Ryazanov won the all-around bronze medal last Thursday, finishing behind Japan's Kohei Uchimura and Keatings at the O2 Arena.

Reports said a car being driven by Ryazanov on the Volga federal highway, in the Vladimir region, at 1.50am today inexplicably moved over to the wrong side of the road and crashed into an oncoming car.

Ryazanov died immediately, while two passengers in the oncoming car were injured.

Local road police opened an investigation into the case but would make no immediate comments.
 

The 22-year-old had been a member of Russia's gymnastics team since 2006.

 

He also won the European Championships in 2008 and the silver medal at the 2006 World Championships.
 

Ryazanov was also part of the Russian team that placed sixth at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

 

Russian head coach Andrei Rodionenko said: "This is a human tragedy.

 

"He was very good, kind, honest.

 

"The whole team respected him."

 

The team had returned to Moscow from London yesterday, and drove to the Round Lake national training centre.

 

Ryazanov had picked up his car at Round Lake and was driving home to Vladimir at the time of the crash.

 

Immediate speculation was that he had been drinking, something that colleagues and team-mates denied.

 

Team-mate Maxim Devyatovsky said: "I don't understand how this could happen.

 

"Yura was a great guy, kind, friendly, hard-working.

 

"I do not understand why this happened to him, why God allowed this.

 

"He has driven for years, and everyone knew that he drives very quietly, gently, without any foolishness.

 

"Yura was such a positive guy, that it is simply impossible [that he could have been drinking].

 

"We talked with some guys from the junior team, and they claim they saw his Chevrolet recently and it was too low in the front.

 

"Maybe that was behind this?

 

"Although it is no longer important..."

 

Russian men's head coach Yevgeny Nikolko said: "Yura was a very good driver.

 

"I exclude the possibility that he would ever drink before getting behind the wheel.

 

"He was generally a very responsible and calm young man.

 

"This wonderful man had the whole world ahead of him."

 

Ryazanov trained at the N. G. Tolkachov Sports School, where he was coached by Igor Kalabushkin.