Tribute: John Peets (1931-2020)

Estonia’s former pentathlete and coach, Johannes (John) Peets, died on March 30 at the age of 89.

Peets started the Modern Pentathlon in 1953, and in 1959 and 1960 he won bronze medals at the Soviet Union Championship with the Estonia team.

Two years later, Peets became Estonian champion in epee fencing, winning both the individual and team competitions. He also showed his sporting versatility by winning a silver medal in ski jumping and Nordic combined skiing in 1953.

After finishing his career as an athlete, Peets worked as a coach for over 40 years , a period that encompassed the Olympic Games in Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000). His student was Imre Tiidemann, now Secretary General of the Estonian Modern Pentathlon Association (EMPA).

Peets was a member of the EMPA board from 1957 to 2000 and served as vice-president from 2000 to 2004. In 2010 he was awarded the Estonian National Sports Lifetime Achievement Award.