1. Early life and background
Aliaksandr Buikevich was born on 19 November 1984, in Brest, which was then part of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Union. He is a Belarusian national and resides in Minsk, Belarus. Buikevich is a left-handed fencer, known by the nickname "The Fierce." He stands at 6.3 ft (1.91 m) tall and weighs 176 lb (80 kg). His national coaches have included Aliaksandr Surimto, Dmitry Lapkes, and Grigoriy Lopatnev.
2. Fencing career
Buikevich has had a distinguished career in international fencing, participating in numerous major tournaments and achieving significant medal successes, particularly in the European and World Championships, in addition to his Olympic appearances.
2.1. International competitions
Buikevich has consistently performed well in major international competitions outside of the Olympic Games. He secured a silver medal with the Belarusian team in the sabre event at the 2011 World Fencing Championships held in Catania, Italy.
His career at the European Fencing Championships has been particularly successful. In 2008, at the championships in Kyiv, Ukraine, he achieved a gold medal in the individual sabre event, marking a significant victory in his career. In the same year and competition, he also earned a bronze medal as part of the Belarusian team sabre squad. Earlier, in 2007, he was part of the team that won a silver medal in the team sabre event at the European Championships in Ghent, Belgium. His European success continued in 2012, where he claimed a bronze medal in the individual sabre event at the championships held in Legnano, Italy.
2.2. Olympic Games participation
Aliaksandr Buikevich has represented Belarus in the Olympic Games on three occasions, participating in the sabre events at Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016.
2.2.1. 2008 Beijing Olympics
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Buikevich competed in both the individual and team sabre events. In the individual sabre, he advanced to the quarter-finals, where he was defeated by Mihai Covaliu of Romania. The Belarusian sabre team also reached the quarter-finals in their respective event.
2.2.2. 2012 London Olympics
Buikevich participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, competing in the men's individual sabre and team sabre events. In the individual competition, he won his round of 32 bout against Boladé Apithy of France with a score of 15-11. However, he was subsequently defeated in the table of 16 by Rareș Dumitrescu of Romania, losing 6-15, which ended his individual medal hopes. The Belarusian team finished in 7th place in the team sabre event.
2.2.3. 2016 Rio Olympics
As the sole Belarusian fencer, Aliaksandr Buikevich qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the men's individual sabre event, he began by defeating Joseph Polossifakis of Canada in the table of 32. However, he was unable to advance to the quarter-finals, as he faced and lost to Áron Szilágyi of Hungary in the table of 16. Szilágyi went on to win the gold medal, claiming his second consecutive Olympic title in men's individual sabre. Buikevich finished 12th in the event.
3. Awards and medals
Throughout his fencing career, Aliaksandr Buikevich has earned several notable medals in major international competitions:
| Competition | Event | Medal |
|---|---|---|
| World Championships 2011, Catania | Team sabre | Silver |
| European Championships 2008, Kyiv | Individual sabre | Gold |
| European Championships 2007, Ghent | Team sabre | Silver |
| European Championships 2008, Kyiv | Team sabre | Bronze |
| European Championships 2012, Legnano | Individual sabre | Bronze |