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A medal designed by former European Athletics U23 Championships medallist Indrek Turi has been selected as the official medal for the 2011 European Athletics Junior Championships to be held in Tallinn, Estonia, through 21-24 July.
Turi’s medal symbolises the unstoppable force of young athletes. Wavy and rectangular in shape, the design also features the full name of the event, the 21st European Athletics Junior Championships, a reference to Tallinn 2011 and three stars, symbolically referring to the mascots Citi, Alti and Forti.
A contest was launched earlier this year among Estonian art and design students in search of an original medal design for the event taking place for the first time on Estonian soil. Out of 14 designs submitted by 13 students, the jury voted for a flowing design by Turi, a graphic design student at the Estonian Academy of Arts.
A former decathlete, Turi won the silver medal at the 2003 European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz and used his own personal experience and emotions of his career as an athlete when designing the medal.
“I thought about what kind of a medal I would have liked to get myself,” said Turi.
“The majority of the medals I have won have been round but my plan was to give this one a rectangular shape and take it further from there. The shape of a wave seemed very suitable, as waves symbolise a sort of restlessness and uncontrollable force which I think characterises young athletes very well.”
In the final result, the wavy shape symbolises youth and bravery and the three stars are the mascots Citi, Alti and Forti, which stand for the Citius, Altius, Fortius motto,” Turi added.
The jury included former Olympic champion and European Athletics Council Member Erki Nool, Estonian athletic association president Erich Teigamí¤gi, members of the European Athletics staff, country manager of manufacturing firm Sporrong Hendrik Karlson and artist of the mascots Helene Vettik.
“The winning design combines originality and practicality. The jury also felt that the designer had well incorporated the existing symbols of the event – namely the three stars or mascots. We hope that the future medallists will like their medals, which will always remind them of their competition experience in Tallinn,” said Teigamí¤gi.
For more information, visit http://www.tallinn2011.org/en.