Sergey Sharikov

Sergey Aleksandrovich Sharikov (18 June 1974 – 6 June 2015), also known as Serguei/Sergei Charikov, was a left-handed Russian sabre fencer. 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 and World Cup

In 1994, he won an individual gold medal 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.

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.

Maccabiah Games

Sharikov, who is Jewish, was a participant for the Russian team at the 2001 Maccabiah Games. 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.

Coaching career

Sharikov coached the 2001 Russian Maccabiah Games fencing team.

Hall of Fame

Sharikov was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and 2005.

Death

Sharikov died on 6 June 2015 in an automobile accident at the age of 40. He was driving an all-terrain vehicle on the road as a part of a group of ATV drivers when it changed into the opposite traffic lane and collided head-on with a car. The car's driver was hospitalized.