Sergei Charikov
Encyclopedia
Sergey Aleksandrovich Sharikov (born June 18, 1974, in Moscow, Russia), also known as Serguei/Sergei Charikov, is a left-handed
Russian
sabre
fencer
. In the Olympics he has won two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze.
at the World Junior Championships. In 1995, he won a team silver medal at the World Championships, and an individual silver medal at the World Cup.
He placed third in the individual sabre events at the 1998 and 2000 World Championships, and third in the team sabre event at the World Championships in 1999. His team won the gold in 2001–03.
In 2001, while ranked second in the world in sabre, he won the 21st World University Games sabre championship and was part of the Russian team that won the team gold (beating Hungary, 45–37).
At the 1996 Atlanta Games, ranked as world # 4, he competed in both the individual and team events. In the team sabre competition, Sharikov and the Russians defeated Hungary in the final (45–25) to win the gold medal. In the individual competition, Sharikov easily advanced to the final before losing 15–12 to teammate Stanislav Pozdnyakov; he was awarded the silver medal
.
Sharikov returned to the Olympics at the 2000 Sydney Games and helped lead the Russian team to its second consecutive gold medal in the team sabre event; they easily defeated France in the final, 45–32. In the individual sabre, Sharikov entered the Olympics as the # 3 seed (he was also ranked # 3 in the world), but was eliminated in the third round of the competition, 15–14.
Sharikov was seeded fourth in the individual sabre event in the 2004 Athens
Games. The Russian lost a close match, 13–15 in the quarterfinal, to Italian Aldo Montano, who went on to win the gold. In the team event, Russia lost its semifinal encounter with Italy 42–45, but Russia won the bronze medal match.
. He won the gold medal
in the individual sabre over fellow Olympian, Vadim Gutzeit
of the Ukraine
.
He also competed in the 2005 Maccabiah Games
in Israel
, this time winning the silver medal as Vadim Gutzeit beat him 15–13 for the gold medal.
in 2003 and 2005.
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
sabre
Sabre
The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
fencer
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
. In the Olympics he has won two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze.
Fencing career
One of the best sabre fencers in the world, Sharikov began fencing at the age of 12.World Championships & World Cup
In 1994, he won an individual gold medalGold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the World Junior Championships. In 1995, he won a team silver medal at the World Championships, and an individual silver medal at the World Cup.
He placed third in the individual sabre events at the 1998 and 2000 World Championships, and third in the team sabre event at the World Championships in 1999. His team won the gold in 2001–03.
European Championship
He won the European Championship in 2000, and came in second in 2002. His team won the gold medal in 2001–02 and 2004.World University Games
In 1997 and 1999, he won bronze medals at the World University Games in sabre.In 2001, while ranked second in the world in sabre, he won the 21st World University Games sabre championship and was part of the Russian team that won the team gold (beating Hungary, 45–37).
Olympics
He competed in three Olympiads for Russia, winning 4 medals (through 2011, that was the most medals won by any fencer for Russia).At the 1996 Atlanta Games, ranked as world # 4, he competed in both the individual and team events. In the team sabre competition, Sharikov and the Russians defeated Hungary in the final (45–25) to win the gold medal. In the individual competition, Sharikov easily advanced to the final before losing 15–12 to teammate Stanislav Pozdnyakov; he was awarded the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
.
Sharikov returned to the Olympics at the 2000 Sydney Games and helped lead the Russian team to its second consecutive gold medal in the team sabre event; they easily defeated France in the final, 45–32. In the individual sabre, Sharikov entered the Olympics as the # 3 seed (he was also ranked # 3 in the world), but was eliminated in the third round of the competition, 15–14.
Sharikov was seeded fourth in the individual sabre event in the 2004 Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
Games. The Russian lost a close match, 13–15 in the quarterfinal, to Italian Aldo Montano, who went on to win the gold. In the team event, Russia lost its semifinal encounter with Italy 42–45, but Russia won the bronze medal match.
Maccabiah Games
Sharikov, who is Jewish, was a participant for the Russian team at the 2001 Maccabiah Games2001 Maccabiah Games
For the 2001 16th Maccabiah Games , the Opening Ceremony was held in Jerusalem at Teddy Stadium, while the re-building process of the collapsed bridge and investigations into the collapse continued....
. He won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the individual sabre over fellow Olympian, Vadim Gutzeit
Vadim Gutzeit
Vadim Gutzeit is an Ukrainian Olympic sabre fencer.-World Championships:...
of the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
He also competed in the 2005 Maccabiah Games
2005 Maccabiah Games
The 2005 Maccabiah Games were the 17th incarnation of the 'Jewish Olympics.' They attracted the largest attendance of any Maccabiah Games to date, including more than 900 representatives from the United States, almost 500 from Australia, and more than 2,000 from Israel, bringing the total...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, this time winning the silver medal as Vadim Gutzeit beat him 15–13 for the gold medal.
Hall of Fame
Sharikov was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of FameInternational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was opened July 7, 1981, in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around the world....
in 2003 and 2005.