Alexander Parygin

Alexander Parygin (born 25 April 1973) is a Kazakhstani modern pentathlete and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta where he received a gold medal in "modern pentathlon". [http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=24&sp=MOD "1996 Summer Olympics – Atlanta, United States – Modern Pentathlon"] "databaseOlympics.com" (Retrieved on April 15, 2008)]

He competed for Australia at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Parygin qualified to represent Australia again at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, but his qualification was overturned "on technical grounds" by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, when the Modern Pentathlon Association of Great Britain argued that he had failed to meet "eligibility criteria of 5,100 points at the relevant international competition, during the Olympic qualification period". [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/02/2291801.htm "Controversy over Aust pentathlete's Olympic ditching"] , Australian Broadcasting Corporation, July 2, 2008] Specifically, Parygin qualified for Beijing during a competition which lacked the equestrian event. [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/wires/07/01/2080.ap.as.spt.oly.pen.australia.parygin.1st.ld.writethru.0372/ "Parygin dropped from Australian Olympic team after British appeal"] , Associated Press, July 1, 2008] [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/beijing2008/brits-want-aussie-al-out-of-games/2008/06/30/1214677947322.html "Brits want Aussie Al out of Games"] , "Sydney Morning Herald", July 1, 2008] The Australian media reacted angrily to Parygin's deselection, with an article in the "Sydney Morning Herald" entitled: "Poms crush Aussie Games hopes with rules, not talent" [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/beijing2008/poms-crush-aussie-games-hopes-with-rules-not-talent/2008/07/01/1214678037680.html "Poms crush Aussie Games hopes with rules, not talent"] , "Sydney Morning Herald", July 2, 2008] .

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