Yuri Nikitin

Yuri Viktorovych Nikitin (, born 15 July 1978) is a Ukrainian gymnast and Olympic champion. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He also competed at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.

Before Olympics

Born on 15 July 1978 in Kherson, Ukraine. He began his sports career at Kherson State Secondary School. As a child, he was fond of jumping on a trampoline, as he says - "loved it for its extremity". His first coach was Igor Molchanov, who, according to Nikitin, taught the young athlete to "be a man" He graduated from the Kherson Higher School of Physical Culture. In 2012 he was trained by Volodymyr Gorzhi to prepare. In 2001, he graduated from Kherson State Pedagogical University. He was a member of the "Biola" sports club at KSPU.