Sergey Sharikov

Sergey Sharikov took up fencing when he was 12-years-old and, competing in sabre, was on the Russian national team from 1994-2005. At that time, Russia was the dominant force in sabre fencing and Sharikov won Olympic team golds in 1996 and 2000, was on the world team champions in 2001-2003, and was on the team European champions in 2000-02 and 2004. He was European individual champion in 2000, and won individual silver at the 1996 Olympics and 2002 Europeans, and individual bronzes at the 1998 Worlds and 2004 Europeans. His other team medals included silvers at the 1995 and 1997 World Championships, and bronzes at the 2004 Olympics, 1999 Worlds, and 1998 Europeans. In other meets Sharikov won individual and team golds at the 2001 Universiade, and the team World Cup in 2003.

After finishing his sporting career, Sharikov was a member of the executive committee of the Russian Fencing Federation and became head coach of the Russian national sabre reserve team in 2009. On 6 June 2015, around 8:40 PM, Sharikov while vacationing, was driving his all-terrain vehicle (ATV) on the Kaluga-Tarusa-Serpukhov highway as a part of a group of ATV drivers, when he lost control of his ATV and rammed a car driving in the opposite direction. He was rushed to the Tarusa district central hospital, but died there couple of hours later from his injuries.