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| Athlete of the Year (Aasta Sportlane) | |
|---|---|
| Country | Estonia |
| Presented by | Estonian Olympic Committee |
| First award | 1931[1] |
| Most wins | Erika Salumäe (9) |
| Website | https://aastasportlane.eok.ee/ |
The Estonian Athlete of the Year (Estonian: Eesti Aasta Sportlane) is an annual award presented by the Estonian Olympic Committee (Eesti Olümpiakomitee, EOK) to one male and one female sportsperson judged to have delivered the best performance over the course of the year. The winners of the award, which was first conceived in the 1930s and has been presented every year since 1955, are chosen by an aggregated vote from sporting journalists, national sporting federations, and the public at large.
Initially an accolade presented to one individual, the award was split into male and female categories beginning in 1967. In 2020 the two categories were merged due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the international and national sporting calendars.[2] The athlete with the most wins is cyclist Erika Salumäe, who has won the award on nine occasions.
- ^ Lääne, Tiit (14 February 2011). "Parimate sportlaste ajastu avas mässumeelne Elmar Rähn". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "HÄÄLETA | Algas "Aasta sportlane 2020" rahvahääletus". EER Sport (in Estonian). Eesti Rahvusringhääling. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.