{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Short description|Ukrainian artistic gymnast (1977–2004)}} {{Infobox gymnast | name = Oleksandr Beresch | image = | image_size = | caption = | full_name = | altname = | nickname = | country = {{UKR}} | formercountry = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1977|10|12}} | birth_place = Pervomaisk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union | hometown = | residence = | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2004|02|29|1977|10|12}} | death_place = Kyiv, Ukraine | height = | discipline = MAG | level = | natlteam = | club = | gym = | collegeteam = | headcoach = | assistcoach = | formercoach = | choreographer = | music = | eponymousskills = | retired = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = <!-- see Template:MedalRelatedTemplates --> {{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games}} {{MedalSilver|2000 Sydney|Team competition}} {{MedalBronze|2000 Sydney|All-around}} {{MedalCompetition | World Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2001 Ghent|Horizontal Bar}} {{MedalBronze|1997 Lausanne|Horizontal Bar}} {{MedalBronze|2001 Ghent|Pommel Horse}} {{MedalBronze|2001 Ghent|Team competition}} {{MedalCompetition|World Cup Final}} {{MedalGold|2000 Glasgow|Horizontal Bar}} {{MedalCompetition | European Championships}} {{MedalGold| 2000 Bremen |All-around}} {{MedalGold| 2000 Bremen|Horizontal Bar}} {{MedalBronze| 2000 Bremen|Pommel Horse}} {{MedalBronze|2000 Bremen|Team}} {{MedalCompetition | European Team Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2001 Riesa|Team}} {{MedalSilver|2003 Moscow|Team}} {{MedalCompetition | Summer Universiade}} {{MedalGold|1999 Mallorca|All-Around}} }}
'''Oleksandr Beresch''' ({{langx|uk|Олександр Береш}}; 12 October 1977, Pervomaisk – 29 February 2004, Kyiv) was a gymnast from Ukraine and Olympic medallist at the 2000 Sydney Games.<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Oleksandr Beresh |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/be/oleksandr-beresh-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202223525/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/be/oleksandr-beresh-1.html |archive-date=2016-12-02}}</ref>
Coached by former Soviet World Champion Igor Korobchinsky, Beresch began competing internationally for Ukraine in 1997, winning a bronze medal on the high bar at his first World Championships. Over the next several years he became the preeminent male gymnast on the Ukrainian team, medalling at the World Cup several times.
Beresch's breakout year was 2000; in this year he was the European all-around and high bar champion, as well as the bronze all-around medalist at the 2000 Olympics. His contributions to the Ukrainian team helped them win their first team medal, a silver, in Sydney. He continued to turn in strong performances after the Olympics, winning three medals at the 2001 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and winning the high bar gold at the 2000 World finals in Paris.
==Accident==
In February 2004, when Beresch was driving through Kyiv, his Peugeot was struck by a speeding car travelling at over 150 kilometres per hour. He was killed; his passenger, teammate Sergei Vyaltsev, survived with critical injuries.
Beresch's death was met with shock and sorrow by the international gymnastics community. Former Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation president Ludmilla Tourischeva issued a public statement, saying "there are no words to express our grief." Several memorials to Beresch were held, including an emotional video tribute at the 2004 European Championships.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051216215412/http://www.fig-gymnastics.com/events/athletes/bio.jsp?ID=804 |title=Profile at the FIG website }} * [http://www.intlgymnast.com/events/2002/american-cup/beresch.html Profile at ''International Gymnast''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060318015959/http://www.intlgymnast.com/events/2002/american%2Dcup/beresch.html |date=18 March 2006 }} * {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204185812/http://213.179.68.150/gymmedia/prioNOlang_en.asp?id=967&sp=1&rt=AG |title="Oleksandr Beresch dies" }} * [http://www.insidegymnastics.com/news/article.asp?article=0416404 "Romanian men Europe's best"] ''Inside Gymnastics'' magazine, 16 April 2004 * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060514134517/http://www.insidegymnastics.com/news/article.asp?article=00426 "Beresch loses life"] ''Inside Gymnastics'' magazine, 1 March 2004
==External links== * {{Sports links}}
{{Footer European Artistic Gymnastics All-Around Champions (Men)}} {{European Champions Artistic Gymnastics Horizontal Bar}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beresch, Oleksandr}} Category:1977 births Category:2004 deaths Category:Ukrainian male artistic gymnasts Category:Gymnasts at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Road incident deaths in Ukraine Category:Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Category:Olympic silver medalists for Ukraine Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Ukraine Category:Olympic medalists in gymnastics Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:European champions in gymnastics Category:People from Sokolohirsk Category:Sportspeople from Luhansk Oblast Category:20th-century Ukrainian sportsmen