Popov nickname The Russian Rocket
Popov nickname The Russian Rocket,Known by a variety of nicknames – "Sasha", "The Russian Rocket", "Ice Man", and "Big Dog" – Aleksandr Popov is considered the greatest sprint freestyle swimmer ever. In both 1992 and 1996, Popov won gold medals in the 50 and 100 metre freestyle sprint events. He competed at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but was touched out in the 100 by Pieter van den Hoogenband, winning a silver medal. Popov also competed in 2004, without winning a medal, and retired shortly after the Athens Olympic Games. At the World Championships, he won the 50 metre freestyle in 1994 and 2003, and the 100 metre freestyle in 1994, 1998, and 2003.
His comeback to world-class swimming after the Atlanta Olympics was the stuff of legend. During an altercation on a Moscow street with an Azeri watermelon vendor, he was stabbed in the abdomen, with the knife grazing his lung and an artery to his kidney. He required emergency surgery and spent three months in rehabilitation. He returned in 1997 to defend his European titles in both the 50 and 100 metre freestyle events. Popov set one world record at both of the two sprint distances.
source: sports
