Dmitry Bilozerchev

Dmitry Bilozerchev of Russia defined the term "boy wonder" for the sport of gymnastics. Competing in the 1983 world championships at age 16, he became the youngest male world champion in the history of the sport. He won the world all-around title again in '87, two years after shattering his leg in 42 places in an auto accident. Although Bilozerchev finished only third all-around at the '88 Olympics, he is still considered by some to be the most outstanding male gymnast of his time. Born December 22, 1966 in Moscow, Bilozerchev emerged internationally at the '82 European junior championships in Turkey, where he won the all-around gold medal and five of the six event finals.

In 1983, Bilozerchev won the all-around title at both the Soviet senior championships and European senior championships, the latter competition in which he added gold medals on rings (tie), vault and horizontal bar.

Still only 16 years old, Bilozerchev then dominated the world championships that fall in Budapest, where his 59.85 total (9.975 per-event average) in the all-around final set a record. In the event finals, Bilozerchev earned additional gold medals on pommel horse, rings (tie) and horizontal bar.

In 1985, Bilozerchev won his second Soviet and European senior all-around titles; at the Europeans, he also placed first on five of the six individual events, and finished second on the sixth piece (vault). He then won the World University Games all-around title. Bilozerchev did not compete in the fall's world championships, following the auto accident in Moscow that broke his leg in 42 places.

Bilozerchev heroically returned at the '87 world championships in Rotterdam, where he won gold medals for all-around, pommel horse and horizontal bar. He also finished second on rings (tie) and parallel bars.

In '88, Bilozerchev won his third Soviet all-around title, and the all-around bronze medal at the Olympics in Seoul. His 59.75 tally in the all-around final of the Games was the best total of the day, but a preliminary error on the horizontal bar cost him a higher all-around finish. (At the time, the all-around final was not conducted using the "new life" rule.) In Seoul, Bilozerchev added gold medals on pommel horse (tie) and rings (tie), and a share of the team gold medal with his triumphant Soviet teammates.

Following his amateur career, Bilozerchev competed in professional meets in the U.S. He owns and operates United Sports Academy in Beaverton, Oregon. Bilozerchev's son Alexei is an aspiring gymnast; his wife Olga (Dubrovskaya), a former rhythmic gymnast, is a choreographer. They have a daughter, Alisa.

"Everything is going smoothly in my life, and my work is very enjoyable," Bilozerchev says today.