ALFA is the biggest indoor rowing competition in the Baltics[1] raced over 1,000 m on Concept2 indoor rowers. The first competition in Estonia on Concept2 rowing ergometers took place at the end of 1993 in the hall of the Lootos sports association. There were 54 participants in the competition, initiated by the Tallinn Rowing Club. In 1995, the second rowing ergometer competition took place in the sports facilities of Flora with the third event occurring at the same venue in 1996.

The competition was international for the first time in 1997 and the venue was then the Kalev gym at Tõnismägi. In 1998, the competition got the symbolic name ALFA and it took place in Pirita in the TOP tennis hall, and was repeated there in 1999. The 2000 Alfa competition was dedicated to the 125th anniversary of Estonian rowing. The venue, for the years 2000 as well s for 2001, was the Tallinn Sports Hall. In years 2002 and 2003, the competition took place in the Tallinn Kalev Sports Hall and since 2004, the International competitions on Concept2 rowing ergometers have been held again in Tallinn Sports Hall.

Between the years 1993–1997, the organizer of the competitions was the Tallinn Rowing Club and since 1998 the Tallinn Rowing Club in collaboration with the Estonian Rowing Association.

Over the years the number of participants in the Alfa competition has grown from fifty to five hundred and thus is one of the biggest indoor sporting events in Estonia. Nowadays, the Alfa has become a fixed calendar event for the rowers. In addition to rowers, representatives of other sports, amateurs, politicians, firms, school children, the representatives of the defence forces and rescue services etc. participate actively in the competition.

Winners edit

Men edit

Year Athlete Time
1993   Jüri Jaanson 2:51,8
1995   Jüri Jaanson 2:48,9
1996   Priit Tasane 2:57,4
1997   Klaus Geiger 2:45,0
1998   Klaus Geiger 2:44,3
1999   Jüri Jaanson 2:46,6
2000   Jüri Jaanson 2:46,3
2001   Tõnu Endrekson 2:45,1
2002   Tõnu Endrekson 2:44,6
2003   Pavel Shurmei 2:39,8
2004   Pavel Shurmei 2:41,9
2005   Pavel Shurmei 2:40,3
2006   Pavel Shurmei 2:40,2
2007   Tõnu Endrekson 2:45,5
2008   Kristaps Bokums 2:41,2
2009   Pavel Shurmei 2:41,9
2010   Tõnu Endrekson 2:45,1
2011   Tõnu Endrekson 2:43,6
2012   Tõnu Endrekson 2:42,5
2013   Tõnu Endrekson 2:45,3
2014   Tõnu Endrekson 2:43,8
2015   Tõnu Endrekson 2:43,2
2016   Joel Naukkarinen 2:42,9
2017   Pavel Shurmei 2:42,5
2018   Pavel Shurmei 2:43,3
2019   Tõnu Endrekson 2:45,9
2020   Tõnu Endrekson 2:45,1
2021   Tõnu Endrekson
  Leo Muiste
2:46,2
2022   Tõnu Endrekson 2:46,4
2023   Martin Milling 2:48,8
 

Women edit

Year Athlete Time
1993   Piret Jamnes 3:21,0
1995   Piret Jamnes 3:17,3
1996   Piret Jamnes 3:16,3
1997   Birutė Šakickienė 3:17,9
1998   Birutė Šakickienė 3:18,3
1999   Kalli Meriste 3:21,4
2000   Kalli Meriste 3:18,8
2001   Kalli Meriste 3:20,4
2002   Kristiana Rode-Gulova 3:16,7
2003   Kristiana Rode-Gulova 3:15,6
2004   Kristiana Rode-Gulova 3:17,3
2005   Kristiana Rode-Gulova 3:14,3
2006   Kaisa Pajusalu 3:16,6
2007   Jevgenia Rõndina 3:26,8
2008   Kaisa Pajusalu 3:15,0
2009   Kaisa Pajusalu 3:13,7
2010   Kaisa Pajusalu 3:11,6
2011   Kaisa Pajusalu 3:13,3
2012   Elza Gulbe 3:16,5
2013   Kaisa Pajusalu 3:15,1
2014   Elza Gulbe 3:14,7
2015   Kaisa Pajusalu 3:16,4
2016   Lana Bračka 3:17,8
2017   Liisu Mitt 3:21,5
2018   Olena Buryak 3:04,9
2019   Liisu Mitt 3:19,6
2020   Grete Alttoa 3:18,2
2021   Sonja Peltola 3:18,0
2022   Liisu Mitt 3:20,3
2023   Anni Keisanen 3:24,1

Bold marks competition record

Wins by athlete edit

Men edit

Rank Athlete Wins Winning Years
1.   Tõnu Endrekson 13 2001, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
2.   Pavel Shurmei 7 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2017, 2018
3.   Jüri Jaanson 4 1993, 1995, 1999, 2000
4.   Klaus Geiger 2 1997, 1998
5.   Priit Tasane 1 1996
  Kristaps Bokums 1 2008
  Joel Naukkarinen 1 2016
  Leo Muiste 1 2021
  Martin Milling 1 2023
 

Women edit

Rank Athlete Wins Winning Years
1.   Kaisa Pajusalu 7 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015
2.   Kristiana Rode-Gulova 4 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
3.   Piret Jamnes 3 1993, 1995, 1996
  Kalli Meriste 3 1999, 2000, 2001
  Liisu Mitt 3 2017, 2019, 2022
6.   Birutė Šakickienė 2 1997, 1998
  Elza Gulbe 2 2012, 2014
8.   Jevgenia Rõndina 1 2007
  Lana Bračka 1 2016
  Olena Buryak 1 2018
  Grete Alttoa 1 2020
  Sonja Peltola 1 2021
  Anni Keisanen 1 2023

References edit

  1. ^ "Biggest indoor rowing for Baltics" Archived 28 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine World Rowing (25 January 2008). Retrieved 15 June 2008

External links edit