President Lennart Meri called Erki Nool, the decathlon gold medal winner of the Olympic Games, and congratulated him upon his victory. ''The entire nation is proud of you,'' the President said. The President also said that everyone in Estonia had been following the contest closely – with eyes, ears, and other senses. The President, who at the time of the last contest had a meeting with the Ambassador of Great Britain, assured Nool that he had been watching the competition until morning, only to start for office a little later. ''It is no longer important that the victory was hard to gain, it is important that we did it,'' the President said with appreciation, and congratulated Erki Nool once more.

In reply to the President's question on his spirits, Erki Nool said that for years, he had had a dream of making a round on the Olympics stadium with the Estonian flag, and that now, this day has come. ''It cannot be denied that the victory was hard and nerve-racking to gain,'' Nool added. The President recommended him to hold high the Estonian flag; and said he knew that the Estonian flag was in the right hands. The President said that he wishes to see the Olympics gold medal winner as soon as he will be back home.

President Lennart Meri sent a letter to Erki Nool, and wrote that for him, Erki Nool has united the Estonian Olympics history ever since Kristjan Palusalu, whose hand he had shook in Berlin in 1936. ''Today you ran under the Southern Cross with the blue-black-white Estonain flag,'' the President wrote in the name of all sports fans, ''your accomplishment sets an example to young Estonians and is cherished by older generations.''


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, September 28, 2000

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