The 'old man' of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series enjoyed an excellent season in 2011. The 45-year-old was rarely out of the top six, and, helped by a third-placed finish in Mexico back in April, was able to finish fourth overall having had to requalify earlier in the year.
With a second place in qualification for 2011, Slava gave a strong sign of his enduring ability after an average season in 2010. With only two sixth places and one DNS, due to an injury in Italy, the Ukrainian finished 11th overall. However, as everyone in the cliff diving scene has come to learn over the years, Slava is not only a representative of the most experienced generation of top-class athletes, but also a reliable character when the chips are down.
In terms of competitions, and especially his participation in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, the wily athlete with the unpronounceable name – his full first name is Vyacheslav – always maintains a calm and relaxed air. At his age, he says, he needs to economise his training and so he chooses to spend much of his time in the swimming pool, diving from a regular 10-metre board.
Dividing his time between his Ukrainian birthplace and his resident country of Italy, Slava’s life still revolves around cliff diving – whether as an instructor, an athlete or as the main attraction in shows. He started high diving in 1994 in Belgium after earning his first contract for a diving show. In 1996, he won the Cliff Diving World Cup – to date the biggest success in his long career.
