kalmikovs made his official debut, along with his sister margarita kalmikova, at the 1996 summer olympics in atlanta. he failed to reach the top 16 final in two out of his three attempts, finishing twenty-first in the 200 m individual medley (2:06.16), and eighteenth in the 400 m individual medley (4:28.04). in his third attempt, 200 m breaststroke, kalmikovs powered home with a thirteenth-place effort in the b-final at 2:16.23.