Wheat Ridge – Alexander “Sasha” Artemev has had difficulty controlling his emotions at major competitions, preventing him from demonstrating his full potential, so the young gymnast from Morrison might have had an advantage at last month’s U.S. championships.
Less was expected of him because of the severe shoulder dislocation he suffered in 2005, so the son of a former Soviet all-around champion surprised himself and the USA Gymnastics brain trust Aug. 18 by winning the U.S. all-around title.
“I wasn’t even doing all six events (in training) until like two weeks before,” said Artemev, who did his first vault training since the injury less than a week before the meet. “I was like, if I stay ‘on’ in all six, I should be in the top three, but to win?”
Artemev, 21, qualified for the world championships Oct. 13-21 in Denmark, along with Green Mountain High School grad Guillermo Alvarez, and got himself back on track to be a major cog for the 2008 Olympic team. A native of Belarus, Artemev moved to Lakewood in 1994, became a U.S. citizen in 2002 and has been considered a potential superstar for the United States when he matures.
Artemev missed making the 2004 Olympic team because of a shaky first day at the trials, which he blamed on youthful nerves, but last month he took control of the meet the first night.
“After the first day, I was like, ‘I have a chance to win this thing if I stay ‘on’ in all six events,”‘ Artemev said. “That’s what happened. I had a good meet the second day. That was the first time I actually put everything together. Everybody was surprised to see me, it was like, ‘Where did he come from? He wasn’t supposed to do the all-around.”‘
With Olympic all-around champion Paul Hamm and twin Morgan out of competition for the time being, USA Gymnastics officials were happy to see Artemev’s emergence as a leader on their young team.
“It was a good surprise for us because we weren’t sure,” said Ron Brant, USA Gymnastics national team coordinator. “Once you dislocate your shoulder that severely, you have to give it time to heal. Luckily he’s diligent with his rehab.”
Artemev’s right arm popped out of the socket in April 2005 when he was landing a vault in training. He put it back in and didn’t give it much thought at the time, but a few weeks later it came out again, only days before the U.S. championships. Artemev had surgery to repair a torn labrum, joint capsule and rotator cuff. Doctors used six staples to hold his shoulder in place.
Artemev trains with his father, Vladimir, at 5280 Gymnastics in Wheat Ridge, but he did his rehab at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, often enduring three sessions a day and working out between sessions. He resumed gymnastics training in January.
“I could have quit twice already,” said Artemev, who blew out his left elbow in 2002. “Both surgeries were pretty devastating. I want to make it to the Olympic Games. Hopefully a couple.”
Artemev hopes to finish in the top five of the all-around at the world championships, but he doesn’t consider himself the top American. Not for long, anyway.
“I think Paul Hamm’s the man to beat,” Artemev said. “He’s Olympic champion, and from the sound of it, he’s probably coming back. He and Blaine Wilson are probably coming back. I talked to Paul a little bit at USAs. They (the Hamms) are in shape and they work out a lot. They’re ready to come back.”
Vladimir Artemev competed on the Soviet national team from 1977-87, and when Sasha performs, judges see his father’s influence. That’s a good thing, because with so many gymnasts currently emphasizing skill level and difficulty, judges appreciate the artistry of Artemev’s routines.
“His strength is that his execution and his technique is not seen much in the world anymore,” Brant said. “It’s kind of an older style, the old Soviet (style) we used to see. He’s recognized by the judges a lot because of that, and they’re really impressed with it.”
TV today
U.S. men’s gymnastics championships (taped), 11:30 a.m., KUSA-9
John Meyer can be reached at 303-954-1616 or jmeyer@denverpost.com.
