Erika Salumäe Biography: Husband, Ethnicity, Awards, Net Worth, Age, Height, Sports, Children

Erika Salumäe is an Estonian former track cyclist who became the first athlete to win an Olympic gold medal for independent Estonia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Competing at the highest level during a dramatic period in Baltic history, she secured gold in the women’s sprint at both the 1988 Seoul Olympics (representing the USSR) and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics (representing newly independent Estonia).

Profile

• Full Name: Erika Salumäe
• Stage Name: Erika Salumäe
• Born: 11, June 1962
• Age: 63 years old
• Birthplace: Pärnu, Estonian SSR, Soviet Union
• Nationality: Estonian
• Occupation: Former professional track cyclist, coach, sports administrator
• Height: 1.65 m
• Parents: Unknown
• Siblings: 1
• Spouse: Unknown (m. 1980s–1990s)
• Children: Kristel Salumäe
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $1 million

Early Life and Education

Erika Salumäe was born on 11 June 1962 in the coastal city of Pärnu, Estonian SSR, Soviet Union. Raised in a working-class family, she discovered cycling at age 11 when a local coach spotted her talent during school sports classes.

She trained at the renowned Kalev sports society in Tallinn and later attended the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism in Moscow, where she graduated with a coaching qualifications. Salumäe is of Estonian ethnicity and has spoken openly about her Lutheran upbringing, though she is not particularly religious in public life.

Career

Erika Salumäe began competitive cycling in the late 1970s under the Soviet sports system and quickly rose through the ranks. She won her first world championship medal (bronze) in 1984 and claimed the world sprint title in 1987 and 1989.

Her breakthrough on the Olympic stage came at the 1988 Seoul Games, where she defeated rival Christa Rothenburger of East Germany to take gold for the Soviet Union, becoming the first Estonian SSR’s first Olympic cycling champion.

The years 1989–1992 were historic: after Estonia regained independence, Salumäe chose to compete under the Estonian flag. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics she again won the women’s sprint, delivering independent Estonia its first-ever Olympic gold medal just months after rejoining the international community.

She added multiple World Championship medals (gold in 1987, 1989; silver 1995) and dominated the Grand Prix circuit throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Erika Salumäe retired from elite competition after the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where she reached the quarter-finals. She transitioned into coaching and sports administration, serving on the Estonian Olympic Committee and working with young cyclists.

Her dual Olympic victories under two different flags, combined with her role in Estonia’s post-Soviet sporting identity, cemented her status as one of the Baltic states’ greatest athletes.

Social Media

• Facebook Handle: Erika Salumäe

Personal Life

Erika Salumäe has kept her private life relatively low-key. She was previously married in the 1980s–1990s and has one daughter, Kristel. She later remarried and lives quietly in Tallinn.

After retirement she faced typical post-athletic financial challenges common to Eastern European Olympians of her era, but has remained active in Estonian sports circles.

Net Worth

Erika Salumäe’s estimated net worth is modest, likely below $1 million. Her income over the years has come from Soviet-era and later Estonian state stipends, Olympic prize money, coaching salaries, positions within the Estonian Olympic Committee, and occasional sponsorships.