Athens, 21 August 2004, Games of the XXVIII Olympiad. Men's gymnastics, trampoline: Alexander MOSKALENKO of Russia competes in the final at the Olympic Sports Complex Indoor Hall. Credit: Getty Images/Stuart Hannagan

Born: 4 November 1969

Birthplace: Krasnodar (Russia)

Nationality: Russia

Sport: Gymnastics

ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Sydney 2000

Athens 2004

AWARDS

Olympic medals:

Gold: 1

Silver: 1

Coming Back for the Olympics

Growing up in Pereyaslovka, Siberia, Alexandre Moskalenko lived across the street from a trampoline coach. In 1990 he fractured his spine when a trampoline collapsed underneath him. That year he won the world championship anyway. He defended his title in 1992 and 1994 and then retired. But when the decision to add trampolining to the Olympic programme was taken in 1997, Moskalenko returned to training. He had to lose 24kg to get back in shape, but he did so and won the world championship in 1999. Thirty years old at the time of the Sydney Olympics, he won easily. Moskalenko gained his fifth world championship title in 2001 and returned to the Olympics in Athens in 2004. There he earned the silver medal, finishing just three tenths of a point behind Yuri Nikitin of Ukraine. Most athletes have some sort of special meal that they like to eat before an important competition. Moskalenko took advantage of an unusual power meal: pancakes and caviar.