BEIJING — He thought about quitting gymnastics. He thought about joining a friend in a Colorado business venture, living a normal life, instead of staying in the grueling sport he seemed born to pursue.
When Alexander “Sasha” Artemev was left off the Olympic Team eight weeks ago, he was hurt, and angry. He only had himself to blame, having fallen off the pommel horse — his event — both days of the Olympic Trials. Still, the snub made him bitter.
They made him an alternate. Don’t call us, we’ll call you. But stay ready, just in case.
Good thing he did.
The offspring of Soviet gymnasts who lives in Highlands Ranch clinched a bronze medal for the U.S. in the team competition Tuesday, and his pommel horse in Thursday’s individual all-around competition marked him a favorite to win a medal in that discipline Sunday. His 15.525 was the second highest score of the day on horse.
“With that routine, I think I could medal, just do it just as clean,” said Artemev, pommel horse bronze medalist at the 2006 world championships. “I know I can do it now. Nothing to lose now, just go big.”
Two men had to withdraw from Team USA with injuries — first Paul Hamm, then his twin, Morgan — before Artemev was named to the team. Considered too unreliable under pressure only eight weeks ago, he has been a model of consistency here.
And to think he was wondering if it was worth it, all the hard work and disappointment, back in late June.
“I just went through those emotions,” Artemev said after finishing 12th in the all-around. “I was angry, just mad at everybody. I have a short fuse. In ’04 I wasn’t put on the team, and then in ’08. I was mad. I’m supposed to be on this team in my head.”
“I got over it, got back into the gym and it was time to suck it up.”
Nobody ever doubted his potential. Officials of USA Gymnastics have been raving about his innate ability since before the Athens Olympics. But could he get rid of those maddening lapses?
He has here.
“He has great gymnastics in him,” said Miles Avery, one of the U.S. coaches here. “There were a lot of people who thought he should have been on the team to begin with. But as an alternate coming in, he’s been under pressure to do a great job and he’s been absolutely tremendous.”
Artemev is trained by his father, Vladimir, a former Soviet all-around champion. Vladimir decided to stay in Colorado, lest his nerves get the better of him, but Artemev works well with Avery. Artemev calls him his “good luck charm,” because he seems to perform his best with Avery.
“He’s been a great help,” said Artemev, 22. “He says the right things before an event, keeps my confidence up, says to build off each routine and swing big.
“My dad’s my dad. Sometimes you want to please him a little more — it’s my dad. It’s definitely tough not having him here, but Miles fills that void a little bit.”
Back home, Avery coaches the Hamm twins in Columbus, Ohio. Artemev wishes Paul Hamm would have been here with a chance to repeat as Olympic all-around champion and give China’s Yang Wei some competition. Yang was in a class of his own in the all-around, winning by 2.6 points. The next 18 finishers were within 2.6 points of each other.
“I regret Paul wasn’t here, because in my opinion, he would have given a run to Yang Wei,” Artemev said. “He doesn’t really have any competition out there besides himself.”
But the competition within, the ability to perform under pressure, has been the hardest battle for Artemev. Maybe he’s turned that corner now. A medal in pommel horse Sunday, to go with the coveted team medal, could be his reward.
“That’s my event,” Artemev said. “That’s my place where I shine. I love to perform that routine. I’m going to have fun. I’ll see where it goes.”
John Meyer: 303-954-1616 or jmeyer@denverpost.com
