European Olympic Committees (EOC) President Spyros Capralos attended the Estonia Olympic Committee (EOK) Centenary celebrations in Tallin, Estonia on 8 December 2023.

A spectacular lunch held in the wonderful setting of Tallin Town Hall took place to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the EOK. The event highlighted the achievements and impact on the sporting world Estonia has made. President Capralos was welcomed to the event by EOK President Sõõrumaa and Secretary General Sukles, as well as many of Estonia’s Olympians including former EOC Athletes’ Commission Chair Gerd Kanter.

Over the 100-year history of the EOK the organisation has made contributions to the Olympic Movement including winning 44 Olympic medals with many of these in the sport of wrestling as well as success in cross-country skiing in particular from three-time gold medalists Kristina Šmigun and Andrus Veerpalu. President Capralos also highlighted the contributions Kanter, Olympic champion in the discuss from Beijing 2008, has made.

President Capralos said: “Thank you Gerd, for your wonderful leadership of the EOC’s Athletes’ Commission for the past six years. In that time, the EOC has become a real leader in much of what we do for Europe’s athletes. You have set the bar very high for your successor.”

Looking to the next 100 years of the organisation President Capralos highlighted how he sees every reason to believe the EOK will grow from strength to strength.

President Capralos commented: “The future looks bright with emerging young talent. At this year’s EYOF events Estonia won 10 medals. Meanwhile, the former winner of the EOC’s Piotr Nurowski prize, Kelly Sidaru, is proving to be the talent she promised to be in freestyle skiing. In 2020, Kelly won a Youth Olympic Games gold medal. And at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, she won a bronze medal.

“It is a future I look forward to watching closely, starting next summer in Paris.”