 Silnov in 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality |  Russia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1984-09-09)9 September 1984 (age 40) Shakhty,Russian SFSR,Soviet Union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 83 kg (183 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | High jump | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | CSKA Moscow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Sergey Starykh andYevgeniy Zagorulko | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Updated on 19 May 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Andrey Alexandrovich Silnov (Russian:Андрей Александрович Сильнов; born 9 September 1984) is a Russianhigh jumper and the 2008Olympic champion. Born inShakhty,Rostov Oblast, he is 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) and weighs 83 kg (183 lbs).
In a late 2006 interview, Andrey said he was the younger son of working-class parents and that he got into athletics as a boy, inspired by the triple-jumping exploits of an older brother.[1] He quickly realized that his height was an advantage in the high jump. After winning the Russian Under-23 Indoor title in Moscow in 2005 – with a jump of 2.24 m – he was asked to join an elite-level group of Russian jumpers training under coachYevgeniy Zagorulko.
Silnov burst onto the world scene in 2006, when he won the gold medal at the2006 European Championships with a jump of 2.36 metres, improving the old championship record which was set bySteinar Hoen with 2.35 m in 1994. A week after the European Championships Silnov jumped 2.37 metres inMonaco. This was the world leading jump in 2006 by a comfortable margin.[2]
Indoors, he has made much of his progression at theHochsprung mit Musik, setting personal bests in 2006 and 2007 before setting his current best of 2.37 to win the competition.
Silnov was suspended in 2020, backdated to 2013, for doping use, but retained his Olympic gold medal.
He jumped a new personal best of 2.38, in theLondon Grand Prix 25 July 2008, and was selected at the last minute to join the Russian team at the 2008 Olympics, where he won the gold medal with a jump of 2.36. His performance in Beijing was astonishing, as he was the only competitor to clear every height on his first attempt and was the only jumper to succeed at 2.36. He then by-passed the Olympic Record of 2.39 and had the bar raised to 2.42, where he missed all three attempts.
Silnov's 2009 season was blighted by injury and he was ruled out of competition with an Achilles injury for nearly 12 months. He returned to competition in early 2010.[3]
Silnov's first major outdoor competition of 2011 was at thePrefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday 4 June. ThisDiamond League invitational brought together an elite field of 8 of the world's best jumpers. Silnov opened at 2.16 (as did every jumper except Spank) and he cleared every height on his first jump, until missing once at 2.32. When none of the three remaining jumpers could clear 2.35, GermanRaul Spank was the winner on the basis of his first-try clearance at 2.32, Silnov was second, and AmericanJesse Williams was third (with a third try clearance at 2.32).
In December 2016, Silnov stood to be president of the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF), but lost the election by 36 votes to 31 to Dmitry Shlyakhtin so took the position of first vice-president instead. In June 2019, Silnov stood down from his position as vice president as he was under investigation for a possible anti-doping rule violation.[4]
Silnov's doping ban was confirmed by theCourt of Arbitration for Sport on 7 April 2021 when he was banned for four years with all of his results from 8 July 2013 disqualified.[5] In 2023, he was seen awarding athletes at a Russian domestic competition for which theWorld Anti-Doping Agency extended his ban for a further year.[6]
In 2014, Silnov was elected a member of Legislative Assembly ofRostov Region.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Russia | |||||
| 2005 | European U23 Championships | Erfurt, Germany | 9th | 2.23 m | |
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 1st | 2.36 m CR, PB | |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 2nd | 2.33 m | ||
| World Cup | Athens, Greece | 2nd | 2.24 m | ||
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 11th | 2.21 m | |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 1st | 2.36 m | |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 2.35 m CR | ||
| 2012 | World Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 2nd | 2.33 m | |
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Men's High Jump Best Year Performance alongside Yaroslav Rybakov (i),Ivan Ukhov (i)2006 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Men's High Jump Best Year Performance alongside Yaroslav Rybakov (i)2008 | Succeeded by |
European Athletics Championships champions in men'shigh jump | |
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