“I can win and I must win” – Artem Silchenko was not satisfied at all with his results in the first three competitions in 2010. The armstand dive with a blind entry – a rarely-executed manoeuvre where the diver sees the water for the final time at least half a somersault before his entry and so lines up “blind” – was displayed for the first time in Mexico and led him to an emotional victory in Polignano a Mare, Italy.
Is it true that Russians are afraid of nothing? Legends say that they kill bears with their bare hands and put hungry wolves to flight, but who knows... a little bit more traceable is Artem Silchenko’s story. Born in Russia’s southwest, the 27-year-old moved to China six years ago to start his high diving career. He didn’t only fall in love with the feeling of flying – “one or two seconds before I dive, my body is still on the platform but my brain it is already flying” – but also with one of the “aqua belles” in the diving show. The synchro swimmer is now his wife and mother to his baby daughter.
Over the years, the tight-lipped Russian has become one of the heavyweights of cliff diving. He won the world championships in 2006 at the age of only 22 and is now famous for his great diving technique and his unceasing motivation: “I always want to win because I’m a professional Russian sportsman.” He likes the height and the options it gives him. “26m is the optimum height; you can control your body even in the water. However, I like 30m as well, it’s just a little bit more difficult to handle and when you enter the water you really feel the full power of the impact.”
It was his mum who first encouraged him – “my mum liked it and she knew my first coach” – and now Artem Silchenko is one of the leading contenders for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. The Russian's dedication saw him end season II in Hawaii with his first ever ‘10’ in a World Series competition and third place overall.
After four second-placed finishes in 2011, Artem once again saved his best for last, securing a massive 518.30 points in the final competition in Ukraine to register the highest score ever in a Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series competition.
