Modern pentathlon was once developed as a training program for officers. Shooting, fencing, dressage, running, swimming - a real military man had to perfectly master these disciplines. Times have changed, and pentathlon has become a spectacular view of the Olympic program. And his name in the history of this sport was able to record the Russian athlete Andrei Moiseev. He became the second pentathlete to win two Olympics in a row.
Master of Sports in Swimming
Andrey Moiseev was born in Rostov-on-Don in 1979. He came to sport at the age of 8 years. Initially, the boy was engaged in swimming and did not know how to fence, shoot and ride a horse. He trained in the section with S. N. Kazakov.
However, sports pentathlon appears soon in the biography of Andrei Moiseev. Years passed, and the Rostovites by the age of 19 reached only the title of master of sports in swimming and did not stand out from the vast mass of athletes.
He decided on a daring decision and changed his sport, becoming involved in sports pentathlon. The progress of Andrei Moiseev was incredible. Already in 1999, he fulfilled the standards of a master of sports, and a year later he became a master of sports of international class, having won a prestigious tournament.
First victories
One of the decisive starts in Andrei’s career was the 2002 Russian Championship. The tournament was held in the athlete’s homeland - in Rostov, and he felt great at home. He performed very powerfully and evenly in all five disciplines, without failing anywhere, and became the champion of the country. Yesterday's swimmer surpassed the authoritative and strong masters of modern pentathlon by head and proved that he was ready for the role of leader of the national team.
In 2004, Andrei Moiseev repeated his feat, in addition, he performed well in the international arena. At the European Championships, he became the winner in the team event, and at the world championship he performed very well in the individual event and relay race, thus winning a ticket to the Olympic Games in Athens.
Prior to this, the Russian athlete has already won the Olympics. In 2000, Dmitry Svatkovsky brought the first gold in the modern pentathlon after a 30-year hiatus. However, he was a famous athlete, for many years going to his goal, and Moiseyev seemed to everyone a "dark horse", from which everything could be expected.
Athens 2004
To win the modern pentathlon tournament, as a rule, you need to win two types of programs. Which, in fact, was done by Andrei Moiseev at the Athens Olympics, becoming the first in swimming and fencing.
The start of the Olympic pentathletes marathon was much to decide. Shooting was considered the weakest kind of Moiseyev, but he managed to show a result close to a personal record, and not too far behind the main competitors.
The athlete was strong in fencing and did not leave the rivals the slightest chance, breaking ahead in the overall standings. Most confident, Andrey Moiseev felt in the pool, the title of master of sports in swimming obliged to show the highest results. He did not blunder and confidently won the two-hundred-meter distance, setting an Olympic record.
The most difficult trials await the pentathletes in show jumping. Horses provided by the organizers of the competition are distributed to the participants by drawing lots. The results in equestrian sports largely depend on the characteristics and behavior of the animal, so the competition becomes a kind of lottery, where much depends on luck. Andrei Moiseev got a horse about which it was written in his profile that it was easily controllable, but a little capricious. The athlete coped with the test and reached the final cross with an advantage in half a minute.
At a distance of 3 km thirty seconds is an excellent result. Despite the presence of strong runners of Zadneprovskis and Kapalini, Andrey Moiseev confidently covered the entire distance and even allowed himself to finish with the national flag.
Beijing 2008
At his second Olympics, Andrei Moiseev, whose photo was known to all pentathlon fans, was no longer a green rookie, but an iron favorite.
The main rival of the Russian was the strong Czech athlete David Liberty, who became the second at the last world championship.
Andrey Moiseev did not fail the unloved shooting and settled down in fifth place after the first view. Fencing was the crowned appearance of the Russian, and he shared the first place here with the Chinese Jiang Renhua.
The third place before swimming, in which Moiseyev was a specialist, gave him an excellent bid for victory. However, here he performed relatively unsuccessfully, taking the sixth line. Nevertheless, this was enough to break ahead in the overall standings before the final species.
The competition was a difficult test for all participants. Horses got ragged and constantly dumped their riders. Moiseev was only the fifteenth, but the rivals were even worse. The Russian confidently led the standings before the cross and went to the start confident in his victory. Confidence did not deceive Moiseyev, and he calmly finished by a wide margin from his pursuers, again allowing himself to cross the ribbon with the Russian flag in his hands.
Personal life
The titled athlete found his chosen one in the world of sports. Spouse Moiseeva - world champion in aesthetic gymnastics. Andrey and Catherine over the years of marriage have become the happy parents of the daughter of Mary.