Janika Mölder (born 4 January 1970) is a retired Estonian

rhythmic gymnast Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and rope. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, fle ...

and coach.

Early life and career

Mölder has become Estonian champion 22 times, thus making the Soviet national rhythmic gymnastics team as part of the group. She made her debut at the

European Championships A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...

in 1986, winning silver. At the

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

in 1987 they won silver in the All-Around and with 6 balls behind Bulgaria . In 1988 she competed at the

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

, winning silver in the All-Around and with 6 balls as well as gold with 3 hoops and 3 ribbons, she also graduated from the

Tallinn Secondary School of Science Tallinn Secondary School of Science () is a Gymnasium (school), gymnasium in Tallinn, Estonia. The school is a member of the G5 Union of Schools which comprises what some call the "elite Tallinn city centre schools": Tallinn English College, Tall ...

. The following year, at the

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

, the Soviet group won gold with 3 hoops and 3 ribbons, silver in the All-Around and with 6 clubs. In 1993 she graduated from the Faculty of Physical Education of the

University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; ; ) is a public research university located in the city of Tartu, Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is also the largest and oldest university in the country.

. Later she founded her own rhythmic gymnastics club, Janika. Since 1995 she organise the Miss Valentine tournament in Tartu. Janika Mölder has been a member of the

Estonian Reform Party The Estonian Reform Party () is a liberal political party in Estonia. The party has been led by Kristen Michal since 2024. It is colloquially known as the "Squirrel Party" () or as "the Squirrels" (), referencing its logo. It was founded in ...

since 1999.

Membership and award

She was a member of Tartu City Council from 1993 to 1996, from 1999 to 2002 and from 2009 to 2012. In 2017 she was awarded the

Order of the White Star The Order of the White Star (; ) was instituted in 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonian citizens and foreigners to give recognition for services rendered to the Estonian state. Design Classes The Order of the White Star ...

5th class.

Personal life

In 2012 she married her longtime partner Kaupo Kallemaa, with whom she has two children: Carmel (1997) who's also a rhythmic gymnast, and Carl-Aksel (2004). Since then, she has divided her time between Estonia and Canada, where her daughter Carmel, who previously represented Estonia in competitions and now competes for Canada, working at club Kalev Estienne, founded by Estonian Evi-Evelyn Koop. She now coaches at the Glimmer Athletic Club.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Molder, Janika 1970 births Living people Estonian rhythmic gymnasts Soviet rhythmic gymnasts University of Tartu alumni Medalists at the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships Medalists at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 5th Class Estonian emigrants to Canada Sportspeople from Tartu Gymnastics coaches