Alexei Bondarenko - 1996-2000 Competitions

1996-2000 Competitions

Bondarenko made his international debut in the 1996 European Junior Championships at 17 where he won the gold medal in the all-around. The next year, in 1996, he ranked sixth in the all-around in the Russian Championships but he was not selected to compete in the 1996 Olympics. In the 1997 Russian Championships, he ranked second in the all-around and first in the pommel horse, still rings and vault, although Alexei Nemov was not in this competition. He then qualified to the World Championships team where he helped Russia obtain a bronze in the all-around, and where he won a silver in the all-around, and ranked fifth in the vault finals.

In the 1998 Goodwill Games, Bondarenko won another silver in the all-around, and the pommel horse and still rings, and a bronze on floor exercise. The 1998 European Championships in St. Petersburg was a successful competition for Bondarenko where he won the gold in the all-around and on parallel bars, a silver on pommel horse and a bronze on floor exercise, as well as a silver on the team competition.

In the 1999 World Championships, Bondarenko contributed to the silver medal in the team competition for Russia. He won a silver on parallel bars, and was 10th in the all around and 8th on floor exercise.

Bondarenko was fourth in the all-around at the 2000 European Championships leading into the 2000 Olympics and was considered a good contender for several medals in the Olympics. During the 2000 Olympic Games, Bondarenko was part of the silver medal Russian men's team. He was seventh in the all-around and won a silver on vault.