Founder of Estonian sports medicine Toomas Karu dies at 91

Toomas Karu, a physician and scientist regarded as the founder of Estonian sports medicine, died on Sunday at the age of 91. He had spent decades at the University of Tartu, most recently as its honorary professor.

Born in Tartu, Karu was a successful young athlete, winning Estonian schoolboy championship titles in alpine skiing. In 1958 he placed sixth in giant slalom at the Soviet Union's youth skiing championship and took silver in slalom at the Estonian championship. He later took up tennis with similar success.

Academic career

After graduating from the medical faculty of Tartu State University in 1959 and completing postgraduate studies in Moscow, he defended his doctoral dissertation with distinction. Karu devoted decades of his life to the University of Tartu: he led the Department of Sports Medicine from 1971 to 1992, served as an adjunct professor of sports medicine and rehabilitation from 1992 to 1998, and became honorary professor in 1998.

His research into hemodynamics, the automation of physical load testing, and the treatment of sports injuries laid the groundwork for modern sports medicine in Estonia. He was a sought-after expert who consulted on and examined leading Estonian athletes across many sports.

In 1989 he became one of the founders of the Estonian Olympic Academy. From 1990 to 2008 he chaired the Estonian Sports Medicine Federation and also served as president of the Baltic Association of Sports Medicine.