GWANGJU /South Korea/, July 24. /TASS/. The currently best Russian high diver Nikita Fedotov took up the sport after being part of a diving show, his main place of work. After participating in the Gwangju 2019 World Aquatics Championships, the athlete told TASS that he intends to pursue a career in sports.

In the high diving competitions (27-meter tower) at the World Championships, Russians were placed 12th (Nikita Fedotov), 17th (Artyom Silchenko) and 22nd (Igor Semashko), therefore, Fedotov becoming number one.

"I work in Shenzhen, China, I live there, star in a diving show, where comic and difficult dives are performed. There is high diving, other heights, which enable one to train your dives. Therefore, I get wants and needs met. The show is my main occupation, high diving is just a thrill," Fedotov commented, pointing that he jumped from the 20-meter platform for the first time six years ago, aged 18.

"But it is not about work or money now, it is about being at a high international level, therefore, I am trying to improve my results. With every time, I am getting closer and closer to the top five. My motivations are the Olympic high diving prospects, World Championship gold and the World Series," he underlined.

The diver added that during his time in high diving he broke his ribs and tore his knee ligament, but it took him less than a month to rehabilitate the injuries. "It is always scary, if you are not scared, you are a psycho. The fear sobers you up, sometimes you are walking shaking out of fear — this is adrenalin [kicking in]," Fedotov said. "At some point I had nightmares, but it it’s all gone."