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Alexei Nemov |
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| Personal information |
| Full name: |
Alexei Yurievich Nemov |
| Country Represented: |
 Russia |
| Date of birth: |
28 May 1976 (1976-05-28) (age 33) |
| Place of birth: |
Barashevo, Mordovia |
| Hometown: |
Tolyatti |
| Height: |
173 centimetres (5 ft 8 in) |
| Discipline: |
Men's
artistic gymnastics |
| Club: |
Trade Union |
| Head coach(es): |
Evgeny Nikolko |
| Assistant coach(es): |
A. Shestakova |
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Alexei Yurievich Nemov (Russian:
Алексей Юрьевич Немов; born 28
May 1976 in Barashevo, Mordovia) is a gymnast from Russia and one of the most medaled gymnasts,
male or female, of all time. He has won 12 Olympic medals,
including more Olympic bronze medals (six) than any other athlete.
Nemov's sense of showmanship and his difficult routines have won
him many fans. He currently lives in his hometown of Tolyatti with his wife
Galina, and his son Alexei.
Early
life
Alexei Nemov grew up in Tolyatti on the Volga River. His father left him and his
mother when Nemov was just a baby, and Nemov has never seen him
since. Alexei started gymnastics at age five.
Gymnastics
career
As a 16-year-old he made his debut at the 1993 World
Championships, placing fifth on floor. The following year, he
stamped himself as a true all-around contender, winning his
qualifying session at the Worlds. He later faltered and dropped to
12th overall. He won his first major all-around title at the Goodwill Games in
Saint
Petersburg, beating his 2nd-place teammate and World Silver
Medalist Aleksei Voropaev by over one point. Nemov's style of
gymnastics was considered very well-rounded; he had complex
acrobatics, a unique style, and elegance when he performed.
Despite promising initial international success, in 1995 he
gained a reputation for having inconsistent performances. In the
all-around at the 1995 European Cup, Nemov, then 19, was the leader
after five events and had put up the high score on three events.
When he came to high bar, he only needed an 8.75 to win the title.
He missed his two major release moves, crashed into the bar on
another release move, botched a required element, and stopped in
the middle of his routine. He scored a 7.35 and dropped to ninth
overall.
A few months later, Nemov competed in the World
Championships in Sabae, Japan. The Russian team had a disastrous showing
during the qualifying round--finishing in 11th place. Nemov was in
96th all-around. The team rebounded in the finals to finish 4th
overall (still a disappointment since it marked the first time in
decades that the Russians failed to medal in the team competition),
while Nemov put up the highest optional score of all the
competitors. His compulsory round ranking prevented him from
qualifying to the all-around finals, however.
At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Nemov seemed poised to
win the gold. Nemov won six medals (two gold, one silver, and three
bronze). He performed solidly in the all-around, battling World
Champion Li
Xiaoshuang every step of the way. He ruined his chances for
gold, however, when he botched his middle tumbling run on the final
event. He finished in second by a narrow margin.
Nemov's Olympic success and newfound worldwide fame did not
last. Over the next several years, he baffled audiences with his
uninspired, inconsistent performances in major international
competition. He continually battled recurring shoulder injuries,
boredom, and poor fitness level. He failed to win a major
all-around title for nearly four years, and many doubted his
chances for Olympic gold at the Sydney Olympics. He surprised
everyone when he arrived at the Olympics doing the best gymnastics
of his career, and once again took home six medals. This time, he
won the all-around title, finally winning the first major
championship of his career.
Although never regaining his form of 2000, Nemov competed
through to the 2004 Athens Olympics, mainly as an
anchor for the fledgling Russian team. Though unable to defend his
all-around title, Nemov's performances brought the house down in
Athens, and placed him in the middle of a judging controversy.
After performing a routine with six release skills in the high bar
finals (including four in a row), the judges posted a score of
9.725, placing him in third with several athletes still to compete.
The crowd erupted in a chorus of boos and cheers upon seeing the
results and interrupted the competition for nearly 15 minutes. The
judges felt the pressure of the crowd, reevaluated the routine, and
increased his score to a 9.762, which still placed him out of the
medals. The crowd continued their raucous protest, subsiding only
after Nemov stepped up to the podium and pleaded with his
supporters to quiet down for the sake of the other athletes. This
scandal was finally credited as one of the last straws after
several judging controversies in the competition, and fueled a
massive reconstruction of the scoring system which was implemented
in 2006. Nemov rarely criticised the judges or the situation. The
Russian Olympic Committee later awarded Nemov $40,000 in
recognition of his class and character, and he retired from
gymnastics soon after.
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