# Aleksandr Averbukh

Aleksandr "Alex" Valeryevich Averbukh (Hebrew: אלכס אברבוך, Russian: Александр Валерьевич Авербух; born October 1, 1974) is a retired Russian decathlete and Israeli Olympic athlete, who competed in the pole vault.
He won silver and bronze medals at the World Championships, won a gold medal as the European champion in both 2002 and 2006, and won a gold medal at the 2013 Maccabiah Games. His personal best is 5.93 metres.

## Biography

He was born in the Russian SSR, USSR, and is Jewish. He was formerly a decathlete competing for Russia, but he later became an Israeli citizen and rose to top level in pole vault. He competed in the 2001 Maccabiah Games, winning a gold medal.
He won silver and bronze medals at the World Championships and won a gold medal twice as the European champion in 2002 and 2006. His personal best is 5.93 metres, achieved in 2003 in Madrid. He retired from competition in 2009.
He competed on behalf of Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
He competed in the pole vault at the 2009 Maccabiah Games.
In 2013 he briefly returned from retirement to compete in the 2013 Maccabiah Games, where he won a gold medal for first place.
One of his daughters is the model Anastasya Averbukh.

## Achievements

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| Representing Russia ||||||
| 1993 | European Junior Championships | San Sebastián, Spain | 13th (q) | Pole vault | 4.90 m |
| 1998 | European Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 6th | Heptathlon | 6144 pts |
| 1998 | Hypo-Meeting | Götzis, Austria | 16th | Decathlon | 7658 pts |
| Representing Israel ||||||
| 1999 | World Championships | Sevilla, Spain | 3rd | Pole vault | 5.80 m |
| 2000 | European Indoor Championships | Ghent, Belgium | 1st | Pole vault | 5.75 m |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 10th | Pole vault | 5.50 m |
| 2001 | World Indoor Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 4th | Pole vault | 5.70 m |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 2nd | Pole vault | 5.85 m |
| 2001 | Universiade | Beijing, China | 1st | Pole vault | 5.80 m |
| 2001 | Goodwill Games | Brisbane, Australia | 2nd | Pole vault | 5.80 m |
| 2001 | Maccabiah Games | | 1st | Pole vault | |
| 2002 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 1st | Pole vault | 5.85 m |
| 2002 | IAAF Grand Prix Final | Paris, France | 2nd | Pole vault | 5.75 m |
| 2003 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 14th (q) | Pole vault | 5.40 m |
| 2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | – | Pole vault | NM |
| 2004 | World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 14th (q) | Pole vault | 5.55 m |
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 8th | Pole vault | 5.65 m |
| 2004 | World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 4th | Pole vault | 5.60 m |
| 2006 | World Indoor Championships | Moscow, Russia | 4th | Pole vault | 5.50 m |
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 1st | Pole vault | 5.70 m |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 7th | Pole vault | 5.81 m |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 28th (q) | Pole vault | 5.45 m |
| 2009 | Maccabiah Games | Tel Aviv, Israel | 2nd | Pole vault | 4.95 m |
| 2013 | Maccabiah Games | Caesarea, Israel | 1st | Pole vault | 5.15 m |