59 27 9 2 20 26 2 174 1 19 194
a. Classification is made according to FIS classification. b. Includes individual and mass start races. c. Includes pursuit and double pursuit races. d. 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.
Political career Šmigun-Vähi joined the liberal Reform Party in 2018.
Since 2019, she has been serving as a member of the Estonian Parliament.
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, a daughter born in 2008 and a son born in 2011.
See also List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
References
External links