Alexander Archipenko started skeleton in 2001 and has been part of the national team of Russia since that year. In November 2002 he made his debut in the Skeleton World Cup in Calgary and was 33rd there. In three of his five World Cup races he was 32nd and thus achieved his best World Cup result. The greatest success was winning the skeleton start-up world championship in 2003 in Groningen , in 2004 he was runner-up behind his compatriot Alexander Tretyakov in Leipzig .