Rustam Gelmanov

Bio

Born in Kazakhstan in 1987, Rustam always had a keen interest in hiking. However, as he got older, he wanted to expand his horizons. Then, in 2003, he met a group of mountaineers who introduced him to climbing and as soon as he tried it, he was hooked and is now ranked amongst the best boulder climbers in the world. Ever eager to learn and improve, Rustam invents his own training methods to enhance both body and mind at the same time.

There’s good reason as to why Rustam is considered one of the best climbers on the planet - in 2009, he won the World Cup in Vienna, and took second place at the World Championships in China later that same year. In 2010, he was second on the podium in the Arco Rockmaster competition, and continued in similar fashion in 2011 when he claimed World Cup silver medals in both Barcelona and Munich. More recently, in 2012, he claimed gold at the World Cups in both Vienna and Slovenia.

Studying at the University of Moscow to become an aeronautical engineer, the Russian athlete would be the first to admit he's a bit of a geek, but he also has a penchant for techno music and a hunger for speed on his motorbike. He is adamant, however, that nothing comes close to climbing!