Alexandr Zubkov

Alexandr Yuryevich Zubkov (Russian: Александр Юрьевич Зубков; born 10 August 1974) is a Russian retired bobsledder who has competed since 1999. Competing in four Winter Olympics, he won two medals with a silver in 2006 (four-man) and a bronze in 2010 (two-man).[1] On 24 November 2017, he was found guilty of doping offences and stripped of his medals from the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Alexandr Zubkov
Alexandr Zubkov at the 2014 Olympics
Personal information
Full nameAlexandr Yuryevich Zubkov
NationalityRussian
Born (1974-08-10) 10 August 1974
Bratsk, Russian SFSR,  Soviet Union
Height1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight100 kg (220 lb)
Sport
Country Russia
Sport Bobsleigh (pilot)
Turned pro1999
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals 2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Medal record
Representing  Russia
Olympic Games
Disqualified2014 SochiTwo-man
Disqualified2014 SochiFour-man
Silver medal – second place2006 TurinFour-man
Bronze medal – third place2010 VancouverTwo-man
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2011 KönigsseeTwo-man
Silver medal – second place2005 CalgaryFour-man
Silver medal – second place2008 AltenbergFour-man
Silver medal – second place2013 St. MoritzFour-man
Bronze medal – third place2003 Lake PlacidFour-man
Bronze medal – third place2008 AltenbergTwo-man
World Cup Championships
Gold medal – first place2004–05Four-man
Gold medal – first place2005–06Four-man
Gold medal – first place2008–09Combined
Gold medal – first place2008–09Four-man
Gold medal – first place2010–11Two-man
Gold medal – first place2011–12Four-man
Gold medal – first place2012–13Four-man
Silver medal – second place2003–04Four-man
Silver medal – second place2004–05Combined
Silver medal – second place2005–06Combined
Silver medal – second place2005–06Two-man
Silver medal – second place2007–08Combined
Silver medal – second place2007–08Four-man
Silver medal – second place2010–11Combined
Silver medal – second place2011–12Combined
Silver medal – second place2012–13Combined
Bronze medal – third place2004–05Two-man
Bronze medal – third place2007–08Two-man
Bronze medal – third place2010–11Four-man
Bronze medal – third place2011–12Two-man

Career
Zubkov with President Vladimir Putin at the award ceremonies for Russian athletes, 24 February 2014

Zubkov also won four medals at the FIBT World Championships with two silvers (Four-man: 2005, 2008) and two bronzes (Two-man: 2008, Four-man: 2003). He won the Bobsleigh World Cup in the four-man event three times as well (2004–5, 2005–6, 2008–9).

Prior to competing in bobsleigh, he competed in luge. Zubkov finished 20th in the men's singles event at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

2014 Winter Olympics

In 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, he was the flag bearer of Russia for the Opening Ceremony. Zubkov won Gold in both Two-Man and Four-Man Bobsleigh.

In the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Zubkov was coached by a former rival, Canadian Pierre Lueders.[2] Zubkov also paid a fee to borrow personal skids from the 2011 World Champion, Germany's Manuel Machata. Machata bought the skids for €29,000 in Switzerland, and had not qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympics. The 2014 Olympics saw Germany failing to win a bobsleigh medal at an Olympics for the first time since Innsbruck 1964. Machata did not inform German Bobsleigh Luge and Skeleton Federation of this loan and received a one-year competitive ban and fine of €5,000 (250,000 rubles) from the German Federation.[3][4][5][6]

After the 2014 Olympics, Zubkov received the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" award 4th class with Russian President Vladimir Putin handing the state awards.[7]

In October 2014 Zubkov announced his retirement from the sport due to a long-term injury which prevented him from competing at the start of the 2014–15 season.[8]

In May 2016, Zubkov was named in a New York Times investigation of the state-sponsored steroid program in Russia.[9] On 24 November 2017, he was found guilty of doping offenses by the International Olympic Committee and stripped of his medals from the 2014 Winter Olympics.[10] On 1 February 2018, following a Russian appeal, the CAS removed the sanctions from Alexey Negodaylo and Dmitry Trunenkov in bobsleigh, but upheld them on their teammates Alexandr Zubkov and Alexey Voyevoda.[11] In 2018, Zubkov appealed this decision in the Moscow City Court, which decided not to recognise the CAS decision in Russia. Despite no longer being an Olympic gold medallist, the Russian government has continued to classify him as an Olympic champion and pay him the lifetime Presidential stipend which is awarded to all Olympics medal winners.[12]

Personal life

His daughter, Elisaveta Zubkova, is a Russian skeleton slider.[13]

References
  1. Aleksandr Zubkov. Sports-Reference.com
  2. Eric Reguly (19 February 2014) "How Canadian Lueders helped put Russian bobsleigh team on right track". The Globe and Mail.
  3. Nick Butler (3 March 2014) "German banned for loaning bobsled to double gold medal winning Russian rival Zubkov". insidethegames.biz.
  4. Anno Hecker (14 February 2014) Russisches Gold mit deutschen Kufen, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
  5. Sperre und Geldstrafe für Machata, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 3 March 2014.
  6. Christoph Becker (17 February 2014) Kein „olympiawürdiger“ Schlitten. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
  7. "Russia's Olympic athletes receive state awards". Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. 24 February 2014. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014.
  8. "Russian Olympic bobsled champ Zubkov retires". usatoday.com. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  9. Ruiz, Rebecca; Schwirtz, Michael (12 May 2016). "Russian Insider Says State-Run Doping Fueled Olympic Gold". New York Times. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  10. Disciplinary commission decision. Aleksandr Zubkov stillmed.olympic.org
  11. "MEDIA RELEASE ANTI-DOPING – SOCHI 2014 THE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) DELIVERS ITS DECISIONS IN THE MATTER OF 39 RUSSIAN ATHLETES V/ THE IOC: 28 APPEALS UPHELD, 11 PARTIALLY UPHELD" (PDF). Court of Arbitration for Sport. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  12. "Бобслеист Зубков стал "олимпийским чемпионом на территории России". Соцсети завидуют". BBC News Русская Служба. BBC. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  13. "THE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) DELIVERS ITS DECISIONS IN THE MATTER OF 39 RUSSIAN ATHLETES V/ THE IOC" (PDF). tas-cas.com. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
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