1. Overview
Aleksandr Vladimirovich Tretyakov (Александр Владимирович ТретьяковAleksandr Vladimirovich TretyakovRussian) is a prominent Russian skeleton athlete, widely recognized for his significant achievements in the sport. He is an Olympic champion, a World champion, a European champion, and a two-time winner of the Skeleton World Cup. Tretyakov holds the unique distinction of being the first male skeleton athlete to win all four major titles in the sport: the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships, and the overall World Cup series.
2. Early Life and Background
Aleksandr Vladimirovich Tretyakov was born on April 19, 1985, in Krasnoyarsk, which was then part of the Russian SFSR within the Soviet Union. He holds Russian nationality. He stands 6.1 ft (1.86 m) tall and weighs 185 lb (84 kg).
3. Skeleton Career
Aleksandr Tretyakov's professional career in skeleton has been marked by consistent high-level performance and numerous victories across international competitions. His progression saw him rise from a promising junior to one of the sport's most dominant figures, achieving a comprehensive collection of titles.
3.1. Career Highlights and Achievements
Tretyakov has accumulated an impressive array of medals throughout his career. He is an Olympic champion, having won the gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. At these games, he demonstrated exceptional performance, winning three out of four runs and setting new track (55.95) and start (4.47) records, ultimately securing the title ahead of the highly favored Martins Dukurs. This victory marked Russia's first-ever gold medal in skeleton. Earlier in his Olympic career, he earned a bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
In World Championship events, Tretyakov claimed the gold medal in 2013 at St. Moritz. He also secured multiple silver medals, including at the 2011 World Championships in Königssee, the 2015 World Championships in Winterberg, the 2016 World Championships in Igls, and the 2021 World Championships in Altenberg. His World Championship bronze medals include one from the 2009 event in Lake Placid in the men's skeleton event, and two from the mixed team events in 2015 in Winterberg and 2021 in Altenberg.
Tretyakov's success extends to the European Championships, where he won gold medals in 2007 in Königssee and 2021 in Winterberg. He earned silver medals at the 2013 European Championships in Igls and the 2015 European Championships in La Plagne. His European Championship bronze medals were won in 2010 in Igls, 2011 in Winterberg, 2017 in Winterberg, and 2019 in Igls.
He has also been a dominant force in the Skeleton World Cup series, winning the overall title twice in the 2008-09 and 2018-19 seasons. Notably, Tretyakov is recognized as the first Russian athlete to win a World Championship, an overall Skeleton World Cup title, and an Olympic bronze medal. His comprehensive collection of titles across all major international competitions makes him the first male skeleton athlete to achieve the "Grand Slam" of winning the Olympics, World Championships, European Championships, and the overall World Cup.
An interesting anecdote from the 2014 Sochi Olympics reveals Tretyakov's unusual method for relaxation: to ensure a good night's sleep before the second day of competitions, he reportedly downloaded a series of Russian Wikipedia articles on the economy of the Tsardom of Russia onto his cell phone and fell asleep while reading them.
3.2. World Cup Season-by-Season Results
The following table details Aleksandr Tretyakov's performance and overall rankings in the Skeleton World Cup across various seasons.
Season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Points | Place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004-05 | WIN 32 | ALT 37 | IGL 19 | SIG 33 | CES 39 | STM 39 | LKP 26 | - | - | 23 | 34th | ||
2005-06 | CAL 9 | LKP 29 | IGL 28 | SIG 10 | KON 38 | STM 32 | ALT - | - | - | 92 | 24th | ||
2006-07 | CAL 2 | PKC 3 | LKP 15 | NAG - | IGL 1 | CES - | WIN 1 | KON 2 | - | 487 | 3rd | ||
2007-08 | CAL 10 | PKC 7 | LKP 19 | CES1 15 | CES2 12 | STM 22 | KON 13 | WIN - | - | 794 | 16th | ||
2008-09 | WIN 2 | ALT 9 | IGL 2 | KON 3 | STM 9 | WHI 9 | PKC1 1 | PKC2 1 | - | 1526 | 1st | ||
2009-10 | PKC 11 | LKP 7 | CES 15 | WIN 3 | ALT 2 | KON 12 | STM 9 | IGL 3 | - | 1298 | 8th | ||
2010-11 | WHI 3 | CAL 2 | PKC 1 | LKP 13 | IGL 3 | WIN 3 | STM 23 | CES 10 | - | 1349 | 5th | ||
2011-12 | IGL 2 | LPL 3 | WIN 3 | ALT 6 | KON 5 | STM 22 | WHI 2 | CAL 2 | - | 1446 | 4th | ||
2012-13 | LKP 3 | PKC 3 | WHI 4 | WIN 2 | LPL 2 | ALT - | KON 3 | IGL 2 | SOC 2 | 1632 | 4th | ||
2013-14 | CAL 2 | PKC 1 | LKP 2 | WIN 3 | STM1 4 | STM2 7 | IGL 2 | KON - | - | 1415 | 4th | ||
2014-15 | LKP - | CAL - | ALT 3 | KON 1 | STM 10 | LAP 2 | IGL 2 | SOC 1 | - | 1214 | 7th | ||
2015-16 | ALT 2 | WIN 2 | KON1 2 | LKP - | PKC - | WHI - | STM 5 | KON2 - | - | 814 | 12th | ||
2016-17 | WHI 2 | LKP 1 | ALT - | WIN 3 | STM 4 | KON 1 | IGL 2 | PYE 4 | - | 1454 | 3rd | ||
2017-18 | LKP 3 | PKC 6 | WHI - | WIN 4 | IGL 34 | ALT 2 | STM 4 | KON 7 | - | 1138 | 9th | ||
2018-19 | SIG 4 | WIN 1 | ALT 1 | KON Cancelled due to continued snowfall | IGL 4 | STM 2 | LKP 1 | CAL1 1 | CAL2 2 | 1719 | 1st | ||
2019-20 | LKP1 3 | LKP2 1 | WIN 7 | LPL 1 | IGL 3 | KON 1 | STM 6 | SIG 5 | - | 1603 | 2nd | ||
2020-21 | SIG 1 9 | SIG 2 10 | IGL 1 1 | IGL 2 - | WIN 1 | STM - | KON 3 | IGL 3 1 | - | 1171 | 5th | ||
2021-22 | IGL 1 1 | IGL 2 9 | ALT 1 9 | WIN 1 | ALT 2 4 | SIG - | WIN 2 3 | STM 8 | - | 1306 | 7th |
4. Controversy
Aleksandr Tretyakov's career faced significant controversy related to doping allegations. In 2016, he was provisionally suspended after his urine samples showed scratch marks, which are indicative of tampering. On November 22, 2017, the IOC Disciplinary Commission disqualified him from the 2014 Winter Olympics and stripped him of his gold medal. However, on February 1, 2018, the CAS overturned the ban following a successful appeal, and his results, including the 2014 Olympic gold medal, were fully restored.
5. Personal Life
Aleksandr Tretyakov resides in his hometown of Krasnoyarsk, Russia. He is married to Anastasia, who is a former skeleton rider herself. The couple welcomed their daughter in 2013.