01. März 2004  
Koncha Zaspa, Kiv / Ukraine  
Artistic Gymnastics

Tragic Accident: Alexander Beresch died!

Alexander Beresch (+ 29-Feb-2004)

Gym Family in deep Mourning...!
The day after the spring Ukrainian Cup finished, a tragic automobile accident has taken the life of Olympian and European Champion 2000, Alexander Beresch at Sunday evening. Returning from a visit to a friend's house near the national training centre at Koncha Zaspa at approximately 6 p.m., Beresch's car was hit as it pulled onto Kiev's Stolichnoe Shosse.
Also in the car was Sergei Vialtsev, who survived the wreck but is in intensive care in a Kiev hospital. Vialtsev was conscious after the accident and was able to tell people who came to help to contact the training centre. Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation President Igor Korobchinski and police have arrived to the scene where an investigation is being conducted into the causes of the tragedy.
Turisheva: There are no words to express our grief!'
The Ukrainian gymnastics community is devastated by the loss of Alexander Beresh Dinamo head coach and former federation president Lyudmila Turishcheva told GYMmedia on Monday. 'There are no words to express our grief,' Turishcheva said, 'we are all in complete shock. Of course, we all talk about it all the time and are greatly saddened by the loss of such a great gymnast, but nothing can give you back the person.'
Beresh's Peugeot collided with a BMW on early Sunday evening. The 2000 European champion was killed instantly, his team mate Sergei Vyaltsev was taken to hospital with serious injuries to his head as well his internal organs. 'We have been having some very bad weather with rain and sleet, which means visibility was seriously impaired,' Turishcheva continued, 'and the other car was driving at very high speed. So they probably didn't see each other. We will have a ceremony tomorrow (March 2) to pay our last respects to Alexander, after that he will be taken to Kherson, where his family lives, to be buried.'
Beresh, who placed third AA at the 2000 Olympics and competed in the 2004 Ukrainian Cup just a day before his death, is survived by his wife and their two-year-old daughter.
Info: S.Schuler, gymmedia
GYMmedia establishes a worldwide fund
to aid Beresh's wife and daughter:

Donations made be sent to the following bank account:
 ... under the code word: 'ALEXANDER', to:

G Y M m e d i a,
Deutsche Bank:
Bank code number: 100 700 24
Bank account-#:  4722112
SWIFT Code: DEUTDEDBBER
IBAN: DE25 1007 0024 0472 211200