{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Short description|Latvian athlete (1975–2024)}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Aigars Fadejevs | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = Aigars Fadejevs | fullname = | birth_date = 27 December 1975 | death_date = {{nowrap|{{Death date and age|df=y|2024|12|17|1975|12|27}}}} | nickname = | country = {{LAT}} | sport = Track and field | event = 20 km walk<br>50 km walk<br>Marathon | highestranking = | pb = '''20 km walk''': 1:19:36 <br> '''50 km walk''': 3:43:18 <br> '''Marathon''': 2:18:19 | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's athletics}} {{MedalCountry | {{LAT}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games}} {{MedalSilver| 2000 Sydney | 50 km walk}} {{MedalCompetition | European Championships}} {{MedalSilver | 1998 Budapest | 20 km walk}} {{MedalCompetition | European Race Walking Cup}} {{MedalBronze | 1998 Dudince |20 km walk}} }}
'''Aigars Fadejevs''' (27 December 1975 – 17 December 2024) was a Latvian athlete, competing in 20 km, 50 km walk, and marathon running, and a physiotherapist for sprinters and other athletes. He won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the 50 km race walk, and was named the Latvian Sportsperson of the Year in 2000.
==Biography== Aigars Fadejevs was born 27 December 1975 in Valka, Latvia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=17 December 2024 |title=48 gadu vecumā mūžībā devies olimpiskais medaļnieks Aigars Fadejevs |url=https://sports.tvnet.lv/8156436/48-gadu-vecuma-muziba-devies-olimpiskais-medalnieks-aigars-fadejevs |access-date=18 December 2024 |website=Vieglatlētika |language=lv}}</ref> He was a champion junior race walker, winning the European U23 Championships in 1997.<ref name=":0" />
Fadejevs competed in 1996 Summer Olympics, finishing 6th in the 20 km walk and in the 2000 Summer Olympics, winning the silver medal in 50 km, 2004 Olympics, 50 km 11th, 20 km 9th. He also won a gold medal in the European U23 Championships in 1997, a silver medal in the 1998 European Championships at the 20 km distance, and finished 4th in 50 km at the World Championships in Edmonton in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 December 2024 |title=Miris kādreizējais Latvijas soļotājs un olimpiskais vicečempions Aigars Fadejevs |url=https://sports.tv3.lv/citi/miris-kadreizejais-latvijas-solotajs-un-olimpiskais-vicecempions-aigars-fadejevs/ |access-date=18 December 2024 |website=tv3.lv |language=lv}}</ref>
Fadejevs holds the unofficial world record of 58:23 in the rare 15 km walk distance.
Fadejevs quit race walking in 2004 and competed as a marathon runner. He almost qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Viņsaulē devies olimpiskais medaļnieks soļošanā Aigars Fadejevs |url=https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/sports/citi/17.12.2024-vinsaule-devies-olimpiskais-medalnieks-solosana-aigars-fadejevs.a580724/ |access-date=18 December 2024 |website=www.lsm.lv |language=lv}}</ref> He worked as a sports therapist, working with Latvian Olympians and international athletes from other disciplines including Kobe Bryant.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 December 2024 |title=48 gadu vecumā mūžībā devies izcilais soļotājs un olimpisko spēļu sudraba godalgas ieguvējs Aigars Fadejevs |url=https://jauns.lv/raksts/sports/633768-48-gadu-vecuma-muziba-devies-izcilais-solotajs-un-olimpisko-spelu-sudraba-godalgas-ieguvejs-aigars-fadejevs |access-date=18 December 2024 |website=jauns.lv |language=lv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fizioterapeits Fadejevs: Ar Kobi Braientu strādāju nepilnus divus mēnešus |url=https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/sports/citi/fizioterapeits-fadejevs-ar-kobi-braientu-stradaju-nepilnus-divus-menesus.a347050/?utm_source=lsm&utm_medium=theme&utm_campaign=theme |access-date=18 December 2024 |website=www.lsm.lv |language=lv}}</ref>
In 2017, he revealed in an interview that he had experienced depression and fell into alcoholism at the end of his career, but was working to overcome these challenges.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 December 2024 |title=Vēl viena nelaime Latvijas sportā - miris soļotājs Aigars Fadejevs |url=https://www.1188.lv/zinas/vel-viena-nelaime-latvijas-sporta-miris-solotajs-aigars-fadejevs/41597 |access-date=18 December 2024 |website=www.1188.lv |language=lv}}</ref>
Fadejevs died suddenly on 17 December 2024, at the age of 48 of unknown causes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 December 2024 |title=Mūžībā devies Sidnejas olimpisko spēļu vicečempions soļošanā Fadejevs |url=https://www.delfi.lv/sports/17012695/atlethics/120054601/muziba-devies-sidnejas-olimpisko-spelu-vicecempions-solosana-fadejevs |access-date=17 December 2024 |website=Delfi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pēkšņi 48 gadu vecumā miris vieglatlēts Aigars Fadejevs: Viņa dzīve strauji apstājās |url=https://www.santa.lv/raksts/aktuali/peksni-48-gadu-vecuma-miris-vieglatlets-aigars-fadejevs-vina-dzive-strauji-apstajas-70353/ |access-date=18 December 2024 |website=www.santa.lv}}</ref>
==Achievements== {| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} |- !colspan="6"|Representing {{LAT}} |- |rowspan=2|1994 |World Junior Championships |Lisbon, Portugal | — |10,000m |DQ |- |European Championships |Helsinki, Finland |17th |20 km |1:26.06 |- |1996 |Olympic Games |Atlanta, United States |6th |20 km |1:20:47 |- |1997 |European U23 Championships |Turku, Finland |bgcolor="gold" | 1st |20 km |1:19:58 |- |rowspan=2|1998 |European Race Walking Cup |Dudince, Slovakia |bgcolor="cc9966" | 3rd |20 km |1:20:44 |- |European Championships |Budapest, Hungary |bgcolor="silver" | 2nd |20 km |1:21:25 |- |rowspan=3|2000 |European Race Walking Cup |Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany |6th |20 km |1:20:18 |- |rowspan=2|Olympic Games |rowspan=2|Sydney, Australia |14th |20 km |1:22:43 |- |bgcolor="silver" | 2nd |50 km |3:43:40 |- |rowspan=2|2001 |European Race Walking Cup |Dudince, Slovakia |8th |20 km |1:20:51 |- |World Championships |Edmonton, Canada | — |20 km |DNF |- |2008 |Valmiera Marathon |Valmiera, Latvia |bgcolor="gold"| 1st |Marathon |2:19:57 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * {{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fa/aigars-fadejevs-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173421/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fa/aigars-fadejevs-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Aigars Fadejevs}}
==External links== * {{World Athletics}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{Olympics.com|aigars-fadejevs}} * {{LOK|id=217|old_id=aigars-fadejevs-217|archive=20210724131815}}
{{Footer U23 European Champions 20km Walk Men}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fadejevs, Aigars}} Category:1975 births Category:2024 deaths Category:People from Valka Category:Sportspeople from Vidzeme Category:Olympic athletes for Latvia Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic silver medalists for Latvia Category:Latvian men race walkers Category:European Athletics Championships medalists Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics Category:Latvian men marathon runners Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Latvian people of Russian descent
{{Latvia-athletics-bio-stub}} {{Latvia-Olympic-medalist-stub}}