Although the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame has already inducted their inductees, there is still one more gymnast to feature on gymnast of the week that was inducted this past weekend, Alexander Tkatchev.

Tkatchev was a competitive Soviet Union gymnast, born in 1957. Tkatchev trained in Dynamo, Voronezh under USSR national Pyotr Fyodorovich Korchagin. Throughout his gymnastics career Tkatchev won numerous medals at competitions worldwide

His firs success began in 1976 at the URRS Championships where he placed 3^rd on parallel bars. At the 1976 World Cup he places 2^nd on floor, 3^rd on pommel horse, 3^rd on rings, 2^nd on parallel bars, and 1^st on high bar. He finished 3^rd in the all-around that year. He went on the compete in the European Championships where he placed 1^st on floor, 2^nd on rings and high bar and 2^nd in the all-around.

1977 proved to be a good year for Tkatchev. In 1977 Tkatchev premiered his elite gymnastics skill on high bar, later named after him, the Tkatchev; which is commonly performed today. He also won 1^st place on parallel bars at both the USSR Championship and Universiade as well as 1^st all-around at the USSR Cup.

Tkatchev’s success continued into 1978 and 1979 where he continued to win titles, such as, taking 2^nd in the all-around in 1978 at the USSR Championships and taking 1^st on high bar at the European Championships and USSR Championships in 1979.

The year 1980 was a peak year for Tkachev. Not only did he win 1^st on floor, parallel bars, high bar, and the all-around at the USSR Championships, he also medaled at the Olympic Games held in Moscow. At the Games, Tkachev won the gold medal on parallel bars, his first and only individual Olympic medal and helped the USSR capture the team title.

Tkatchev’s last competition was in 1981 where he competed in the World Championships, winning 1^st on high bar; the European Championships where he won 1^st on high bar and the all-around title. He also competed at the URRS Championships, again winning 1^st in the all-around and 1^st on parallel bar and at the USSR Cup he won 1^st all-around as well.

After his retirement from gymnastics, Tkatchev married Lidia Gorbik, former USSR gymnast and now resides in Sanford, FL where they own their own gym, Dinmo Gymnastics.

Tkatchev is most well known for his elite and widely popular skill performed both by men and women internationally. Although well-known for his skill, he was a successful and top competitor between 1977-1981, and today continues to enrich the lives of young gymnasts.