Mikhail Kaaleste

Mikhail Kaaleste
Medal record
Men's canoe sprint
Olympic Games
Silver 1956 Melbourne K-2 1000 m
World Championships
Bronze 1958 Prague K-2 1000 m
Bronze 1958 Prague K-4 1000 m

Mikhail Kaaleste (born Mikhail Stoljar on August 20, 1931) was an Estonian sprint canoer who competed in 1950s. He won a silver medal in the K-2 1000 m event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.

Kaaleste changed in last name in 1940 from Stoljar. Originally going into cross country skiing, he was changed to sprint canoeing from his coaches at Dynamo Sports Club. After winning a silver medal in Melbourne, Kaaleste won two bronze medals at the 1958 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Prague (K-2 1000 m, K-4 1000 m). He also won several medals in the Soviet Union in cross country skiing in the 1950s.

In 1964, he became coach for the Dynamo Leningrad biathlon and cross country skiing. Kaaleste's wife, Anna, finished ninth in the 10 km cross-country skiing event at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

References