Alexander Artemev - Gymnastics Career

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.

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.

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.

Artemev did not retire following the Olympic Games. In 2009, he returned to training in hopes to make the team for the 2009 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in October. Injury forced Artemev out of the 2009 Visa National Championships, yet on August 15, 2009, USA Gymnastics announced that Artemev would be part of the US delegation at the World Championships as long as he could prove physical readiness. He was unable to attend however and continued to train.