Oleksii Koltakov - Gymnastics Coach - University of Georgia Athletics

Oleksii Koltakov

Title:
Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator
Email:
okoltakov@sports.uga.edu

Oleksii Koltakov joined the Georgia gymnastics staff as assistant coach in May 2024 after  two seasons at Nebraska.

The Georgia GymDogs made tremendous improvements in Koltakov’s first season as assistant coach. The GymDogs recorded six consecutive meet totals of 197.000 or higher, achieving the sixth highest regular season meet score in program history against Oklahoma (197.975)- the highest since the regular season of 2009.  For the first time since 2019, the GymDogs secured a national seed in the NCAA Tournament, ranking tenth heading into regionals. Lily Smith and Ady Wahl individually qualified for nationals on floor and vault, respectively, and garnered First Team All-American accolades.  Lily Smith finished fifth overall on floor.  Smith also earned WCGA regular season All-American status. Additionally, Lily Smith received All-SEC honors, while Nyla Aquino was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. The team averaged 9,193 attendees at home meets in 2025, the highest average since 2020, with a total attendance of 45,965 across five competitions in Stegeman.

In his second year as an assistant coach with NU, Koltakov served as the lead coach on vault and one of the lead coaches on floor. He helped NU achieve numerous team accomplishments, including three-straight scores of 197.000 and above in its last three regular-season meets. Nebraska athletes also garnered 36 event titles, and 11 Huskers earned a career high in at least one event.

On vault, the Huskers posted an NQS of 49.125. The Big Red earned a season-high score of 49.375 at Arkansas. Five NU gymnasts earned a career high on the event this season.

On the floor, Nebraska earned an NQS of 49.400, including a season-high 49.450, which the team scored twice. Six Huskers earned a career high on the floor with Koltakov’s help.

In his first season with the Huskers, Koltakov helped the Big Red to a postseason berth, finishing the season at the NCAA Denver Regional. He helped Nebraska to its 10th-best floor score in school history, tallying a 49.500 on the event. Koltakov helped the team to its best team score in five years as well as the sixth-best away score in school history. He coached three gymnasts to All-Conference honors while Emma Spence was named Co-Regional Gymnast of the Year. He was also named the WCGA Co-Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2023.

Koltakov spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as the volunteer assistant coach at Alabama. He helped lead Alabama to the 2021 SEC Championship title and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. In 2022, Koltakov coached Alabama to a runner-up finish at the SEC Championships and the NCAA Finals.

Prior to his time at Alabama, Koltakov coached club gymnastics in Austin, Texas as well as serving as a High Performance coach at numerous camps and clinics across the United States.

Koltakov began his coaching career at the Piddubny Olympic College in Ukraine and Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation in 2013.

A former member of the Ukraine National Team, Koltakov competed at the 2009 European Championships in Milano, Italy as well as the 2009 World Cup in Ostrava, Czech Republic, where Ukraine was a finalist. He also helped lead Ukraine to the finals of the 2011 World Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.

He was a five-time Ukrainian Pommel Horse Champion from 2008-12 and the Ukrainian Floor Exercise Champion in 2011. He led his team to the Ukrainian Championship in both 2009 and 2011.

In addition to coaching and competing, Koltakov performed as a highbar catcher in Cirque du Soleil's show Alegria.

Koltakov is a two-time graduate of the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine earning his bachelor's degree in coaching and physical education in 2009 and a master's degree in biomechanics of sports specializing in Olympic and professional sports.

Oleksii is married to British Olympic gymnast and Georgia assistant coach Marissa King. The couple has one son, Leon.