Sharipov Named Assistant

NORMAN, Okla. The University of Oklahoma and men's gymnastics head coach Mark Williams announced the hiring of assistant coach Rustam Sharipov (pronounced “roos-TOM share-EE-pahv”) on Wednesday. Sharipov, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, comes to Norman from the Houston Gymnastics Academy.

“We're obviously excited to have an individual with such outstanding credentials added to our staff,” said Williams. “Having been a two-time Olympic gold medalist is quite an accomplishment. Rustam has competed and coached at the highest levels of the sport. He will bring a wealth of knowledge to this program.”

Although new to the University of Oklahoma, Sharipov is already familiar with the area, having spent a year coaching at Bart Conner Gymnastics. After that stint in Norman, he moved on to Houston where he worked with some of the top gymnasts in the nation, including current U.S. National Team members Sean Townsend and Todd Thornton.

“This is a big opportunity for me to be at the University of Oklahoma,” said Sharipov. “The team is consistently at the top of the sport and has won three titles in the last four years. I'm really excited to be part of this team.

“The talent level that has been accumulated here makes my job easier. It also helps that I have already coached some of the guys at the Houston Gymnastics Academy. I'm looking forward to the upcoming season and I hope to be helpful to the team and continue the program's success.”

Current Sooners Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons and Jamie Henderson were coached by Sharipov at the Houston Gymnastics Academy before coming to OU.

Sharipov coached the U.S. Junior National Team to a gold medal finish at both the 2002 Junior Pan American Games and the 2004 Junior Pacific Alliance Championships.

Along with his excellent coaching credentials, Sharipov also has an extensive athletic background including two Olympic gold medals (1992 and 1996), one Olympic bronze medal (1996), a world championship on the parallel bars and European championships on the parallel bars and high bar.

A 1997 graduate of Kharkov State in Ukraine, Sharipov was awarded the title of “Master of Sport” in 1992. The honor represents the highest athletic level that one can reach in the former Soviet Union. A native of Tajikistan, Sharipov and his wife Amber have a 17-month old daughter, Ksenia.

Sharipov replaces former OU assistant Guard Young who accepted a head coaching job at the Technique Gymnastics Club in Sacramento, Calif.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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