through dance and movement. The young people and their supervisors must create the dances performed in School Dance. School Dance focuses on finding and developing young talented dancers as possible future professionals, in order to help to raise the art of dance to the same professional level as other kinds of art. In addition to Estonian groups, other groups from abroad participate in the final event of the festival. The Tartu ski marathon in the worldloppet series Every year, the Worldloppet Ski Federation promotes crosscountry skiing marathons in fourteen countries. Founded in Sweden in 1978, Worldloppet incorporates one top race from each member country. Skiers that complete at least 10 Worldloppet races, including one overseas, if not all 14, become Masters. There are currently over 2400 Masters, some of whom have completed the circuit multiple times. Each race with its own personality and traditions has options for everyone,
Toomas Tõniste); and cycling (Olympic winners Aavo Pikkuus and Erika Salumäe). Basketball is the most popular ball game in Estonia, and it is in this sport that the best results have been achieved. Though Tiit Sokk fought for the gold at the Seoul Olympics as a member of the Soviet team, he did it for his people. Those who participate in sports for recreation, belong to the Estonian Health Sport Union. The Tartu skiing marathon is an internationally known event; it is a part of the Worldloppet series. There are always many running events going on all over Estonia. Hiking and tourism in general are also popular. Under foreign rule, sport has always been a means for national self-expression and a chance to establish relations with other countries. Now Estonians are again free, but the historic role of sport has not diminished. For this reason, Estonians have always considered themselves a sporting nation, and the sportsmen - Lurich, Palusalu, Keres - our national heroes. 9
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