Kristjan Ilves celebrates marriage and targets world championship medal

Nordic combined athlete Kristjan Ilves said marrying Karmen fulfilled a long-held dream at a reception in the president’s rose garden, ERR reported.

“We had been thinking about getting married for a long time and had dreamed of it since the beginning of our relationship. Honestly, it feels very good to call Karmen my wife,” Ilves said.

Karmen Ilves said sharing a surname had strengthened their sense of unity. The couple took a short break in Italy after the wedding but have not yet had a proper honeymoon.

Ilves said his motivation to train had not diminished, despite Nordic combined no longer being an Olympic event. He said he continued to approach each day and hour as before and was aiming to compete at the world championships next February.

“I do not yet have a medal from a major championship, and I will go for one next year,” Ilves said.

He added that the decision to remove Nordic combined from the Olympic programme was especially painful for younger athletes hoping to reach the Games. “I will soon be a veteran athlete myself, so perhaps it no longer affects me as sharply,” he said.

Asked whether being married to a top-level athlete was easy, Karmen Ilves replied: “Being alone exactly one month after the wedding sums it all up.”