Alexander Artemev

Alexander Vladimirovich Artemev (born August 29, 1985, known by the diminutive Sasha) is a retired American artistic gymnast. Artemev was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and won an Olympic bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He is the 2006 all-around U.S. national champion. Known for his ability on the pommel horse, he was the 2007 and 2008 U.S. national champion on the pommel horse and the bronze medalist in the event at the 2006 World Championships.

Early life and education Alexander Artemev, who goes by the Russian diminutive "Sasha", was born August 29, 1985, in Minsk, Belarusian SSR, Soviet Union. He is the only child of Svetlana and Vladimir Artemev. His parents are gymnastics coaches and former competitive gymnasts for the Soviet Union. His mother competed in rhythmic gymnastics while his father competed in artistic gymnastics. Vladimir was the 1982 USSR Cup all-around champion, whose own Olympic ambitions were dashed by the Soviet boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics. By 1990, Svetlana moved to Chile to coach, leaving Vladimir a single dad. Artemev attended McLain Community High School, graduating in 2003.

At the 2008 U.S. Nationals, Artemev won the pommel horse title for the second consecutive year. After the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, he was named 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, clinched the bronze medal for the U.S. team.

In April 2009, Artemev injured two vertebrae in a car accident, but continued training to try to make the team for the 2009 World Championships. The injury forced him out of the 2009 U.S. National Championships in August, but USA Gymnastics still named him to the world team on the condition he could prove physical readiness before the competition. However, he was unable to sufficiently recover to attend the verification camp. At the end of 2010, he said he hoped to compete in all six events again the next season.

Artemev did not compete again for the rest of the Olympic cycle. but he eventually retired.

Personal life He married University of Denver gymnast Brianna Springer in the summer of 2009, but the couple divorced in 2011. One of their top gymnasts, Yul Moldauer, was the 2014 U.S. junior national champion on pommel horse,