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Vitaly Scherbo

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Vitaly Scherbo
Виталий Щербо
Full nameVitaly Venediktovich Scherbo
Country representedBelarus Belarus
Former countries represented CIS ( Unified Team),  Soviet Union
Born (1972-01-13) 13 January 1972 (age 52)
Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union (present-day Belarus)
Height169 cm (5 ft 7 in)
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Medal record
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 6 0 4
World Championships 12 7 4
European Championships 9 5 2
Universiade 3 3 2
Goodwill Games 4 1 0
World Cup Final 2 1 1
Total 36 17 13
Olympic Games
Representing  Belarus
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Atlanta All-Around
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Atlanta Vault
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Atlanta Parallel Bars
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Atlanta Horizontal Bar
Representing  CIS ( Unified Team)
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona Team
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona All-Around
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona Pommel Horse
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona Rings
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona Vault
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona Parallel Bars
World Championships
Representing Belarus  Belarus
Gold medal – first place 1993 Birmingham All-Around
Gold medal – first place 1993 Birmingham Vault
Gold medal – first place 1993 Birmingham Parallel Bars
Gold medal – first place 1994 Brisbane Floor
Gold medal – first place 1994 Brisbane Vault
Gold medal – first place 1994 Brisbane Horizontal Bar
Gold medal – first place 1995 Sabae Floor
Gold medal – first place 1995 Sabae Parallel Bars
Gold medal – first place 1996 San Juan Floor
Silver medal – second place 1993 Birmingham Floor
Silver medal – second place 1995 Sabae All-Around
Silver medal – second place 1996 San Juan Parallel Bars
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Brisbane All-Around
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Sabae Vault
Bronze medal – third place 1996 San Juan Horizontal Bar
Representing  CIS ( Unified Team)
Gold medal – first place 1992 Paris Pommel Horse
Gold medal – first place 1992 Paris Rings
Silver medal – second place 1992 Paris Floor
Representing  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1991 Indianapolis Team
Silver medal – second place 1991 Indianapolis All-Around
Silver medal – second place 1991 Indianapolis Floor
Silver medal – second place 1991 Indianapolis Vault
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Indianapolis Horizontal Bar
European Championships
Representing  Belarus
Gold medal – first place 1994 Prague Vault
Gold medal – first place 1996 Broendby Floor
Gold medal – first place 1996 Broendby Vault
Gold medal – first place 1996 Broendby Parallel Bars
Silver medal – second place 1994 Prague Horizontal Bar
Silver medal – second place 1996 Broendby All-Around
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Broendby Horizontal Bar
Representing  CIS ( Unified Team)
Gold medal – first place 1992 Budapest Pommel Horse
Gold medal – first place 1992 Budapest Vault
Silver medal – second place 1992 Budapest Floor
Silver medal – second place 1992 Budapest Rings
Silver medal – second place 1992 Budapest Parallel Bars
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Budapest All-Around
Representing  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1990 Lausanne Floor
Gold medal – first place 1990 Lausanne Vault
Gold medal – first place 1990 Lausanne Horizontal Bar
Universiade
Representing  Belarus
Gold medal – first place 1993 Buffalo All-Around
Gold medal – first place 1993 Buffalo Vault
Gold medal – first place 1995 Fukuoka Vault
Silver medal – second place 1993 Buffalo Parallel Bars
Silver medal – second place 1995 Fukuoka Parallel Bars
Silver medal – second place 1995 Fukuoka Horizontal Bar
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Buffalo Horizontal Bar
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Fukuoka All-Around
Goodwill Games
Representing  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1990 Seattle Team
Gold medal – first place 1990 Seattle All-Around
Gold medal – first place 1990 Seattle Vault
Gold medal – first place 1990 Seattle Horizontal Bar
Silver medal – second place 1990 Seattle Floor
World Cup Final
Representing  Soviet Union
Gold medal – first place 1990 Brussels Floor
Gold medal – first place 1990 Brussels Vault
Silver medal – second place 1990 Brussels All-Around
Bronze medal – third place 1990 Brussels Rings

Vitaly Venediktovich Scherbo[a] (born 13 January 1972) is a Belarusian former artistic gymnast. One of the most successful gymnasts of all time, he is the only male gymnast ever to have won a world title in all 8 events (individual all-around in 1993, team in 1991, floor in 1994, 1995 and 1996, horizontal bar in 1994, parallel bars in 1993 and 1995, pommel horse in 1992, rings in 1992, vault in 1993 and 1994). He was the most successful athlete at the 1992 Summer Olympics, winning 6 of 8 events – team, all-around, and 4 of the 6 event finals.

Career

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His first international performances were in 1990–1991, when he competed for the USSR team at the World Championship and the World Cup. He was the 1991 World All-Around silver medalist behind teammate Grigori Misutin; scored a perfect 10.0 on the vault at the European Championships in 1990; and starred at the Goodwill Games in Seattle. He had occasional bouts of inconsistency and as the 1992 Barcelona Olympics approached, the Unified Team coaches regarded him as less of a medal prospect than his more experienced and reliable teammates. In one of the most dominant performances in history, Scherbo won six out of the possible eight awarded gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. His golds came in the team event, the all-around, pommel horse (tie), rings, vault, and parallel bars.[1]

Scherbo and his wife Irina relocated to the United States, settling in State College, Pennsylvania. The move enabled them to take advantage of Scherbo's Olympic success. He followed up on his Olympic accomplishments placing first in the 1993 World All-Around title, third place in 1994 and second place in 1995's World All-Around title.[2]

On 13 December 1995, Scherbo's wife Irina was involved in a single car accident, in which she skidded off a road, and slammed into a tree. She suffered multiple fractures to her ribs and pelvis, lapsed into a coma, and her internal injuries were so severe that doctors told her husband that she only had a 1 in 100 chance of surviving. Scherbo stopped his training altogether. He gained 15 pounds, and began abusing alcohol. After a month, Irina finally woke up from her coma, and insisted that her husband resume his training for the upcoming Olympic season.[2] As his wife made a recovery, Scherbo similarly began to regain peak physical condition, winning yet another World title in 1996. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, his performances reflected his lack of preparation time, both due to his wife's accident and a recent shoulder surgery.[citation needed]

Scherbo had planned to compete in the 1997 World Championships but broke his hand in a motorcycle accident before then and retired soon after.

Alleged rape

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In October 2017, former Ukrainian Olympic champion gymnast Tatiana Gutsu accused Scherbo of violently raping her when she was 15, when they were at the USSR national team training camp in 1991.[3]

Eponymous skills

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Scherbo (vault) – a Yurchenko-style vault defined by its unique entry, specifically a full twist within the back-handspring between the springboard and the vaulting table.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Russian: Виталий Венедиктович Щербо, romanizedVitaly Venediktovich Shcherbo; Belarusian: Віталь Венядзіктавіч Шчэрба, romanizedVital’ Vyenyadziktavich Shcherba

References

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  1. ^ Eskenazi, Gerald (3 August 1992). "On Scherbo's Night, Dimas Also Sparkles". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b Clarey, Christopher (13 May 1996). "As His Wife Recovers, So Does Vitaly Scherbo". The New York Times. International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 23 July 2024.
  3. ^ Flaherty, Bryan (17 October 2017). "Amid #MeToo, Ukrainian CIS gymnast Tatiana Gutsu accuses fellow Olympic gold medalist of rape". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
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