Quick Facts
LibraBiography
Aleksandr Valeryevich Averbukh (Russian: Александр Валерьевич Авербух, Hebrew: אלכס אברבוך; born October 1, 1974 in Irkutsk, Soviet Union) is a retired 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 is Jewish. He was formerly a decathlete competing for Russia, but in 1999 he became an Israeli citizen and rose to top level in pole vault.
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.
In 2013 he briefly returned from retirement to compete in the 19th Maccabiah where he won first place.
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 |
| 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 |
| Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 10th | Pole vault | 5.50 m | |
| 2001 | World Indoor Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 4th | Pole vault | 5.70 m |
| World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 2nd | Pole vault | 5.85 m | |
| Universiade | Beijing, China | 1st | Pole vault | 5.80 m | |
| Goodwill Games | Brisbane, Australia | 2nd | Pole vault | 5.80 m | |
| 2002 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 1st | Pole vault | 5.85 m |
| 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 |
| World Championships | Paris, France | – | Pole vault | NM | |
| 2004 | World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 14th (q) | Pole vault | 5.55 m |
| Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 8th | Pole vault | 5.65 m | |
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 4th | Pole vault | 5.60 m | |
| 2006 | World Indoor Championships | Moscow, Russia | 4th | Pole vault | 5.50 m |
| 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 | |
