Andrey Silnov's 2.36 leap for gold in Gothenburg (© Getty Images)
In any realistic assessment of the 2006 outdoor season Russian Andrey Silnov was one of the athletic revelations with the two highest outdoor clearances in the world that year. Beginning the year with an outdoor best of only 2.28m, he won the High Jump gold medal at the European Championships with a 2.36m leap. A week or so later he progressed another centimetre higher to win at the Monaco IAAF Super Grand Prix.
So how did this tall (1.98m) blond charming man whose weight is only 83kg manage to emerge from virtually nowhere to top the world of men's high jumping in one season?
Silnov, 22, was born in the city of Shahty that is not far from Rostov-on-Don city on 9 September 1984. His family are far from being rich or wealthy. His father is a miner and his mother is working at a local factory.
Neither parent is at all tall but Silnov’s grandfather was a very impressive two metres high.
The only connection his family had with athletics was that an elder brother of Silnov did try to become a triple jumper, and it was his example that inspired the reigning European High Jump champion. One day after watching his brother train, and clearly understanding the advantages of being tall Silnov suddenly made up his mind to become a high jumper, and at his very first competition in Rostov he cleared 1.45m and came third.
Olympic and World winning coaching credentials
Sergey Starykh was Silnov’s first coach and under his guidance he won his first National Championships two years ago, when taking the 2005 Russian Indoor U23 crown (2.24m), having started the year with a personal best of 2.15m.
It was at those championships in Moscow that the celebrated trainer Yevgeniy Zagorulko noticed the young talent. Zagorulko famously has coached Yelena Yelesina and Sergey Klyugin to the 2000 Olympic High Jump titles, and Tamara Bykova and Vyacheslav Voronin, respectively to the women’s 1983 and the men’s 1999 World Championship golds, not to mention a dozen of other quality high jumpers to top national and international level.
Zagorulko made proposal to his friend Starykh that he was happy to accept, and as such a winning coaching formula was discovered whereby Silnov is coached by Starykh when at home in Rostov, while Zagorulko guides the young star at training camps and during competitions.
And the progress made by this triumvirate is more than evident. Silnov cleared 2.10m in 2003, 2.15m in 2004, 2.28m in 2005, and his best in 2006 was 2.37m!
“Andrey is an extremely serious person,” comments Zagorulko about his disciple. “He started the 2006 season clearing 2.28m and after that he never cleared less then 2.30.”
Ukhov too
But at this stage let’s not forget to mention another pupil of Zagorulko. Ivan Ukhov is two years younger then Silnov, and indoors last winter in Arnstadt he cleared 2.37m too!
“Ivan is also very talented,” agrees Zagorulko, “and I presume that the friendly rivalry will give birth to a new World record. Silnov will be ready for the record jump next year.”
Smiling Silnov
Silnov has his own image that attracts fans and admirers. At the 2006 European Championships he was at the centre of public attention, as spectators in Gothenburg were a bit surprised that the tall Russian was smiling even when his opponents, who included local hero Stefan Holm, the Olympic champion, made successful clearances.
“Why were you smiling at that time?” was the persistent question to Silnov by journalists.
“I was glad that other jumpers were doing very well,” was Silnov’s straightforward answer. “I deem it to be my duty to congratulate them after successful attempts.”
“Naturally I didn’t follow all the jumps for I have to get concentrated on my own but it was a pleasure for me to compete in such strong company. And I’m proud to defeat the best high jumpers on the continent. I must admit that it was due to their efforts as well that I managed to clear the heights. Let me tell you that I jump even better when the public is cheering my opponents. And when I’m saying that I’m really thankful for the efforts they made, and I’m not joking at all.”
“I know that technically I’m on the right track. My principle is to fulfill all the tasks set by my coaches, but I’m always thinking it all over and weighing my possibilities in order to do it better and better. I’m analyzing the mistakes and errors – not only mine but of my rivals.”
Well educated
Silnov has a quick, analytic and bright mind that away from the high jump sector has also allowed him to achieve a diploma in Informatics from the Southern Russian State University of Economics and Service.
Silnov is not in a hurry when he is talking with people. His answers are very well weighed and precise. What he doesn’t seem to like much are questions about his hobbies. No, he is not that much interested in cars, and unfortunately he doesn’t have much time to spare anyway. But if an extra hour does emerge he likes to go fishing.
“And not just fishing for the fun of it,” Silnov smiles. “I like to prepare a dish of fish and then to eat it.”
Olympics and 2.46m
Back to the High Jump, what are the plans of the European champion for the new season and the longer term future?
“Well, I would like to clear 2.46. That’ll be 1.01m better then my first official result.”
The current World record is of course the 2.45m that Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor leapt in Salamanca on 27 July in 1993.
"And the Olympics? Who is not dreaming of becoming the Olympic champion?”
Nickolai Dolgopolov and Rostislav Orlov for the IAAF
