Yaroslav Rybakov was born in Mogylev , Belarus , on the night of November 23 1980 , officially exactly on 24:00. In his first 20 years he's managed to grow up to 197.5 cm . Each centimeter was acquired in a really sporty family and thanks to long days of training camps and competitions from the childhood. Thanks. First his father took him to own trainee Alexander Ivanovich Mitko and Yaroslav started to train in a group of small kids. When Rybakov jr. overgrew the kids, his father (Rybakov Vladimir Yuryevich, born in Pereyaslavl-Zalesskiy of Yaroslavl region) started to train him himself. And not to forget the mother who never was far away. The portrait of a sporty family would not be complete without Alesya, the kid sister of Yaroslavl , who is also in for sports. At the moment she does the long jumping the best.

Meanwhile Yaroslav's always been attracted to the height, that was genetic perhaps (his father did the high jumping too). “The height put a spell on me!" Rybakov felt himself a real steeplejack when he managed to jump over his own height (he still used his swing-up leg to jump then), 1.55m. “Since then it's been like a stairway…”

First sport achievement according to Yaroslav was his move from Belarus to Yaroslavl . “In Grodno there was a schoolchildren athletics competition, I finished third in the nonathlon, which was like winning the gold for me, a real breakthrough!”

Rybakov's first serious sports achievement was making the magical 2.28m, world record of the 60s set by Valery Brumel. “I made it at the 2000 Russian championships, when the silver slipped from me in the dying seconds, I lost by the number of attempts only, and partly due to this I didn't make it to the Olympics…”

Yaroslav experienced his first world championships just before and shortly after that. “Speaking of the 1998 World Junior Championships, I only finished fifth there, I lost 3 cm to the first place, but it was massively good for me. And concerning my adult debut (winter 2001), it wasn't that exciting. I had the season's second best jump (2.33m) right before the world cup, where I was aiming for 2.35m, but my competition shoes were torn… and I couldn't get a new pair! We found one, but it was very uncomfortable, and I couldn't break it in, my coach was away. And the jumping sector was 40 cm lower than the race track! I have a long running approach, I was starting exactly from the top. Well, as a result, I was only 7 th …”

But it was the 2006 World championships, in Moscow this time, that appeared to be the “most significant (and most successful) competition in my life – which may sound a bit corny though. But I won; of course, it wasn't the end of the world… But I've been getting a lot more respect since then, which is really cool!”

After winning the world title Yaroslav has two goals in sport: “an Olympic gold and a world record”.

It sounds simple and meaningful. Up to the limits! But Rybakov thinks his main success is that he has such a teacher as his father. “And if there is a Teacher there are no unachievable targets!”

Yaroslav considers sport to be the main way of self-actualization. When being asked what he finds disappointing about modern pro sport, he says he is confused that the competition sometimes doesn't only take place at the stadium, face to face.

But his life is not only about sport. Of course, he has to sacrifice a lot. “After high school I passed entrance exams in Yaroslavl Politechnical University , managed to finish the first term on my own, but then there was nothing except training camps, competitions, I had no choice but to quit the university. Then I passed military service in absentia (now I'm on the third year in RGUFK (extramural form of studying).”

Yaroslav has little leisure time, but “films, music, computer games, cars, books… All this not only helps me take a rest after training but develops my personality. Books contain the experience of many generations and wisdom of real life! I have diverse musical taste; I choose what to listen according to my current mood: rock-ballads (The Scorpions, Dire Straits…); Russian music (“Kino”, Glyzin, Talkov, Malinin, Vysotsky, Antonov), the hits of the 80s, sometimes hip-hop… Sometimes even some cheesy pop music!. I prefer action, science fiction and comedy films… I don't like horror movies. I'm a great car fan: I prefer head-turner sport cars. The fastest and the coolest… I'll buy myself a couple of roadsters one day. But until then I've got an Audi and a Cadillac in my humble garage. They suit tall people like me!”

Serious private life is still on waiting list of Yaroslav Rybakov: “I'm single, on my own, open to life and I'm ready to wait until I meet my significant other”.

Potential lady-candidates might be interested that favorite colors of Yaroslav Rybakov are crimson and light green!