Alexander Beresch

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Medal record
Competitor for Ukraine
Artistic Gymnastics
Olympic Games
Silver	2000 Sydney	Team competition
Bronze	2000 Sydney	All-around
World Championships
Silver	2001 Ghent	Horizontal Bar
Bronze	1997 Lausanne	Horizontal Bar
Bronze	2001 Ghent	Pommel Horse
Bronze	2001 Ghent	Team competition
European Championships
Gold	2000 Bremen	All-around
Gold	2000 Bremen	Horizontal Bar
Bronze	2000 Bremen	Pommel Horse

Alexander Beresch (b. October 12, 1977, Pervomaisk - d. February 29, 2004, Kiev), alternative transliteration Oleksandr Beresh, was a gymnast from Ukraine and Olympic medallist at the 2000 Sydney Games.

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.

[edit] Accident

In February 2004, when Beresch was driving through Kiev, his Peugot was struck by a speeding car traveling over 90 miles 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.