Nickname
Sasha, Alex (one.co.il, 05 Jul 2018; baku2015.com, 20 Jun 2015)
Occupation
Athlete
Family
Partner Alya, children Rome and Guy
Spoken languages
English, Hebrew, Russian
Coach
Sergey Weissburg [national], UKR
Sporting relatives
His mother was an acrobatics coach and his father was a horse riding instructor. His brother Slava has played professional football in Israel. (telit.com, 2015; telit2market.com, 10 Feb 2015)
Injuries
In March 2019 he suffered from a virus that affected him during the World Cup event in Baku, Azerbaijan. (gymnovosti.com, 26 Mar 2019)
He missed half of the 2017 season through injury. (gymnovosti.com, 09 Jul 2018)
An ankle injury forced him to miss the 2013 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. (insidethegames.biz, 03 Dec 2013)
He missed the 2010 European Championships in Birmingham, England, due to a knee injury. He recovered in time to compete at the 2010 World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Facebook page, 03 Apr 2019)
Start sporting career
He took up gymnastics at age five in Uzbekistan.
Reason for taking up the sport
His mother took him to a gymnastics class. "I always liked to jump and roll. When I was a kid I watched the 1996 Olympic Games on TV, and then I decided that was what I wanted to do, to be an Olympic gymnast."
Milestones
He was the first gymnast representing Israel to win a medal at the world championships, claiming bronze on floor at the 2009 World Championships in London, England. (FIG, 03 Dec 2013; haaretz.com, 18 Oct 2009; SportsDeskOnline, 18 Oct 2018)
He became the first gymnast representing Israel to win a gold medal at the European championships when he claimed victory on floor in 2013 in Moscow, Russian Federation. Prior to that he won Israel's first gymnastics medal of any colour at the European championships, securing bronze on floor at the 2009 edition in Milan, Italy. (SportsDeskOnline, 18 Oct 2018; FIG, 03 Dec 2013; ynetnews.com, 09 Apr 2011)
Awards
In 2009 and 2013 he was named Sportsman of the Year by the Israeli Olympic Committee. (FIG, 03 Dec 2013; intlgymnast.com, 09 Feb 2010)
Additional information
FROM UZBEKISTAN TO ISRAEL
Born in Uzbekistan, he immigrated to Israel in 2002 with his family. "It was the year when I graduated from high school. I remember very well the moment I got off the plane. We left the cold in Tashkent and here in Israel we got completely summer weather. We went straight to Herzliya. I really wanted to connect with teenagers who grew up in the country. The most comfortable place for me was the gym." (tzomet-ran.co.il, 23 Jul 2021; olympicsil.co.il, 16 Oct 2020; Facebook page, 13 Oct 2015; baku2015.com, 20 Jun 2015)
Last update : 2024-07-22
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