LAUSANNE, Switz., Dec. 16, 2022—The FIE is saddened to learn of the passing of Igor Tšikinjov (EST) on December 8, at the age of 61. Born on June 26, 1961, in Kohtla-Järve, Estonia, he was a renowned Olympic and national coach and former fencer.
Mr. Tšikinjov participated in four Olympic Games as an epee coach, including Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 for the Swedish national team, and Rio 2016 for the Estonian national team.
He was the senior coach of the Estonian women’s epee team from 1991 to 1992, after which he was the head coach of the Swedish fencing team from 2003 to 2012. He coached the Estonian epee team from 2013 to 2018, and then from 2020 to 2021. In-between those periods with Estonia, he coached the Uzbekistan fencing team from 2018 to 2019.
His athletes won numerous international medals in epee, including Oksana Jermakova, individual world and two-time Olympic team champion; Erika Kirpu, world and Olympic team champion; Nikolai Novosjolov, two-time world champion; and Peter Vanky, who competed in four Olympic Games and won numerous international medals. In 2015, his Estonian women’s epee team won the European Championships, and the Swedish and Uzbekistan teams also achieved medals in major competitions under his coaching.
Mr. Tšikinjov began fencing in 1973. As an athlete, he became Estonian team champion in 1981 in epee and 1984-1985 in foil.
The FIE extends its sincere condolences to Igor Tšikinjov’s family and friends, the Estonian Fencing Federation and the European Fencing Confederation. We express our deepest sympathy to them during this difficult time.