Alexander Kostoglod
Encyclopedia
Aleksandr Viktorovich Kostoglod ' onMouseout='HidePop("76167")' href="/topics/Rostov-on-Don">Rostov-on-Don
) is a Soviet
-born, Russia
n sprint canoer
who has competed since the early 1990s. Competing in four Summer Olympics, he won three medals with two silvers (2004
: C-2 1000 m, 2008
: C-2 500 m) and one bronze (2004: C-2 500 m). Kostoglod is a six-time world champion gold medallist in the Canadian canoe (C)
events.
Kostoglod did not take up canoeing until the age of fourteen, at the suggestion of family friend and double world champion Vladimir Ladosha. Within a year he was champion of the USSR in his age group. By 18 he was senior national champion and competing at the Barcelona Olympics
, He was disappointed to finish tenth in the C-1 1000 m but has since admitted that as a youngster he was relying on his natural strength to make up for his lack of technique. It did not help that his coach Alexander Abramiants was excluded from the Unified Team
delegation to Barcelona.
He won the first of his six World Championship gold medals in 1994
at the age of 20 in Mexico City
. In 1998
, with Maxim Opalev
now representing Russia in the C-1 events, Kostoglod teamed up with Aleksandr Kovalyov for the C-2. The pairing was an immediate success, winning two consecutive world 1000 m titles in 1998 and 1999. His other three medals have all come in the C-4 events. Three medals he won at the 2003 championships
in Gainesville
were stripped from Kostoglod when his teammate Sergey Ulegin
test positive for doping
.
However, with no C-4 event on the schedule, Olympic medals were to prove more elusive. At the 2000 Sydney games
, he and Kovalyov finished only fourth in the C-2 1000m final, missing out on a medal by just 0.14 sec. At the 2004 Athens Olympics
they were finally rewarded with two medals, silver in the C-2 1000 m and bronze in the C-2 500 m.
In 2006, Kostoglod and Kovalyov came fifth at the European Championships and sixth at the World Championships in the C-2 1000 m. For the C-2 500 m events however Kostoglod was partnered instead by Ulegin. Together they became both European and world champions, finishing over a second ahead of their nearest challengers, the German pairing of Nuck
and Holtz
, in both finals. Kostoglod won a silver in the C-2 500 m event with Ulegin at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
.
Kostoglod is 185 cm (6'1") tall and weighs 93 kg (204 lbs).
Rostov-on-Don
-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...
) is a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
-born, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n sprint canoer
Canoe racing
This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
who has competed since the early 1990s. Competing in four Summer Olympics, he won three medals with two silvers (2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
: C-2 1000 m, 2008
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
: C-2 500 m) and one bronze (2004: C-2 500 m). Kostoglod is a six-time world champion gold medallist in the Canadian canoe (C)
Sprint canoe
A sprint canoe is a special type of canoe used in the sport of flatwater canoe racing.A one-person sprint canoe is 5.20 metres long; a traveling canoe of a similar length would be suitable for 2 to 3 people with gear...
events.
Kostoglod did not take up canoeing until the age of fourteen, at the suggestion of family friend and double world champion Vladimir Ladosha. Within a year he was champion of the USSR in his age group. By 18 he was senior national champion and competing at the Barcelona Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, He was disappointed to finish tenth in the C-1 1000 m but has since admitted that as a youngster he was relying on his natural strength to make up for his lack of technique. It did not help that his coach Alexander Abramiants was excluded from the Unified Team
Unified Team
The Unified Team was the name used for the sports team of the former Soviet Union at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The IOC country code was EUN, after the French name, Équipe Unifiée...
delegation to Barcelona.
He won the first of his six World Championship gold medals in 1994
1994 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1994 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Mexico City, Mexico for the second time at neighboring Xochimilco. The Mexican city had hosted the event previously in 1974 at the same venue that hosted the canoeing and rowing competitions for the 1968 Summer Olympics.The men's...
at the age of 20 in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. In 1998
1998 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1998 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Szeged, Hungary.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events. Women competed in eight events, all in kayak....
, with Maxim Opalev
Maxim Opalev
Maxim Alexandrovich Opalev is an athlete from Russia, who competes in sprint canoeing. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he has won a complete set of medals in the C-1 500 m event ....
now representing Russia in the C-1 events, Kostoglod teamed up with Aleksandr Kovalyov for the C-2. The pairing was an immediate success, winning two consecutive world 1000 m titles in 1998 and 1999. His other three medals have all come in the C-4 events. Three medals he won at the 2003 championships
2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held September 10–14, 2003 in Gainesville, Georgia, United States at Lake Lanier. Located north of Atlanta, this was also where the canoe sprint and rowing events for the 1996 Summer Olympics took place....
in Gainesville
Gainesville, Georgia
-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
were stripped from Kostoglod when his teammate Sergey Ulegin
Sergey Ulegin
Sergey Ulegin is a Russian canoer who has been competing since 2001 He won a silver in the men's C-2 500 m event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing....
test positive for doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
.
However, with no C-4 event on the schedule, Olympic medals were to prove more elusive. At the 2000 Sydney games
Canoeing at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Canoeing at the 2000 Summer Olympics was held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre for the sprint events and the Whitewater Stadium in Penrith for the canoe and kayak slalom disciplines. The repechage rounds that ran from the 1960 to the 1996 Games were eliminated in the sprint events while...
, he and Kovalyov finished only fourth in the C-2 1000m final, missing out on a medal by just 0.14 sec. At the 2004 Athens Olympics
Canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Canoeing at the 2004 Summer Olympics was held at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre for the sprint events and the Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre at the Helliniko Olympic Complex for the canoe and kayak slalom disciplines....
they were finally rewarded with two medals, silver in the C-2 1000 m and bronze in the C-2 500 m.
In 2006, Kostoglod and Kovalyov came fifth at the European Championships and sixth at the World Championships in the C-2 1000 m. For the C-2 500 m events however Kostoglod was partnered instead by Ulegin. Together they became both European and world champions, finishing over a second ahead of their nearest challengers, the German pairing of Nuck
Robert Nuck
Robert Nuck is a German sprint canoer who has competed since 2004. He won seven medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with two golds , three silvers , and two bronzes .-References:***...
and Holtz
Stefan Holtz
Stefan Holtz is a German sprint canoer who has competed since 2004. He won seven medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with two golds , three silvers , and two bronzes .-References:***...
, in both finals. Kostoglod won a silver in the C-2 500 m event with Ulegin at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
Kostoglod is 185 cm (6'1") tall and weighs 93 kg (204 lbs).