Need for speed

Watching him clamber up the 15-metre wall is like watching Spiderman scale a skyscraper. Alex Westcott talks to the World Number One in speed climbing, Evgeny Vaytsekhovsky, on how he got hooked on the sport and began climbing his way to the top.

Even as a child, Evgeny Vaytsekhovsky loved to climb. He would spend his playtime scaling trees and scaffoldings of buildings under construction at home in Russia.

But he never considered climbing as a career. Primarily occupied with fencing and Kung Fu, he had never heard of speed climbing till a friend suggested he give it a try. He did and was hooked.

"I love it and it has allowed me to lead such a dynamic life," says the 22-year-old. Plus, "it (speed climbing) is good for the body and mind too."

Little did he know that 13 years after his first attempt, he would be the World Number One in this demanding sport.

Vaytsekhovsky was in Dubai recently going head-to-head against World Number Three, Maksym Stienkoyi from the Ukraine.

It was a competition to set the first Middle East speed climbing record.

Wowing spectators with their spider-like agility, the two contestants clambered up The Wall a new climbing facility at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Stienkoyi was up in 4.76 seconds, merely milliseconds away from the world record, currently held by a Chinese national at four-and-a-half seconds.

He set the new Middle East record. Vaytsekhovsky was challenging for the record, but he slipped twice in three attempts and was slower than his Ukrainian rival on the first attempt. His spirits still high, he says he will be back in the near future to compete at The Wall and hopes to set a world record here.

Vaytsekhovsky came to Dubai to "try and promote this sport in a country where climbing is relatively new." He is driven at advancing the sport and will be back in Dubai soon to conduct climbing clinics with the backing of DWTC and Dorell Sports.

"It is a very interesting sport and offers an opportunity to get really fit. It's great for team-building and mental development. It instils discipline and strengthens the mind and body." But mostly, speed climbing is about having fun.

His first impressions of Dubai were extremely positive: "It's a beautiful and clean city. This is my first time here and I think it's amazing.

The Wall here is impressive and very well constructed. The weather is, of course, very different from what I'm used to, so it's a bit of a difficult environment for me in which to compete but it's been very interesting so far. The hospitality has been warm and the event itself was well organised.

"It was also nice to be able to give Feras Fareed, the Emirati climber working at The Wall, tips and advice on how to improve and I hope that someday soon we will get the chance to compete against each other. DWTC and Dorell Sports will be bringing the International Federation of Sports Climbing (IFSC) to Dubai and they will develop the new federation here, which is exciting."

What does it take to become a world champion in this sport? "Like all sports, you need strong discipline," he replies. "I make sure I get at least eight hours of sleep a day. I maintain a balanced diet. You also have to be really hungry to get to the top!"

The serious, controlled and calm sportsman is not only strong and fast, but also extremely focused and willing to push his limits in order to stay ahead.

"It is hard work... you have to train so much, consistently. But that said, I also train for fun despite my competitive nature, it is also very much a hobby."

However, the road has not been completely smooth for Vaytsekhovsky, who has faced a few challenges along the way, the most serious being when he was injured between 2005 and 2006.

"I had to work really hard to regain my strength. In the beginning, I think I pushed too much so I had to slow down considerably in order to recover," he says.

His toughest competition to date has been the 2007 World Cup in Poland. "I was in hospital down with pneumonia just one week before the competition. It was difficult competing as I had no energy. However, to my surprise, I still won first place. I put it down to sheer will power!" he says.

His greatest achievement to date? Winning the title of World Champion at the 2005 World Championships in Munich, Germany.

What about disappointments? The biggest was at the 2007 World Championships in Spain. "I was first in the qualification rounds but finished fourth overall. The winner was from China and he set the World Record. I was really disappointed," he says. Nevertheless, he is determined to better this and set a new record of his own.

Although extremely ambitious on the competitive circuit, Vaytsekhovsky gains more from the sport than a string of victories.

Travelling around the world, meeting people from different cultures and working at improving his English are some of the other advantages he cherishes.

Ultimately, the most important lesson he has learnt, he says, is to stay healthy and to realise that everyone has a limit.

He admires Sinitsyn Sergey as well as Maksym Stienkoyi (who beat him in the Dubai competition).

Currently based in Ufa, Russia, where his family mother, sister and grandmother live and work, he is also studying at the Oil Technical University, between travelling the world for climbing competitions.

Despite his many achievements, Vaytsekhovsky remains grounded. "[My success] hasn't changed me," he says. "I am the same person with the same passion for climbing I had as a boy. I just continue to get faster and am winning more World Championships."

He plans to compete as much as he can till such time as he can. When his climbing days are over, he would like to help the IFSC in organising competitions and make speed climbing a full-time career.

Plans are afoot to organise World Cup events at a later stage in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Which means Vaytsekhovsky may very well be back to battle the 15-metre wall in the hope of knocking a few seconds off the coveted four-and-a-half seconds world record.