Oleksandr Beresch

Oleksandr Beresch (Ukrainian: Олександр Береш; 12 October 1977, Pervomaisk – 29 February 2004, Kyiv) was a gymnast from Ukraine and Olympic medallist at the 2000 Sydney Games.[1]

Oleksandr Beresch
Country represented Ukraine
Born(1977-10-12)12 October 1977
Pervomaisk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Died29 February 2004(2004-02-29) (aged 26)
Kyiv, Ukraine
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Medal record
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place2000 SydneyTeam competition
Bronze medal – third place2000 SydneyAll-around
World Championships
Silver medal – second place2001 GhentHorizontal Bar
Bronze medal – third place1997 LausanneHorizontal Bar
Bronze medal – third place2001 GhentPommel Horse
Bronze medal – third place2001 GhentTeam competition
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2000 Bremen All-around
Gold medal – first place 2000 BremenHorizontal Bar
Bronze medal – third place 2000 BremenPommel Horse
European Team Championships
Silver medal – second place2001 RiesaTeam
Silver medal – second place2003 MoscowTeam

Coached by former Soviet World Champion Igor Korobchinsky, Beresch began competing internationally for Ukraine in 1997, winning a bronze medal on the high bar at his first World Championships. Over the next several years he became the preeminent male gymnast on the Ukrainian team, medalling at the World Cup several times.

Beresch's breakout year was 2000; in this year he was the European all-around and high bar champion, as well as the bronze all-around medalist at the 2000 Olympics. His contributions to the Ukrainian team helped them win their first team medal, a silver, in Sydney. He continued to turn in strong performances after the Olympics, winning three medals at the 2001 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and winning the high bar gold at the 2000 World finals in Paris.

Accident

In February 2004, when Beresch was driving through Kyiv, his Peugeot was struck by a speeding car travelling at over 150 kilometres per hour. He was killed; his passenger, teammate Sergei Vyaltsev, survived with critical injuries.

Beresch's death was met with shock and sorrow by the international gymnastics community. Former Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation president Ludmilla Tourischeva issued a public statement, saying "there are no words to express our grief." Several memorials to Beresch were held, including an emotional video tribute at the 2004 European Championships.

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Oleksandr Beresh". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016.

Sources


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