Alexander Artemev

Infobox Gymnast
gymnastname= Alexander Artemev


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fullname=Alexander Vladimirovich Artemev
nickname= Sasha
country= United States
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birthdate= birth date and age|1985|08|29
birthplace= Minsk, Belarusian SSR
hometown= Highlands Ranch, Colorado
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height= height|ft=5|in=6
discipline= Men's Artistic Gymnastics
level= Senior International
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club= 5280 Gymnastics
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headcoach= Vladimir Artemev
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Alexander Vladimirovich "Sasha" Artemev ( _ru. Александр Владимирович "Саша" Артемьев, _be. Аляксандр Уладзіміравіч Арцем'еў; born August 29, 1985) is an American artistic gymnast. He is the 2006 all-around U.S. National Champion, the 2007 and 2008 U.S. National Champion on the pommel horse and an individual bronze medalist at the 2006 World Championships. Artemev was a member of the bronze medal winning U.S. team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Early life

Artemev was born in Minsk, USSR (now Belarus). He is the son of Vladimir Artemev, the former Soviet all-around champion in 1982 and 1984 whose own Olympic ambitions were dashed by his country's boycott of the Los Angeles Games, followed by a career-ending knee injury. The Artemevs moved to the United States in 1994 when Sasha was 9, and father and son became citizens in 2002. His mother, Svetlana, was a high-level Russian rhythmic gymnast who moved to Chile in 1991, after working as a roller skater in the Moscow Circus.

Gymnastics career

Artemev won three titles at the 2006 U.S. National Championships on all-around, pommel horse and parallel bars. He was the only member of the American men's team to win a medal at the 2006 World Championships, a bronze on the pommel horse. At the 2007 U.S. Nationals he finished fourth in the all around, behind champion David Durante, Guillermo Alvarez, and Sho Nakamori.

At the 2008 U.S. Nationals, Artemev won the pommel horse title for the second consecutive year. After the Olympic Trials in June, he was named as an alternate to the men's team for the 2008 Olympics. On August 7, he was added to the team, replacing injured Morgan Hamm. [cite news|author=Lloyd, Janice|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/gymnastics/2008-08-07-hamm-injured_N.htm|title=Morgan Hamm's withdrawal hampers chances for USA men|publisher=USA Today|date=August 7, 2008|accessdate=2008-08-07]

Together with his teammates, Artemev won the bronze medal in men's team gymnastics in Beijing. Artemev's dazzling performance on the pommel horse, the last routine for the team, locked the Americans in third place. Following the team competition, Artemev competed in the individual all-around, where he received the second highest pommel horse score with a 15.525 (he previously placed third on his pommel horse routine at the qualifiers for all-around with a score of 15.250, and sixth for individual with a 15.250) Artemev finished the all-around competition in 12th place behind fellow American Jonathan Horton, who placed 9th. [cite news|author=Saladyga, Karen|url=http://gymnastics.teamusa.org/news/article/4672|title=Horton finishes ninth, Artemev 12th in men’s all-around at 2008 Olympic Games|accessdate=2008-08-19]

Artemev qualified for the pommel horse individual finals, where he attempted a new routine that would raise his difficulty level. However, halfway through his routine, and just after completing a more difficult move, he fell on an easier move, resulting in an automatic 0.8 of a point deduction, which dropped his final score to a 14.975. [ [http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/17/fall-doesnt-dampen-artemevs-optimism/ Artemev not down despite falling] ] Had he stayed on the horse, with the addition of the 0.8, he would have garnered a score of at least a 15.775, which would have given him a superior score over the second and third place winners, Filip Ude and Louis Smith, who both had a 15.725, and may have even earned an even better ranking than the winner of the gold in that event, Xiao Qin, who had a 15.875.

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