Kaljulaid, who lost a motion of no confidence in her EOK presidency late last month, was the wrong person to lead the organization, the Center Party leader added.

"The Estonian Olympic Committee was in crisis. This crisis emerged when someone who had no understanding of what sport is — especially elite sport — came to lead it," Kõlvart wrote on his social media account.

"This crisis was born when the person who was supposed to stand up for athletes and unite them instead chose to impose their own value system on them," he went on, referring to Kaljulaid.

The Center Party leader said that the battle lines as set out by Michal and others, including some opponents of Kaljulaid as EOK leader, were a cliché.

"It is completely arbitrary to play those worn-out cards, claiming that the issue was the leader's gender, or that this was supposedly some ideological battle between progressives and conservatives," he continued. "It was not a case of one camp 'winning' and the other 'losing'. Sport itself had already lost when those camps emerged in such a manner."

As for EOK activities under Kaljulaid's presidency, October 2024 to last month, Kõlvart also expressed dissatisfaction with developments surrounding the restructuring of the youth athlete support system. "Even the reform of the youth athlete support system was not a question of being for or against change, but rather about the specific changes themselves and whether they were appropriate," he said.

Kõlvart is president of the Estonian Taekwondo Federation (Eesti Taekwondo Föderatsioon), and a black belt 5th dan in that art.

"When an athlete's achievements become less important in funding decisions than project writing and PR activities, then it is clear that someone lacks an understanding of what sporting achievement truly means," he added.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform Party) issued a social media post Wednesday in support of Kaljulaid, in which he referred to those who voted in favor of her removal at last month's EOK general assembly as "Uncle Heinos" and "Mentally bitter old men". An "Uncle Heino" (Onu Heino) is an Estonian trope referring to a particular type of unreconstructed older male.

Kõlvart said these words were insults. "It is sad to see our prime minister allowing himself to make insulting posts directed at the sporting community, and people more broadly," noting that the targets "make up the majority of the Estonian Olympic Committee — in other words, the sports federations representing thousands of athletes and coaches, regional organizations, sports associations, and Olympic champions. The majority of the Olympic movement supported the vote of no confidence in Kersti Kaljulaid."

"Using the image of an elderly person to belittle or mock someone is something a dignified head of government should not do," Kõlvart said. "Yet the prime minister assumes a condescending role, trying to lecture the sporting community and teach them values," he concluded.

Gerd Kanter, a former Olympian himself, is acting EOK president. The elections for Kaljulaid's replacement take place June 18. Former president of the Estonian Athletics Association (Eesti Kergejõustikuliit) Erich Teigamägi has announced an intention to run, as he had done in 2024.

Delfi identified a mainstream domestic politics aspect to the episode in saying Michal was telegraphing an intention for his party, Reform, the largest party by Riigikogu seats, to back a bid for a second presidential term by Kaljulaid come the autumn. On Thursday, Michal answered "I think so, yes," to the question whether Kaljulaid, president 2016-2021, could run as a candidate.

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