Vitaly Scherbo

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Vitaly Scherbo (or Shcherbo), born January 13, 1972 in Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, is a Belarusian (and former Soviet) gymnast and is one of the most successful male gymnasts of all time. His tally of six gold medals in a single Olympics is surpassed only by swimmer Mark Spitz.

Scherbo was introduced to gymnastics at the age of seven by his mother in an attempt to channel the energy of her highly intelligent but uncontrollable young son. The coaches at his local club fared no better but, recognizing his talent, arranged for him to be sent to a state boarding school for young athletes. There he continued to delight and infuriate his tutors in equal measure, making huge progress as a gymnast but refusing to submit to any discipline.

Scherbo's first international performances were in 1990-1991, when he competed for the USSR team at the World Championship and the World Cup. He was the 1991 World All-Around silver medalist behind teammate Grigori Misutin; scored a perfect 10.0 on the vault at the European Championships in 1990; and starred at the Goodwill Games in Seattle. But he had occasional bouts of inconsistentcy and as the 1992 Barcelona Olympics approached, the Unified Team coaches regarded him as less of a medal prospect than his more experienced and reliable teammates.

However, as he had done so many times throughout his career, he proved his coaches and audiences wrong. In one of the most dominant performances in history, Scherbo won six out of the possible eight awarded gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. His golds came in the team event, the all around, pommel horse (tie), rings, vault, and parallel bars. Only Michael Phelps has ever matched such an achievement, only Mark Spitz has ever won more golds in a single Games, and only Eric Heiden has won as many individual gold medals (five) at a single Games. Scherbo's cocky personality and uncanny ability to come up with perfect performances when it mattered the most made him an instant hit with worldwide audiences. He traveled with and performed in a highly successful post-Olympic tour, featuring Shannon Miller, among others, where his popularity with American audiences dramatically increased.

Soon after the 1992 Olympics, Scherbo married his wife Irina, and the two had a daughter Kristina. However, life in Scherbo's native Belarus became increasingly turbulent, and his family was frequently victimized. Their apartment was burglarized wherein money, valuables, and Olympic memorabilia was stolen. Fortunately, no one was home at the time, and his six gold medals from Barcelona were safely stashed at his mother's house. Weeks later, his wife Irina overheard some thugs on the street plotting to kidnap their newborn daughter, Kristina. The Scherbos promptly packed their bags and moved to the U.S, settling in State College, Pennsylvania. The move not only ensured the family's safety, but enabled Vitaly to take advantage of his Olympic success. The charismatic media darling secured multiple endorsement deals, sponsorships, and gala appearances, becoming the first former Soviet athlete to successfully market himself in the U.S.

He followed up on his Olympic triumph by winning the 1993 World All-Around title, and the 1993 and 1994 American Cup, as well as numerous individual apparatus medals on the way.

1996 proved to be a difficult year for Vitaly. His wife Irina was involved in a horrific single car accident, in which she skidded off a road and slammed into a tree. She suffered multiple fratcures to her ribs and pelvis, lasped into a coma, and her internal injuries were so severe that doctors told Vitaly that she only had a 1 in 100 chance of surviving. Vitaly stayed with his wife everyday, and abruptly stopped his training altogether. He gained 15 pounds, and began abusing alcohol. After one month, Irina finally woke up from her coma, and insisted that her husband resume his training for the upcoming Olympic season. As Irina made a miraculous recovery, Vitaly similarly began to regain tip top physical condition winning yet another World title in 1996. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, his performances reflected his lack of preparation time due to his wife's accident and to recent shoulder surgery. His performances were marred by uncharacteristic mistakes, and the gold medals that had made him so famous were not forthcoming. Though Vitaly was clearly disappointed and frustrated at his inability to win gold, he was a decided crowd favorite and they clearly viewed his four bronze medals as an impressive triumph after a tumultuous year. His popularity was demonstrated when he received a rapturous reception from the crowd at the post competition gala.

Vitaly had planned to compete in the 1997 World Championships, but broke his hand in a motorcycle accident beforehand, and retired soon after. He now lives and works in Las Vegas where he owns and runs his own gymnasium.

[edit] Trivia:

After the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Vitaly appeared alongside compatriot Svetlana Boguinskaya in the music video, "Revolution Earth," by The B-52's.

[edit] External links

• http://www.vssg.net/
• List of competition results at Gymn Forum
• Profile (Belarus Olympic Committee)