Alexei Bondarenko
Encyclopedia
Alexei Bondarenko is a gymnast
who competed for Russia
from 1996 to 2004. His coach was Valery Alfosov and he trained at Dynamo Moscow
. He started gymnastics in 1987 at age 9.
Bondarenko was considered a talented gymnast but unpredictable, due to his inconsistent performances in competitions.
was not in this competition. He then qualified to the World Championships team where he helped Russia obtain a bronze in the all-around, and where he won a silver in the all-around, and ranked fifth in the vault finals.
In the 1998 Goodwill Games
, Bondarenko won another silver in the all-around, and the pommel horse and still rings, and a bronze on floor exercise. The 1998 European Championships in St. Petersburg was a successful competition for Bondarenko where he won the gold in the all-around and on parallel bars, a silver on pommel horse and a bronze on floor exercise, as well as a silver on the team competition.
In the 1999 World Championships, Bondarenko contributed to the silver medal in the team competition for Russia. He won a silver on parallel bars, and was 10th in the all around and 8th on floor exercise.
Bondarenko was fourth in the all-around at the 2000 European Championships leading into the 2000 Olympics and was considered a good contender for several medals in the Olympics. During the 2000 Olympic Games, Bondarenko was part of the silver medal Russian men's team. He was seventh in the all-around and won a silver on vault.
Bondarenko entered the 2004 Olympics with a fledgling Russian men's team that did not have the depth of the 1996 gold-medal-winning team. However, Bondarenko was one of the anchors of the team together with Alexei Nemov. The Russian men's team ranked sixth on the team competition and Bondarenko qualified for the vault finals.
As the first competitor on the vault, Bondarenko fell on his landing after the first vault, a Tsukahara double pike, and was clearly in pain after the attempt. On his second vault, a double front half twist, he landed on his side. Afterwards, he was in severe pain and was seen receiving medical treatment for what appeared to be serious injuries. He was carried off the stadium on a stretcher.
NBC was criticized for not giving any coverage of Bondarenko's injury, and not even broadcasting Bondarenko's vaults. Instead of beginning the broadcast with Bondarenko's attempts, NBC went on to broadcast China's Li Xiaopeng
's attempts and then showing the attempts of the three eventual medalists, who were Latvia's Yevgeny Sapronenko (the silver medalist), Spain's Gervasio Deferr
(the reigning 2000 Olympic gold medalist and the eventual gold medalist of the competition, and Romania's Marian Drăgulescu
(the bronze medalist). It was said that not only did NBC not show the Russian's two falls, viewers were not given any kind of indication that they had happened, and that at no point did the network's gymnastics commentators or studio hosts say that Bondarenko had been injured and taken to the hospital.
Bondarenko's attempts however, were covered in other broadcasts, including the Australian broadcast covered by Simon Reeve
and Liz Chetkovich.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
who competed for 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...
from 1996 to 2004. His coach was Valery Alfosov and he trained at Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Sports Club
Dinamo, also Dynamo, is the oldest sports and physical training society that was created in 1923.-Name:The name given to the society was supposed to mean "Power in Motion" from Greek: δύναμις; dynamis -power, and Latin: motio, -motion...
. He started gymnastics in 1987 at age 9.
Bondarenko was considered a talented gymnast but unpredictable, due to his inconsistent performances in competitions.
1996-2000 Competitions
Bondarenko made his international debut in the 1996 European Junior Championships at 17 where he won the gold medal in the all-around. The next year, in 1996, he ranked sixth in the all-around in the Russian Championships but he was not selected to compete in the 1996 Olympics. In the 1997 Russian Championships, he ranked second in the all-around and first in the pommel horse, still rings and vault, although Alexei NemovAlexei Nemov
Alexei Yurievich Nemov is a gymnast from Russia and one of the most medaled gymnasts, male or female, of all time. He has won 12 Olympic medals, including more Olympic bronze medals than any other athlete. Nemov's sense of showmanship and his difficult routines have won him many fans...
was not in this competition. He then qualified to the World Championships team where he helped Russia obtain a bronze in the all-around, and where he won a silver in the all-around, and ranked fifth in the vault finals.
In the 1998 Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
, Bondarenko won another silver in the all-around, and the pommel horse and still rings, and a bronze on floor exercise. The 1998 European Championships in St. Petersburg was a successful competition for Bondarenko where he won the gold in the all-around and on parallel bars, a silver on pommel horse and a bronze on floor exercise, as well as a silver on the team competition.
In the 1999 World Championships, Bondarenko contributed to the silver medal in the team competition for Russia. He won a silver on parallel bars, and was 10th in the all around and 8th on floor exercise.
Bondarenko was fourth in the all-around at the 2000 European Championships leading into the 2000 Olympics and was considered a good contender for several medals in the Olympics. During the 2000 Olympic Games, Bondarenko was part of the silver medal Russian men's team. He was seventh in the all-around and won a silver on vault.
2000-2004 Competitions
Bondarenko won a silver in the all-around in the 2000 American Cup and the 2000 World Stars in Moscow. He was seventh in the all-around in the 2001 Brisbane Goodwill Games, and won a bronze medal on floor exercise, and was a finalist on pommel horse, still rings, vault and parallel bars. During the World Championships in 2001, however, Bondarenko was 18th in the all-around and did not medal in the other event finals where he qualified, on floor exercise and on the vault. Bondarenko won the all-around in the 2004 Russian Cup in Moscow leading into the Olympics.Bondarenko entered the 2004 Olympics with a fledgling Russian men's team that did not have the depth of the 1996 gold-medal-winning team. However, Bondarenko was one of the anchors of the team together with Alexei Nemov. The Russian men's team ranked sixth on the team competition and Bondarenko qualified for the vault finals.
Injury on the 2004 Olympic Vault Finals
The men's vault finals of the 2004 Olympics was held on August 23, 2004, Bondarenko's 26th birthday. He entered the competition as the reigning Olympic silver medalist and was expected to be a medal contender.As the first competitor on the vault, Bondarenko fell on his landing after the first vault, a Tsukahara double pike, and was clearly in pain after the attempt. On his second vault, a double front half twist, he landed on his side. Afterwards, he was in severe pain and was seen receiving medical treatment for what appeared to be serious injuries. He was carried off the stadium on a stretcher.
NBC was criticized for not giving any coverage of Bondarenko's injury, and not even broadcasting Bondarenko's vaults. Instead of beginning the broadcast with Bondarenko's attempts, NBC went on to broadcast China's Li Xiaopeng
Li Xiaopeng (gymnast)
Li Xiaopeng is a male Chinese gymnast, who specializes in parallel bars and vault. He currently holds 16 world titles, more than any other gymnasts in China...
's attempts and then showing the attempts of the three eventual medalists, who were Latvia's Yevgeny Sapronenko (the silver medalist), Spain's Gervasio Deferr
Gervasio Deferr
Gervasio Deferr Angel is a former gymnast from Spain, who started in gymnastics at the age of five, and became the number one athlete of his country in that sport....
(the reigning 2000 Olympic gold medalist and the eventual gold medalist of the competition, and Romania's Marian Drăgulescu
Marian Dragulescu
Marian Drăgulescu is a Romanian artistic gymnast. During his senior gymnastics career he has won an impressive number of 26 medals at Olympic games, World or European Championships among which eight gold medals at World Championships...
(the bronze medalist). It was said that not only did NBC not show the Russian's two falls, viewers were not given any kind of indication that they had happened, and that at no point did the network's gymnastics commentators or studio hosts say that Bondarenko had been injured and taken to the hospital.
Bondarenko's attempts however, were covered in other broadcasts, including the Australian broadcast covered by Simon Reeve
Simon Reeve
Simon Reeve may refer to:* Simon Reeve , British author and television presenter* Simon Reeve , Australian television presenter...
and Liz Chetkovich.