the red bull cliff diving world series 2016
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O F F I C I A L W O R L D S E R I E S P A R T N E R
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THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WO
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SINCE 2009, THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES HAS PROVIDED A PLATFORM FOR AESTHETIC ACTION AND DIVES OF INCREDIBLE COMPLEXITY, SPOTLIGHTING THE SPORT’S TOP ATHLETES AS WELL AS THE MOST PROMISING NEWCOMERS AND IN 2014 IT INTRODUCED A WOMEN’S WORLD SERIES. IN ITS EIGHTH AND BIGGEST-EVER SEASON, THIS RAPIDLY PROGRESSING SPORT WILL CROWN TWO NEW CHAMPIONS DURING NINE DEMANDING COMPETITIONS FOR THE MEN AND SEVEN STOPS FOR THE WOMEN. BETWEEN JUNE AND OCTOBER, THIS PURE EXTREME SPORT WILL HIT WATERS IN NATURAL AND URBAN ENVIRONMENTS AS WELL AS REMOTE AND ICONIC VENUES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST.
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FALLING FREE AGAINST GRAVITY COMBINED WITH AWE-INDUCING ACROBATICS – THAT’S THE ESSENCE OF CLIFF DIVING. IT’S PURE. IT’S FAST AND IT TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY. CLIFF DIVING’S BEST ATHLETES LEAP AESTHETICALLY FROM UP TO 28 METRES WITH NO PROTECTION AT ALL, EXCEPT THEIR CONCENTRATION, SKILL AND PHYSICAL CONTROL. IN LESS THAN THREE SECONDS, GRAVITY PROPELS THE DIVERS’ BODIES AS THEY FALL THE EQUIVALENT OF EIGHT STORIES, REACHING SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 85KPH.
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4 JUNE
TEXAS USA
9 JULY
SÃO MIGUEL, AZORES POR
23 JULY
LA ROCHELLE FRA
28 AUGUST
POLIGNANO A MARE ITA
11 SEPTEMBER
PEMBROKESHIRE, WALES GBR
24 SEPTEMBER
MOSTAR BIH
16 OCTOBER
SHIRAHAMA JPN
28 OCTOBER
DUBAI UAE
18 JUNE
COPENHAGEN DEN2016
REDBULLCLIFFDIVING.COM#REDBULLCLIFFDIVING
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4 JUNE
TEXAS USA
9 JULY
SÃO MIGUEL, AZORES POR
23 JULY
LA ROCHELLE FRA
28 AUGUST
POLIGNANO A MARE ITA
11 SEPTEMBER
PEMBROKESHIRE, WALES GBR
24 SEPTEMBER
MOSTAR BIH
16 OCTOBER
SHIRAHAMA JPN
28 OCTOBER
DUBAI UAE
18 JUNE
COPENHAGEN DEN2016
REDBULLCLIFFDIVING.COM#REDBULLCLIFFDIVING
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2015 was a ground-breaking season which smashed points records more than once and saw the highest diving complexity in seven years. Britain’s Gary Hunt laid down his legacy as a five-time champion in 2015, with a winning streak of five consecutive victories and six wins out of eight competitions – securing 25 wins in 50 stops since 2009. Completing the 2015 World Series podium were cliff diving legend Orlando Duque and the World Series youngster Jonathan Paredes from Mexico, who secured his first-ever victory in the series during the historic event in Mostar.
Hosted across South America, the US and Europe this pure extreme sport did not only raise its bars when it came to difficulty – Blake Aldridge increased the degree of difficulty to 6.3 with his reverse 2 somersaults and 5 twists, but also awarded a Women’s World Series trophy for diving gracefully from 20m for the second time after 2014. America’s Rachelle Simpson defended her title to become 2015’s Women’s World Series champion ahead of fellow Americans Ginger Leigh-Huber and Cesilie Carlton, the first wild-card to win a stop.
Gary Hunt had a fan-tastic year winning 6 out of 8 competitions.
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MenThe top 6 divers from last year’s World Series
were prequalified for the 2016 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. The remaining four per-manent spots were selected based on the 2015 World Ranking Table, which includes all major competitions (Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, Marmeeting and FINA events).
WomenBased on the overall Red Bull Cliff Diving
World Series results from 2015, the top 5 divers were prequalified for this year’s Women’s World Series. One additional permanent diver was chosen from the FINA World Cup Event in Abu Dhabi to complete the female athletes line-up.
The female Stars and Stripes line-up in Texas (f.l.t.r.): Tara Hyer-Tira, Rachelle Simpson, Cesilie Carlton and Ginger Leigh-Huber.
ATHLETES’ SELECTIONTHE CREAM OF THE CROP!
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From an individual’s passion cliff diving has turned into a recognized sport, which draws people’s attention worldwide. “Being part of the World Series is kind of a prestige thing, it’s the top in our sport. Just like in any other sport there is the one event that everybody wants to partici-pate in and wants to win. This is what every high diver wants to win. Not because you’re on TV or in magazines, no. Everybody in the sport knows your name after you’ve won this one,” explains Orlando Duque.
In 50 competitions between 2009 and 2015, the athletes have pushed the sport to such a high level that American Greg Lougan-is – four-time Olympic gold medallist and the most successful diver of all time – predicts an even brighter future for cliff diving: “This Series standardized the sport. The height is always
between 26.5m and 28m; they have the fixed degree of difficulty and a good panel of judges. Consequently, the divers know better what to expect and can prepare better. I think it’s very possible that cliff diving becomes an Olympic sport, now that the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) has included high diving as a professional sport. There is so much more talent coming into the sport. It’s an exciting time for cliff diving.”
The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series aims to guarantee the highest possible standard in this sport, spotlighting the sport’s top athletes as well as young talent and in 2014 it introduced a Women’s World Series. It provides them with a platform to excel and express their passion over and over again.
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As the pinnacle of cliff diving competitions, the 2016 World Series once again features the sport’s elite athletes. Ten men and six women from nine nationalities will excel in perform-ing at the highest level and fighting for glory, challenged by a series of wildcards and also the elements. In its eighth year, the title is decided during nine competitions for the men and seven for the women.
ATHLETES
MEN
1. Gary Hunt (GBR) 1320pts.
2. Orlando Duque (COL) 970
3. Jonathan Paredes (MEX) 849
4. Blake Aldridge (GBR) 820
5. David Colturi (USA) 690
6. Andy Jones (USA) 590
7. Michal Navratil (CZE) 510 8. Steven LoBue (USA) 447
9. Artem Silchenko (RUS) 410 10. Sergio Guzman (wildcard) (MEX) 349
WOMEN
1. Rachelle Simpson (USA) 490pts.
2. Ginger Leigh Huber (USA) 420
3. Cesilie Carlton (wildcard) (USA) 400
4. Anna Bader (GER) 310
5. Lysanne Richard (wildcard) (CAN) 290
6. Adriana Jimenez (MEX) 250
7. Yana Nestsiarava (wildcard) (BLR) 200 8. Tara Hyer-Tira (wildcard) (USA) 110 8. Jacqueline Valente (wildcard) (BRA) 110
10. Helena Merten (wildcard) (AUS) 70
OVER
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A DIVE IN NUMBERS3 SECONDS LONG85 KPH/53 MPH FASTUP TO 5G PHYSICAL FORCE
RisksThe highest risk of injury occurs during the
landing phase, when parts of the body are already exposed to absolute deceleration and others, above the surface, are still at full speed. At this point, maximum physical tension is absolutely crucial. Immediately after hitting the water, the athlete has to actively dive away to avoid compression or contortion of parts of the body due to the hardness of the water. However,
major mistakes can be ruled out because of the divers’ technical training and experience.
A pancake landing from such heights can be compared with running full speed into a concrete wall. That is why only about four dozen athletes worldwide engage in this elite extreme sport. Generally speaking, high diving over 28 metres does not bring a lot of time benefit due to the rapid acceleration; yet, the risk of injuries increases disproportionately.
CLIFF DIVING SCIENCE
Rescue Divers/ParamedicsOn standby next to the diving
point, three scuba divers at landing point. Ambulance on standby.
WatersprayThe water spray breaks the water
surface and is used as a reference point for the divers, as from these heights it is tricky to identify the water level.
10 mOlympic Diving
-5 mMinimum water depth
Red Bull Cliff DivingWorld Series heights
20 m
18 m
23 m
28 m
General male competitions
General female competitions
28 m | 92ftmax. height
21,5m | 70ftmax. height
26,5m | 87ftmin. height
19,5m | 64ft min. height
Platform ˇ Stable take-off board construction ˇ Minimum length: 1.5 metres ˇ Minimum width: 0.75 metres ˇ Platform rim at least 2 metres beyond the vertical fall line
IMPACT UP TO 9 TIMES HARDER THAN FROM 10M PLATFORM
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LOCATIONSIn June, the 2016 World Series season kicks
off at Hell’s Gate at Possum Kingdom Lake in the USA state where everything is bigger, Texas! Two towering cliffs, rising dramatically out of the region’s first water supply reservoir, provide the platform for the season’s premiere stop. Back in Europe, the Danish capital city, Copen-hagen, provides the athletes with a panoramic view of the royal palace, Amalienborg, and the adjacent domed Marble Church when mounting the 27-metre platform on the cantilever roof of the Opera House.
The World Series’ classics are scheduled for July: cliff diving directly off the cliff face on the Portuguese Azores and La Rochelle, France, with its record crowd of 75,000 spectators.
Also on the verge of becoming an all-time fa-vourite, but certainly the home of European Cliff Diving: Polignano a Mare, where cliffs are the foundation of everyday life, marks the halftime stop of the 2016 season at the end of August.
In September, the World Series returns to the UK and to the picturesque location of the Blue Lagoon, now a National Trust site, in Pembroke-shire, South West Wales. From there, the divers travel south to a place where diving from great heights has been a tradition for centuries: the ‘Stari Most’, the old bridge of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the country’s most recog-nizable landmark.
October takes the cliff diving elite to new grounds in the south-east of Japan. Sandan-beki is a cliff towering along the coast of Shira-hama Town, providing an all-natural setting. The coronation of the champions will take place dur-ing the first ever World Series competition in the UAE. Spotlighting the sport’s cream of the crop, the Dubai Marina will provide the spectacular setting for the final showdown.
The World Series returns to Wales for the third time.
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RULES & RE
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ROUND 11 Intermediate Dive (maximum
DD 4.6) - 14 divers.
FORMATAhead of each competition a
draw determines the diving order for the 1st Round. Two days of com-petition; 4 rounds.
ROUND 21 Required Dive (DD 3.8) – 14
divers. Divers will start in reverse order from the first round’s results.
ROUND 31 Optional Dive - 14 divers
Divers will start in reverse order based on the previous round’s cumulative score.
COMPETITION FORMAT
MEN
FINAL ROUND1 Optional Dive - 8 divers.
Divers will start in reverse order based on the previous round’s cumulative score.
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ROUND 1 1 Required Dive (DD 2.6)
FORMATAhead of each competition a
draw determines the diving order for the 1st Round. Two days of competition; 3 rounds.
ROUND 2 1 Optional Dive. Divers will start in reverse order from the first round’s results.
WOM
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FINAL ROUND 1 Optional Dive. Divers will start in reverse order based on the previous round’s cumulative score.
The winner of any individual tour stop is the diver with the highest point total from this stop.
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FIVE INTERNATIONAL JURORS WILL JUDGE EACH DIVE ON THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:ˇ TAKE OFF ˇ POSITION IN THE AIR ˇ ENTRY IN THE WATER
JUDGING
POINTS PER COMPETITION Calculation of the total score of the World
Series: Points from each competition are added together. All individual competition results count for the World Series overall ranking.
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY The degree of difficulty of each dive – also known as DD – is calculated
by taking into account the difficulty of the execution of each manoeuvre and the junction of each element of a dive. ˇ Type of take off ˇ Number of somersaults ˇ Number of twists ˇ Position during the somersaults ˇ Type of entry
The DD in the World Series ranges from 2.6 (women) and 3.8 (men) for the Required Dives to up to 6.3 for the sport’s currently hardest dives.
According to the official Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2016 rule-book, the jury has to judge what is seen and not what wants to be seen. Moreover, each dive has to be judged disregarding any bias toward the diver or dive to ensure an objective result.
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& SCORING
SCORES from 0 to 10 in half point increments.
5 scores by 5 judges
SCORES from all rounds are cumulated for the final competition result. Men - 4 dives. Women - 3 dives.
POINTS will be awarded from 1st to last place, including wildcards. The winner of any individual tour stop is the diver with the high-est point total from this stop.
HIGHEST & LOWEST score are discarded. Remaining three scores are added together.
THE SUM is multiplied by the degree of difficulty for each dive.
20FIVE JUDGES1 head judge & 4 judges per competition will
be selected for each competition from a pool of 13 members. Judges for each stop will be chosen based on geographical location of the event and availability.
Claudio de Miro (ITA)Head judge, former Italian
diving team member
Andrey Ignatenko (UKR)Winner of first World
Series competition in La Rochelle, FRA, in 2009
Greg Louganis (USA) Four-time Olympic Gold
medallist, five-time World Champion, six-time Pan American Games winner
Marion Reiff (AUT) Participant Olympic
Games Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004
Antonio Martinez (MEX) FINA judge, organizer of
high diving competitions, substitute head judge
Julian Llinas (ESP) FINA judge, judge at three
Olympic Games
Slava Polyeshchuk (UKR) Former cliff diver, 2011
4th overall
Anke Piper (GER) Three-time European
champion 10m
Jeff Arbon (GBR|AUS) Participant Olympic
Games Seoul 1988
Renato Rosi (ITA) Former Italian diving team
member
Dmitry Sautin (RUS) Two-time Olympic Gold
medallist, five-time World Champion, 12-time European Champion
Ken Grove (AUS|AUT) Two-time Olympian for
Austrialia and Austria
Steve Foley (AUS|USA) Three-time Olympian
(1976, 1980, 1984) for Aus-tralia
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DOS & DON’TS
WHAT THE JUDGES DO NOT WANT TO SEE AND WHAT THEY REGARD AS MISTAKES:
WHEN DO THE JUDGES DEDUCT POINTS FROM THEIR SCORES?
Powerless take-offs, incorrect distance to
the platform.
Unaesthetic execution, open or crossed legs,
unpointed toes, legs that are not straight in pike or layout position or entry phase.
Short and non-vertical entries, under
or over-rotated entries.
Powerless If the arms are clearly extended
above the head at the entry.
If the arms are away from the body but below the head at the entry.
For incomplete handstands, as the body should come to rest in a vertical and straight alignment for no less than two full seconds before initiating the action of the dive.
“Flying” dives should display a full 90 degree rotation upon take-off before executing the described position .
If an obvious break of straight position occurs after at least one complete somersault has been performed in either tuck or pike position.
A break in position at or just before entry, an intermediate break of position and if a dive is done in a completely different position than announced.
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It’s the award every cliff diver wants to win, but only the best of the best will receive the World Series overall title in honour of the great Hawaiian chief King Kahekili who first leaped from the holy cliffs of Kaunolu, the birthplace of the majestic sport of cliff diving. The old Hawaiian principles of ‘mana’ (power) and ‘pono’ (balance) were crucial when ‘leaping feet-first from a high cliff into the water without making a splash’ which is the loose translation of the Hawaiian act of ‘lele kawa’, which was born on the islands in the midst of the Pacific in the 18th century. They are principles that have been upheld and are today prerequisites for the sport of cliff diving. It was from a rock made of lava that the last independent ruler of Maui, King Kahekili, dove in the late 1700s.
Kaunolu on the south coast of the island of Lanai, contains the largest surviving ruins of a prehistoric Hawaiian village and is the place where it all began. The diving site has always been regarded as holy and up until today the chief’s name has been inextricably linked with the earliest beginnings of this extreme sport. In the Hawaiian culture, spiritual and physical art are interwoven, as Ha-waiian historian Luana Kawaa explains. “In order to be physically sound and solid, the spiritual part had to be in ‘pono’, as well, so that the spirit could travel out onto these rocks, and if they had lived a good, moral life, when the spirit leaped, their ancestors would come to greet them and bring them to the ancestral world. For Kahekili to come to his diving point and be able to walk out into an area that was ‘kapua’ or forbidden to mankind, and for no harm to come to him as he jumped off these cliffs, then when his warriors saw this, they realised the amount of spiritual power that Kahekili had to possess in order to do that. That made him godly. And the chiefs were really thought to be the gods here.”
Legend says that Kahekili used cliff diving as an initiation rite for his warriors. He required them to follow his example by jumping off cliffs in an effort to prove their loyalty. Historians see a competitive idea behind these leaps: “We don’t know if he ac-tually required his warriors to do it, but he challenged them. And in our culture, when you think about that, requiring somebody to do something is one thing, but when you challenge them to do it that is when you get the real participation.”
THE SILK RIBBON OF CLIFF DIVING EXCELLENCE THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS’ TROPHY
THE TROPHY OF LELE KAWA
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Real participation is demanded by the athletes of the World Series to be awarded the trophy, created by the Hawaiian artist Kuaho Zane. The overall form references the shape and stance of ki’i or wooden images, traditionally carved as three-dimensional representations of gods and protective ancestors called aumakua. The trophy with its asymmetric, cliff like top is completely printed on the right side – similar to the tattoo that completely covered the right side of Kahekili’s body. The base is made of Koa wood and symbolizes the feet of both the ki’i and the diver who must hit the water feet first.
The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series takes up the challenge to establish which single ath-lete has enough ‘mana’ and ‘pono’ to perform the best ‘lele kawa’ and take the 2016 overall victory.
ATHLETES, WHOSE NAMES HAVE BEEN LISTED ON THE TROPHY SO FAR:
The trophy is reserved for only the year’s best male and female athlete.
MENORLANDO DUQUE (COL) 2009GARY HUNT (GBR) 2010GARY HUNT (GBR) 2011GARY HUNT (GBR) 2012ARTEM SILCHENKO (RUS) 2013GARY HUNT (GBR) 2014GARY HUNT (GBR) 2015
WOMENRACHELLE SIMPSON (USA) 2014RACHELLE SIMPSON (USA) 2015
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DIVE POSITIONS
PIKEWith knees straight but a
tight bend at the hips.
STRAIGHTwith no bend at the
knees or hips.
FREEBody position is optional
but the legs shall be together and the toes pointed.
Tuck Body folded up into a
tight ball, hands holding the shins and toes pointed.
3 positionsA sequence of the
below (3) positions.
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DIVE ELEMENTS
BLIND ENTRYThe last time the diver
sees the water is at least half a somersault before entry and so lines up “blind”.
FLYINGDescribes dives consist-
ing of at least one complete somersault performed in the straight position for no less than 90°. The straight position must then be followed by either tuck or pike position.
BARANIOne somersault forward
rotation with a 1/2 twist. Used as an entry manoeuvre, it gives the diver the best view of the water.
TWISTA twist is any move-
ment during a dive that occurs when the diver ro-tates around an maginary vertical axis that runs from the head to the toes. Up to five revolutions can be per-formed in competition and can be added to dives in the forward, back, reverse, inward and handstand categories.
DIVE POSITIONS
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DIVE GROUPS
FRONT, Group 1the diver takes off facing
forwards and rotates forwards.
INWARD, Group 4the diver takes off with his
back to the water and rotates forwards.
BACK, Group 2the diver takes off with his
back to the water and rotates backwards.
REVERSE, Group 3the diver takes off facing
forwards and rotates back-wards.
ARMSTAND, Group 9the handstand can be exe-
cuted from either the forward or backward direction and can include twists as well.
EACH ONEof the groups 1-4 can also
incorporate an axial twisting movement and will therefore be considered among groups 5, 6, 7 and 8.
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PERMANENT DIVERS 20
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IN 2016 THE WORLD SERIES FEATURES TEN MALE ATHLETES OF SIX NATIONALITIES THROUGH-OUT THE NINE COMPETITIONS, AND UP TO FOUR WILDCARD DIVERS PER STOP.
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Andy JONESArtem SILCHENKOBlake ALDRIDGEDavid COLTURIGary HUNTJonathan PAREDESMichal NAVRATILOrlando DUQUESergio GUZMANSteven LOBUE
USA
GBR
GBR
CZE
MEX
RUS
MEX
USA
COL
USA
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ANDY
JON
ES
Representing United StatesDate of birth April 21, 1985Height/Weight 1.82m/81kgCity of residence Santa Monica, CaliforniaProfession Stunt Performer and Cirque du Soleil Performer
Secret passion Film productionStarted cliff diving in 2008Favourite cliff diving spot Lake Powell, Southern UtaFavourite dive Flying back somersaultIn the World Series since 2014Best result in a World Series competition3rd place
Achievements2015 3rd Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Azores (POR)2014 5th Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Texas (USA) and Yucatán (MEX)2011 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Boston (USA, wildcard)2007 University of Utah ‘Diver of the Year’
Final RankingsYear
92014
6´15
”Can you just keep your feet on the ground for a second?” Andy Jones’ father used to say when the Cirque du Soleil perform-er was still a little boy. The enthusiasm to jump from somewhere is still unbowed, only the living room couch has been exchanged for the 27m platform. The deadpan American combines his height and free-running passion to produce a unique diving style.
After getting his first taste of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in 2011 as a wildcard in Boston, USA, the 31-year-old con-tinuously worked on his performance and was nominated for a permanent place on the tour in 2014. After a successful requalifi-cation for 2015, the autodidact film producer got his first podium in the off-the-cliff competition on the Portuguese Azores.
JUMPING OFF 90 - 100 FOOT CLIFFS WEARING NOTHING BUT A SPEEDO ON A REGULAR BASIS IS PRETTY CRAZY. – WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE IN YOUR LIFE?
32 ARTE
M S
ILCH
ENKO
Representing RussiaDate of birth February 3, 1984Height/Weight 1.81m/80kgCity of residence VoronezhProfession Coach
Secret passion Chess, scuba divingStarted cliff diving in 2004Favourite cliff diving spot Yucatan, Viking Cave (THA)Favourite dive Flying front, InwardIn the World Series since 2009Best result in a World Series competition 1st place
AchievementsRecord holder for the highest scoring dive in a World Series event of 183.00 pointsWinner of ten Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series competitions between 2009 and 20142015 3rd FINA High Diving World Championship2013 Winner Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series
Artem Silchenko, the 2013 World Series champion, com-bines perfectly diving grace and strong willpower. The Russian’s credo is “I will do everything to win”. His signature dive – back armstand with two somersaults and two and a half twists – has a blind entry, a rarely-executed manoeuvre where the diver sees the water for the final time at least half a somersault before his entry and so lines up “blind”. The proud father of a boy is also the holder of the highest score ever for a single dive in a World Series event – 183.00 points and four 10s from the judges achieved in Copenhagen in 2013.
2015 was the epitome of a rollercoaster year which climaxed with a torn calf muscle during the penultimate stop. Knowing the Russian’s ambitions, he’ll come back stronger in his 8th World Series season.
Final RankingsYear
32009
2´11
1´13
3´10
4´12
2´14
9´15
MY BIGGEST COMPETITOR IS MYSELF. ALL OTHER ATHLETES ARE JUST GREAT DIVERS!! – WHO’LL BE YOUR MAIN COMPETITOR IN 2016?
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BLAK
E AL
DRID
GE
Representing Great BritainDate of birth August 4, 1982Height/Weight 1.70m/65kgCity of residence LondonProfession Olympic diver
Secret passion Improving at whatever I try. Golf, fishing, buildingStarted cliff diving in 2009Favourite cliff diving spot ThailandFavourite dive Reverse 2 s/s 5 twist In the World Series since 2012Best result in a World Series competition1st place
Achievements3 times world medallistFormer world champion2014 Winner Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Havana (CUB)2008Olympic finalist
Final RankingsYear
92012
8´14
8´13
4´15
The finalist at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Blake Aldridge will be competing in his sixth year after finishing on a personal best 4th overall rank in the previous season. In 2014, the competitive Londoner joined a select group of athletes after winning the first World Series stop in Cuba.
The 33-year-old, a former British diving world champion, who was also Tom Daley’s synchro partner at the Olympic Games in Beijing, did his first dive from 27 metres in June 2011 at the World Series competition in La Rochelle and has been wanting more ever since. The passionate fisherman has introduced two of the hardest dives in the sport: the back armstand dive, with four twists, with a degree of difficulty of 6.2, and the reverse 2 somer-sault with 5 twists, with a degree of difficulty of 6.3.
I’M STILL LEARNING NEW DIVES AND UNTIL I HAVE TWO DIVES THAT I CAN HIT FOR 9S ALL THE TIME, WINNING IS A LONG WAY AWAY. – WHY IS THIS GOING TO BE YOUR SEASON?
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DAVI
D CO
LTUR
I
Representing United StatesDate of birth April 30, 1989Height/Weight 1.73m/70kgCity of residence Los Angeles, CaliforniaProfession Cliff diver
Secret passion Learning new languages and instrumentsStarted cliff diving in 2011Favourite cliff diving spot Krabi (THA)Favourite dive Reverse double with four twistsIn the World Series since 2012Best result in a World Series competition 1st place
Achievements20152nd Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Cartagena (COL)2013 Winner Red Bull Cliff Diving in Malcesine (ITA)20093rd World University Games 10 meter synchronized and Team Award
Former US national 10m champion David Colturi became the youngest diver to appear in a full World Series in 2012 following successful qualification from Australia and went from strength to strength in his debut season to finish 5th overall.
The World Series’ sunny boy, set his ambition early in 2014, doing lead-ups for the famed triple quad - a dive with a degree of difficulty of 6.2 that only World Series champion Gary Hunt had been able to master until then. Inevitably, performing the com-plex dive in competition produced some up-and-down results, but David Colturi saved his best performance for last, securing fifth place overall. From 2nd to 10th was his range of results in the previous season and thus made him finish in – what a surprise – 5th overall for the fourth time in a row.
Final RankingsYear
52012
5´14
5´13
5´15
SUCCESS CAN BE A FLEETING MOMENT, BUT THE JOURNEY TO GET THERE SHOULD BE AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERI-ENCE. – YOUR GOAL FOR 2016?
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GARY
HUN
T
Representing Great BritainDate of birth June 11, 1984Height/Weight 1.75m/68kgCity of residence ParisProfession Cliff diver
Secret passion I secretly dream of becoming a clownStarted cliff diving in 2006Favourite cliff diving spot Yucatan, MexicoFavourite dive Back 1.5 piked from 10mIn the World Series since 2009Best result in a World Series competition1st place
Achievements5-time winner Red Bull Cliff Diving World SeriesWinner of 25 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series competitions between 2009 and 20152016 winner FINA High Diving World Cup2015 FINA High Diving World Champion
Final RankingsYear
92009
1´11
1´14
1´15
1´10
2´13
1´12
He’s the only athlete who’s competed in all 50 World Series stops between 2009 and 2015 and he’s won half of them – Gary Hunt, 5-time World Series champion. There has been virtually no stopping the 32-year-old ever since he finished runner-up in the first World Series in 2009. In 2015 his winning streak was only broken after five successive victories – the longest so far. No other diver in this series has more wins to his name than the multi-talented Brit – 25 to date.
Keen to push the boundaries, the ‘brilliant Brit’ settled old scores with the venue in Polignano a Mare, Italy in 2015 by suc-cessfully performing a running take-off – a technique that only he has ever attempted and is another link in the chain that connects Olympic diving with cliff diving. Along the way, he also bettered his own point record by 14.30 points to hit an all-time high score of 548.20 points.
I FEEL LIKE I’VE FOUND A GREAT RHYTHM IN MY TRAINING AND I’M MORE AND MORE AT EASE ON THE PLATFORM.– WHAT’S YOUR ‘MAGIC’ KEY TO SUCCESS?
36 JONA
THAN
PAR
EDES
Representing MexicoDate of birth August 14, 1989Height/Weight 1.65m/62kgCity of residence Mexico CityProfession Cliff diver
Secret passion American footballStarted cliff diving in 2011Favourite cliff diving spot Azores (Portugal) and Chichen-Itza (Mexico)Favourite dive Double front and one and a half twistIn the World Series since 2013Best result in a World Series competition 1st place
Achievements20162nd FINA High Diving World Cup2015 1st Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Mostar (BIH) 20152nd FINA High Diving World Championship2015 & 2013winner qualification com-petition Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series
“Be a better athlete, be a better person.” The 26-year-old’s motto is philosophical as much as it is ambitious. The athlete who broke Gary Hunt’s winning streak in 2015 by taking an early lead in the competition in Mostar and performing his comparably easy diving programme superbly, is definitely on the right track. Jona-than Paredes has shown a constant upward move in the rankings, disregarding his failed dive in last year’s opener: The winner of the 2015 qualification competition, who first shot to prominence during the Italian stop of the 2011 World Series when a few days before his 22nd birthday the Mexican wildcard landed a dive on his tailbone and then almost made it onto the podium, has fin-ished 3rd overall in his 3rd full season. The World Series’ rising star is hard on the heavyweights’ heels.
Final RankingsYear
6´14
42013
3´15
MY MAIN GOAL FOR 2016 IS TO TRY AND BE A BETTER ATH-LETE, A BETTER PERSON AND KEEP ON WORKING ON MY MIND. – YOUR GOAL FOR 2016?
37
MIC
HAL
NAVR
ATIL
Representing Czech RepublicDate of birth June 5, 1985Height/Weight 1.84m/85kgCity of residence PragueProfession High diver, stuntman
Secret passion Handstands, adrenaline sports.Started cliff diving in 2004Favourite cliff diving spot Natural cliffs Favourite dive ‘Superman’, running take-off divesIn the World Series since 2009Best result in a World Series competition2nd place
Achievements7-time Czech high diving champion2012 3rd Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Corsica (FRA)2011 2nd Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in La Rochelle (FRA)2011 Winner Marmeeting
Final RankingsYear
72009
3´11
7´14
7´15
9´10
6´13
6´12
Ever-present in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series since the first competition back in May 2009, Czech Michal Navratil has established himself as one of cliff diving’s most consistent athletes.
Famous for his extrovert character, “Supratil” – so called because of the Superman-style dives he performs following com-petitions – had the worst imaginable start into the 2015 season: only a few days before the first competition, he injured his shoul-der – diagnosis: torn biceps tendon from shoulder plate. Giving up is no option for the super fit athlete and so he competed until the end and showed some strong performances with three 4th-placed finishes at the business end of the year.
I COMPETED LAST YEAR WITH A TORN BICEPS TENDON FROM THE SHOULDER PLATE ALL SEASON AND STILL MADE IT TO THE TOP 10.– WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE IN YOUR LIFE?
38
ORLA
NDO
DUQU
E
Representing ColombiaDate of birth September 11, 1974Height/Weight 1.75m/72kgCity of residence Honolulu, HawaiiProfession Cliff diver
Secret passion It’s a secret! Started cliff diving in 1997Favourite cliff diving spot HawaiiFavourite dive Back twistsIn the World Series since 2009Best result in a World Series competition 1st place
AchievementsThirteen world titles Winner of eight Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series competitions2015 & 2014 winner FINA High Diving World Cup 2013 FINA High Diving World Champion2009 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion
He is a legend, and the iconic figure of the sport. He is cliff diving and cliff diving is his life. “The sport chose me. I went around doing other things; I didn’t like any of them. When I ended up diving, I was like ‘this is it!’”. With 13 world titles and two Guin-ness world records to his name, Colombian cliff diver Orlando Duque has proved his tremendous ability time and again from 27 metres, reaching the very pinnacle of his sport over the last 15 years.
In 2013, in Barcelona, he became the winner of the inaugural FINA High Diving World Championship and, despite turning 40 years of age in 2014, he continues to compete at the top of his discipline. A fact convincingly proven during the previous season, where the Hawaii-resident finished six out of eight competitions on the podium and became overall runner-up to Gary Hunt for the third time.
Final RankingsYear
GETTING INTO CLIFF DIVING AND BELIEVING THAT IT COULD BE WHAT IT IS TODAY. – WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE IN YOUR LIFE?
12009
8´11
3´13
2´10
2´12
4´14
2´15
39
SERG
IO G
UZM
AN
Representing MexicoDate of birth February 23, 1991Height/Weight 1.75m/70kgCity of residence Mexico CityProfession Diving coach
Secret passion DancingStarted cliff diving in 2011Favourite cliff diving spot Mostar (BIH)Favourite dive Back 4 somersaults tuckIn the World Series since 2015Best result in a World Series competition2ndt place
Achievements2015 2nd Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Mostar (BIH), first wildcard on the podium2015 8th qualification compe-tition Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Cali (COL)2014 qualified for the World Cup in Kazan, Russia
Final RankingsYear
102015
This young man has left a quite mark during his first year as a non-permanent diver in the World Series! Sergio Guzman became the first ever wildcard athlete to finish on the podium – 2nd place for the Mexican in Mostar in only his fourth showing and, to top it off, he had the honour of the season’s final dive during 2015’s showdown in Bilbao in front of the Guggenheim Museum and some 60,000 spectators. As of this season, the passionate and talented dancer is the latest addition to the World Series’ perma-nent divers line-up.
With a full season ahead of him, the youngest athlete on tour knows that fame won’t come without pain. “Perseverance and hard work is the key to success; and I feel more confident and experienced to meet this new challenge,” the 25-year-old says.
IT LET’S ME DEVELOP ATHLETICAL-LY AND PERSONALLY. IT OPENS MANY DOORS. – WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU TO TAKE PART IN THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES?
40
STEV
EN L
OBUE
Representing United StatesDate of birth June 17, 1985Height/Weight 1.61m/62kgCity of residence Ft. Lauderdale, FloridaProfession Diving Coach
Secret passion Watching cartoonsStarted cliff diving in 2011Favourite cliff diving spot ThailandFavourite dive Quint halfIn the World Series since 2011Best result in a World Series competition1st place
AchievementsWinner of 3 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series competitions2012 3rd qualification compe-tition Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Cattai (AUS)2011 7th qualification compe-tition Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Cattai (AUS)2004 Olympic Trials finalist
Have you ever imagined what the wickedest year in your career would look like? Fails, pains and disappointments for most of the time and then, when you’ve almost capped off the year, you suddenly come back and shine. That’s how Steven LoBue would probably summarize his 2015. The season started with a not-completely cured hip injury and climaxed with the infamous platform hit in La Rochelle, France where the Fort Lauderdale based athlete came out with only a scratch on his forehead – a minor miracle. The rollercoaster rider continued until the very end. In Bilbao, Spain, when he’d just learned that he’d become a father in the spring – “the craziest thing I’ve ever done!” – and when he thought the season was over, Steven LoBue flipped and twisted to victory…
Final RankingsYear
AS ALWAYS, I WILL BE BAT-TLING AND COMPETING WITH MYSELF. – WHO’LL BE YOUR MAIN COMPETITOR IN 2016?
102011
7´13
3´12
3´14
8´15
41
WIL
DCAR
DS
These athletes will get a chance to prove their talent, improve their diving and certainly spice up this year’s competitions. We proudly present the wild-card divers for the 2016 season.
Anatoliy Shabotenko, UKR MAY 10, 1989
Alain Kohl, LUX AUGUST 25, 1982
Andrei Mikau, BLR JANUARY 2, 1990
Cyrille Oumedjkane, FRA APRIL 5, 1976
Alessandro De Rose, ITA JULY 2, 1992
Igor Semashko, RUS JUNE 27, 1976
Jorge Ferzuli, MEXMARCH 11, 1981
42
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PR
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RE
SSO
OR
DE
M E
PR
OG
RE
SSO
Jucelino Junior, BRA AUGUST 17, 1983
Mat Cowen, GBR JUNE 19, 1988
Kris Kolanus, POL OCTOBER 22, 1986
Miguel Garcia, COL MARCH 20, 1991
Jose Wilker, BRA MARCH 15, 1989
Kyle Mitrione, USA MARCH 17, 1988
Sasha Kutsenko, UKR FEBRUARY 17, 1983
Viktar Maslouski, BLR DECEMBER 28, 1992
Todor Spasov, BUL JUNE 26, 1978
43
SIX PERMANENT ATHLETES OF FOUR NATIONALITIES AND UP TO TWO WILDCARD DIVERS HAVE 20M TO DISPLAY THEIR DIVING GRACE AND SHOW ACROBATIC COMPLEXITY.
PERMANENT DIVERS 20
16
–W
OM
EN
44
Adriana JIMENEZCesilie CARLTONGinger HUBERHelena MERTENLysanne RICHARDRachelle SIMPSON
MEX
CAN
USA
USA
USA
AUS
45
ADY JIMENEZ. – WHO’LL BE YOUR MAIN COMPETITOR IN 2016?
ADRI
ANA
JIM
ENEZ
Representing MexicoDate of birth January 20, 1985Height/Weight 1.58m/50kgCity of residence Mexico CityProfession Professional athlete
Secret passion CheerleadingStarted cliff diving in 2013Favourite cliff diving spot Yucatan, MexicoFavourite dive Triple reverseIn the World Series since 2015Best result in a World Series competition2nd place
Achievements2015 2nd Red Bull Cliff Diving Women’s World Series in São Miguel, Azores (POR)2014 2nd Red Bull Cliff Diving Women’s World Series in Yucatán (MEX, wildcard)2004 19th 10m Platform World Cup and Pre-Olympics in Athens (GRE), securing a place for Mexico in the Olympic Games
Final RankingsYear
32014
6´15
2015 was a roller-coaster season for the 31-year old from Mexico City. Sitting in second place after the first two rounds in the women’s opening event in Texas, Adriana Jimenez was knocked out of the competition by a gastro-intestinal disease the following day and had to withdraw from the competition. In Por-tugal, the tender athlete came back strong to finish second, only 1.5 points behind the winner. However, during the final stop in the south of Italy, the taco-lover could not quite repeat her faultless diving display and found herself at the bottom of the table.
After recovering from a back injury, the former Olympic diver has learned two new dives during the off-season – the triple back and the quad half – and will challenge not only her opponents but also herself, as she states that ‘staying healthy all season’ is one of her main goals for 2016.
46ISN’T EVERYONE ALWAYS TRYING TO BEAT THE REIGNING CHAMP? ROCCO. SHE’S ALWAYS SO CON-SISTENT. – WHO’LL BE YOUR MAIN COMPETITOR IN 2016?
CESI
LIE
CARL
TON
Representing United StatesDate of birth March 27, 1981Height/Weight 1.65m/54kgCity of residence San Antonio, TXProfession Personal Trainer/performer
Secret passion I don’t think that I have a secret passion. I can never keep a secret, so there would be no way for me to have a “secret” passion.Started cliff diving in 2009Favourite cliff diving spot Texas because of the home crowd. Portugal directly off the cliffs.Favourite dive The interrupted back triple.In the World Series since 2014Best result in a World Series competition 1st place
Achievements2015 1st Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in S.Miguel, Azores (POR) as a wildcard2013 FINA High Diving World ChampionNjcaa spring board champion 1 and 3 meter
San Antonio’s Cesilie Carlton was tied in first place over-all with fellow American Rachelle Simpson until the very last competition in Italy last season, but fell away following a below average performance in the final round. However, becoming the first wildcard to win a competition – the off-the-cliff meet on the Portuguese Azores – secured the 35-year-old qualification for the 2016 World Series. After winning the inaugural world champion-ship title for high divers in 2013 – following FINA’s inclusion of high diving as a professional sport in 2012 – the physically super fit athlete was part of the premiere World Series in 2014, but was forced into wildcard status in the women’s second season.
Final RankingsYear
62014
3´15
47
I BELIEVE IT WILL GIVE EVERYONE A BETTER CHANCE TO IMPROVE AND TO HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESS. – WHAT’S THE POTENTIAL OF 7 STOPS FOR THE WOMEN IN 2016?
GING
ER H
UBER
Representing United StatesDate of birth December 6, 1974Height/Weight 1.70m/58kgCity of residence Orlando, FloridaProfession Acrobat
Secret passion Craft beerStarted cliff diving in 1997Favourite cliff diving spot Azores, PORFavourite dive Fly frontIn the World Series since 2014Best result in a World Series competition2nd place
Achievements2016 3rd FINA High Diving World Cup2015 2nd Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Polignano a Mare (ITA)2014 3rd Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Kragerø (NOR) and Yucatán (MEX)2013 diver on “Splash”
Final RankingsYear
42004
2´15
Ginger Huber has spent her life in diving and has never stopped promoting the sport – from coaching, training, judging, to competing, she’s always wanted to do whatever was possible. The ‘ESPN body issue’ model has a ton of experience in the sport of cliff diving and is the first point for advice for the younger athletes. A laid-back character, she skilfully transforms her energy into her high diving.
The acrobat, who’s only recently moved from the west coast to Orlando, Florida, finished second in the first-ever women’s competition in Italy in 2013, with the highest scored dive, and has the runner-up spot as a personal best in both the FINA High Diving World Championships in 2013 and the 2015 Red Bull Cliff Diving Women’s World Series.
48I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SHOW CLEAN, CONSISTENT DIVES IN THE COMPETITIONS AND GET USED TO ADAPTING TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. – YOUR GOAL FOR THE 2016 SEASON?
HELE
NA M
ERTE
N
Representing AustraliaDate of birth March 17, 1995Height/Weight 1.65m/54kgCity of residence Gold CoastProfession Performer/Acrobat
Secret passion Cliff diving - it’s something I only recently started.Started cliff diving in 2013Favourite cliff diving spot I’ve mostly been diving into an indoor pool. So I’m yet to discover my favourite place – I can’t wait to explore all of the locations!Favourite dive Armstand divesIn the World Series since 2016Best result in a World Series competition 6th place
AchievementsYoungest ever permanent athlete in the World Series 2016 2nd FINA High Diving World CupCompeted placed and won at a nation-al level in acrobatic gym-nastics, artistic gymnastics, diving and tumbling
Following the legendary Steve Black, who competed until 2010, Helena Merten is the second Australian to join the World Series as a permanent athlete. With one last World Series spot up for grabs during the FINA High Diving World Cup at the end of February, the acrobat from the Gold Coast finished runner-up to winner Lysanne Richard and set her mark. The 21-year-old not only outperformed the more experienced divers, but also becomes the youngest ever athlete in the divers line-up.
A 6th place during her only wildcard appearance in Texas in 2015, let her talent peek through, and Helena Merten will defi-nitely spice up the 2016 women’s World Series: “It is incredibly encouraging to join the World Series, I hope it will influence me to be more confident as an athlete and I’m sure it will motivate me to become a much better diver.”
Final RankingsYear
49
I’VE TRAINED A LOT, I IM-PROVED, I AM CONFIDENT. I AM LIVING THE LIFE I WANT TO. – WHY IS THIS GOING TO BE YOUR SEASON?
LYSA
NNE
RICH
ARD
Representing CanadaDate of birth August 30, 1981Height/Weight 1.62m/56kgCity of residence MontrealProfession Circus artist, physical condi-tioning teacher, mom
Secret passion Cooking the best healthy banana bread on earth with my 7 year old sonStarted cliff diving in 2010Favourite cliff diving spot Azores, PORFavourite dive Back 3 somersaults with 1 twist pikeIn the World Series since 2015Best result in a World Series competition2nd place
Achievements2016 winner FINA High Diving World Cup2015 2nd Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Texas (USA, wildcard)2014 Graduate from National Circus School of MontrealCharacter and acrobatwith Cirque du Soleil, since 2005 till today
Final RankingsYear
52015
9´14
She kicked-off the 2015 season with a big bang – 2nd place in the opening event in Texas. Coming almost out of nowhere, the 34 year-old Canadian took the challenges of propelling herself from 20m in acrobatic grace with a smile and qualified for the 2016 Women’s World Series with an overall 5th. As a graduate from the National Circus School of Montreal, Lysanne Richard is more than capable of juggling her job as a character and acrobat at Cirque du Soleil, being a successful cliff diver and three-time-mom - the craziest thing she’s ever ‘done’. The 162cm small powerhouse starts her first full season as the winner of the 2016 FINA high diving world cup.
50I THINK IT WILL HELP PEOPLE SEE THAT WOMEN ARE THE REAL DEAL AND NOT JUST AN EXHIBITION. – 2016 BRINGS 7 STOPS FOR THE WOMEN. HOW WILL THIS INFLUENCE THE WORLD SERIES?
RACH
ELLE
SIM
PSON
Representing United StatesDate of birth January 8, 1988Height/Weight 1.66m/60kgCity of residence San Antonio, TexasProfession Acrobatic performer and gymnastics coach
Secret passion I really love to cook!Started cliff diving in 2012Favourite cliff diving spot Kragerø, NorwayFavourite dive Triple half pike In the World Series since 2014Best result in a World Series competition 1st place
Achievements2015 & 2014 winner Red Bull Cliff Diving Women’s World Series2015 FINA High Diving World Champion2014winner of all competitions in the Women’s World SeriesCompetitive gymnast and competitive springboard and platform diver
The 28-year-old American was a gymnast before she started high diving and was undoubtedly the star performer in the first-ever Women’s World Series in 2014. Successfully defending her title in 2015, ‘Rocco’ will be the one to catch for an ever-im-proving group of athletes, and the Texan has set her 2016 goals: “I want to come out strong and to increase my scores by .5 or 1.0 on each of my dives. Last year I was consistently scoring 8.0’s-8.5’s, this year I would like to bump that to 8.5’s-9.0’s.” The 2015 FINA high diving world champion embraces the increase in amount of women’s competitions from three in the previous years to seven.
Final RankingsYear
12014
1´15
51
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WIL
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RDS
Two wildcard divers will add extra zest to the women’s competitions at each of the seven stops in season number three of the Women’s World Series.
Rhiannan Iffland, AUS SEPTEMBER 09, 1991
Tara Hyer-Tira, USA SEPTEMBER 9, 1985
Yana Nestsiarava, BLR JUNE 14, 1992
Jacqueline Valente, BRA SEPTEMBER 18, 1985
52
HOW TO WATCH
WATCH ALL STOPS OF THE 2016 RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES LIVE ON REDBULLCLIFFDIVING.COM AND RED BULL TV!
PLEASE, CHECK REDBULLCLIFFDIVING.COM FOR YOUR LOCAL TIMES.
Red Bull TV is available on the web, connected TVs, gaming consoles, mobile devices, and more. For a full list of devices that support Red Bull TV visit about.redbull.tv
53
ICONIC PLACES AR
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TEXASCOPENHAGENSÃO MIGUEL, AZORESLA ROCHELLEPOLIGNANO A MAREPEMBROKESHIRE, WALESMOSTARSHIRAHAMADUBAI
USA
ITAPO
RBIH
UAE
DEN
GBR
FRA
JPN
55
FROM NATURAL WONDERS AND VISUAL FEASTS TO HISTORIC SITES AND MODERN DAY METROPOLISES – IN ITS EIGHTH SEASON, THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES WILL BRIDGE PURE VENUES AND URBAN SURROUND-INGS AS MUCH AS IT WILL PUSH BOUND-ARIES. NEW AS WELL AS PROVEN GROUND IN NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST ARE ON THE AGENDA TO CROWN TWO NEW CHAMPIONS DURING NINE TOUGH AND TESTING COMPETITIONS, INCLUDING SEVEN STOPS FOR FEMALE ATHLETES.
Impressive view from the Blue Lagoon, Wales.
56 ˇ1
TEXAS
Possum Kingdom Lake – USAThe 2016 World Series Season kicks off from Hell’s Gate at
Possum Kingdom Lake in the USA state where everything is bigger, Texas! Two towering cliffs, rising dramatically out of the region’s first water supply reservoir, provide the platform for the season’s premiere stop, where 14 men and 8 women will vie for victory. Rachelle Simpson, who hails from nearby San Antonio, and her male counterpart, Gary Hunt from England, have not only dominated the 2015 season but are the back-to-back winners of the two previous competitions at Hell’s Gate.
Nestled deep in the valley of the Palo Pinto Mountains lies Possum Kingdom Lake. This massive reservoir, created by damming the Brazos River, is unlike any other lake in Texas. With its crystal clear and incredibly deep waters and its sheer cliffs, “PK” Lake is a vacation paradise. At its midpoint lies the iconic Hell’s Gate, a rock formation adjacent to Devil’s Island, which is full of as much beauty as it is folklore. Only the divers can add more breath-taking moments to this natural wonder with their complex manoeuvres from almost three times the Olympic diving platform height.
Location Two towering cliffs in a water supply reservoir on the Brazos RiverCoordinates 32.8667° N, 98.4333° WPlatform/Rockheights 28m | 20mWater depth 5.5m to 7mWater temp. in July 24°CAir temp. in July 33°C Water Possum Kingdom Lake, freshwater
Date June 4, 2016 Live on redbullcliffdiving.com & Red Bull TVAiring 2.20pm local time, 7.20pm GMT
THE LAKE SPREADS OVER AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 6,900HA WITH 500KM OF SHORELINE. IT HOLDS 930,000,000M3 OF WATER.
57ˇ2
COPENHAGEN
Opera House – DenmarkFrom hot and dry Texas, stop 2 takes the cliff diving elite to the
most northerly point in the whole season. The Danish capital city provides the athletes with a panoramic view of the royal palace, Amalienborg, and the adjacent domed Marble Church when mounting the 27-metre platform on the cantilever roof of the Opera House.
Located in the heart of the Danish capital city just opposite the shore of the harbour, the Opera House is built in alignment with Amalienborg and the marble church, so that if one stands in the main entrance of the opera, one can see the marble church over the water through Amalienborg. Donated to the Danish state by A.P. Møller, the co-founder of Mærsk, the world’s largest container ship and supply vessel operator, and Chastine McKin-ney Møller’s foundation, construction began in June 2001. A lot of time and passion was dedicated to the acoustics and interiors, making the house one of the best equipped in the world; com-pleted on October 1, 2004, it was opened on January 15, 2005.
Still unbeaten and not forgotten - Artem Silchenko’s almost perfect dive in 2013, receiving four 10s from the judges - the highest score for a single dive of 183.00 points.
Location Copenhagen Opera HouseCoordinates 55°40”55’N, 12°36”02’EPlatform heights 27mWater depth 5.5m to 7mWater temp. in September 18°CAir temp. in September 19°CWater Øresund, seawater
Date June 18, 2016Live on redbullcliffdiving.com & Red Bull TVAiring 2.20pm local time, 12.20pm GMT
WITH CONSTRUCTION COSTS OVER 500 MILLION US DOLLARS, THE BUILD-ING IS ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE OPERA HOUSES EVER BUILT.
58 ˇ3
SÃO MIGUEL
São Miguel | Islet of Vila Franca do Campo – PortugalIt won’t get anymore pure – cliff diving directly off the cliff face!The phenomenal monoliths of Portugal’s Azores islands will
see the athletes propelling themselves into water from great heights in July. This unique volcanic archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean serves as the take-off point for awe-inducing cliff dives for the fifth consecutive time for the men and, after last year’s huge success, a female competition will again be held on Vila Franca do Campo islet offshore from São Miguel.
Back to the roots is the motto – volcanic stone in the shape of a ‘snakehead’ and the outside crater walls of the almost perfectly round islet are the ideal spots for the athletes to explore this pure sport, spreading their wings diving straight from the cliffs like the pioneers did in Hawaii almost 250 years ago. Only for the more difficult optional dives will the athletes use the platform con-struction placed above the ocean.
Islet of Vila Franca do Campo, named after the village just in front in the mainland, is almost circular in shape but broken by a sea entrance through one section of its perimeter and came about following the collapse of an old volcano. After being used for many purposes over the centuries – from a military fort area to a vineyard – this islet was classified as a nature reserve in 1983. Of volcanic origin, the Azores are undoubtedly one of the last paradises in Europe – appearing often in legends of the lost continent of Atlantis – and have brought about the closest victory since the kick-off of the World Series in 2009: 0.1 points.
Location Volcanic nature reserve off the coastCoordinates 37° 41’ N, 25° 26’ WPlatform/Rockheights 28m | 20mWater depth over 8mWater temp. in July 22°CAir temp. in July 25°C Water Atlantic Ocean, seawater
Date July 9, 2016Live on redbullcliffdiving.com & Red Bull TVAiring 11.20am local time, 11.20am GMT
LOCALS CALL THE ISLET “PRINCESS RING”.
59ˇ4
LA ROCHELLE
Saint Nicolas Tower – FranceA return to the World Series’ all-time favourite location – La
Rochelle, France. The town with the apt name of ‘little cliff’ will be the lynchpin for the world’s cliff diving elite for the sixth time in the eight years of the series. The daunting venue in the Bay of Biscay topped its own record of the biggest World Series’ crowd of 75,000 spectators along the quay walls in 2015. It’s a one-of-a-kind atmosphere when so many people are hushed for the three-second dive and then cheer the resurfacing athlete.
This ‘World Series classic’, the launch point for the first-ever stop in 2009, means more superlatives than simply the biggest number of spectators, as the former defence tower of Saint Nico-las is also the most intimidating spot in the entire competition. For the athletes it is 120 steps from the catacombs of the 42m high landmark and former jail with its pentagonal layout to the platform, looming 27metres above the chilly waters.
Looking back on a long tradition of fishing and trading, the seaport of La Rochelle was once the largest on the French Atlantic coast. Nowadays, the city and its 80,000 inhabitants still maintain strong links with the sea by harbouring the largest marina for pleasure boats in Europe.
Location Historic defence buildingCoordinates 46°09’20’’N, 01°09’55’’W Platform heights 27mWater depth 5m to 6mWater temp. in September 18°CAir temp. in September 25°CWater Bay of Biscay, Atlantic Ocean, seawater
Date July 23, 2016Live on redbullcliffdiving.com & Red Bull TVAiring 06:50pm local time, 04:50pm GMT
THE COMPETITION HAS A TIGHT TIMEFRAME OF ONLY TWO-HOURS DUE TO THE TIDES.
60 ˇ5
POLIGNANO A MARE
Bastione di Santo Stefano – ItalyBack in the European home of cliff diving going into the
second half of the season! The year’s fifth stop is held in the very south of Italy, in Polignano a Mare, where cliffs are the foundation of everyday life, with the town itself perched on the precipice. An enormous crowd can be expected, as this place not only means mozzarella, delicious raw fish and ice cream, but people of all ages fascinated by jumping into the water.
Hosting the World Series for the fourth time after 2009, 2010 and 2015, this location probably provides the most unusual venue: the take-off spot is a private roof-top terrace and the male and female athletes have to enter the platforms 27m and 21m above the Adriatic Sea via a private living room. The house is built over the most famous cliff of the coast and looks integrated into the cliff itself. Within the international high diving scene this spot is renowned for its uniqueness.
Location Bastione di Santo StefanoCoordinates 41°00’N, 17°03’EPlatform/Rockheights 27m | 21mWater depth over 5mWater temp. in July 23°CAir temp. in July 28°C Water Adriatic Sea, sea water
Date August 28, 2016Live on redbullcliffdiving.com & Red Bull TVAiring 03:50pm local time, 01:50pm GMT
THE PLATFORM IS MOUNTED ON A PRIVATE TERRACE.
61ˇ6
PEMBROKESHIRE
Abereiddi, South West Wales – Great BritianFor stop number 6, the World Series returns to the UK and to
the picturesque location of the Blue Lagoon in Pembrokeshire, south west Wales. The circular-shaped former slate quarry, now cared for by the National Trust, with its high cliffs provides a Colosseum-like setting, backed by pastoral farmland. With two British athletes in the 14 men- and 8 female-strong divers line-up, among them five-time overall winner Gary Hunt, and former Olympian Blake Aldridge, the serenity of this usually quiet corner of the country will get shattered during their acrobatic 3-second flights into the fresh Celtic Sea.
The competition takes place at Abereiddi near St David’s, which is among the smallest cities in Europe with a population of only 1,800 and is built around the ancient cathedral of St David’s.
Wales is steeped in history and also has its own language, which is spoken by almost a quarter of the population. Pem-brokeshire is a spectacular maritime county measuring only 20 miles from north to south, yet has 186 miles of breath-taking coastline. It has a diverse landscape of unspoilt pocket beach-es, lakes, woodland and quaint villages, which have been the backdrop to films including the blockbuster, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Location An old slate quarry filled with waterCoordinates 51° 56’ 7” N, 5° 12’ 36” WPlatform heights 27.5m | 20mWater depth 25m at its deepest pointWater temp. in September 15°CAir temp. in September 18°CWater Celtic Sea, Seawater
Date September 11, 2016Live on redbullcliffdiving.com & Red Bull TVAiring 02:50pm local time, 01:50 GMT
ABEREIDDI’S BLUE LAGOON IS CARED FOR BY THE NATIONAL TRUST.
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MOSTAR
Stari Most – Bosnia & HerzegovinaCliff diving in a place where diving from great heights has been
a tradition for four-and-a-half centuries and surrounded by a fanatical crowd of spectators. A hand selected group of 14 of the world’s most elite cliff divers were part of the first ever World Series competition from the ‘Stari Most’, or old bridge of Mostar, and the country’s most recognizable landmark last season. Following this great success, the female cliff diving elite will perform their graceful 20m dives from the humpback bridge for the first time this September.
Built in the 16th century, the iconic Stari Most gracefully arches over the emerald water of Neretva River, connecting two parts of the old town in Mostar. On both sides surrounded by fortified towers, it fits seamlessly into the landscape, creating an impressive sight. This single span stone bridge seems to look divergent when viewed from different perspectives and is, together with the sur-rounding part of the Old City of Mostar, on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Equally iconic as the bridge, is the image of a diver soaring through the air from the bridge towards the fast flowing and cold water of Neretva River.
Location Old bridge in MostarCoordinates 43°20’13”N, 17°48’54”EPlatform/Rockheights 27m | 20mWater depth 5m to 5.5mWater temp. in Sept. 13°CAir temp. in Sept. 27°C Water River Neretva, freshwater
Date September 24, 2016Live on redbullcliffdiving.com & Red Bull TVAiring 02:20pm local time, 12:20pm GMT
THE BRIDGE WAS DESTROYED DURING THE WAR IN BOSNIA (1992-1995) AND LATER REBUILT WITH MANY OF THE ORIGINAL STONES.
63ˇ8
SHIRAHAMA
Sandanbeki– japanOctober takes the cliff diving elite to new grounds in the south
east of Japan. Rising to a height of 50 metres along a 2-kilometre stretch to the Pacific Ocean, Sandanbeki is a cliff towering along the coast of Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture, and will provide an all-natural setting for the penultimate stop of the 2016 season. Where one of nature’s spectacular marvels can be watched – the ocean’s ‘black current’ unleashing wave after wave and sending them crashing up against the cliff – male and female diving grace will add to the beauty of the setting.
Just as spectacular as the view of the ocean from the cliff, is the underground limestone cave, which is said to have been a hideaway for the ships of the “Kumano-Suigun” navy/pirates, who ruled the Seto Inland Sea and participated in the conflicts between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late Heian Era. One can feel the historical background and the mystery of nature at this site, which was authorized as Japanese Geopark in August 28th 2014. The cave is almost like a maze – a lot of odd shaped rocks that were formed by waves and water over the long years. Stripes on the rock tell about the power of nature. Turbulent waves hit walls of the cave. Looking at the ocean from the cave, the landscape is utterly different than that from the cliff.
Location Natural cliff in the Yoshino Kumano National ParkCoordinates 33°39’57”N, 135°20’8”E Platform heights 28m | 21mWater depth 6-8mWater temp. in September 22°CAir temp. in September 24°CWater Pacific Ocean,seawater
Date October 16, 2016Live on redbullcliffdiving.com & Red Bull TVAiring 03:20pm local time, 06:20am GMT
A 24 SECONDS ELEVATOR RIDE TAKES VISITORS 36M BELOW GROUND TO THE PIRATE’S HIDING SPOT.
64 ˇ9
DUBAI
Dubai Marina, Pier 7 – United Arab Emirates2016’s champions will be crowned during the World Series’ first
ever event in the UAE. Spotlighting the cream of the crop in cliff diving, the Dubai Marina will provide for the very first time in 8 years of the series the spectacular setting for the final showdown. A city, iconic for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, including the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, holds all the require-ments to host the elite group of men and women famous for diving aesthetically from dizzying heights.
The diving location, Pier 7, usually ups the ante for the city’s fine dining scene. The signature building with seven different restaurants on each of its floors, is a culinary destination that celebrates diversity in the art of fine dining. During this October’s last weekend, the circular-designed structure will not only provide stunning perspectives of the city skyline and the Arabian Gulf via wraparound views from each of its seven floors, it will serve as the season’s ultimate take-off spot for cliff diving’s best.
Location Signature building in the Dubai MarinaCoordinates 25°4”52.86’N, 55°8”38.67’EPlatform/Rockheights 27m | 20mWater depth 5mWater temp. in July 31°CAir temp. in July 35°C Water Arabian Golf, seawater
Date October 28, 2016Live on redbullcliffdiving.com & Red Bull TVAiring 07:20pm local time, 03:20pm GMT
DUBAI MARINA WAS CARVED INTO THE DESERT LANDSCAPE. THE CENTRAL WATER-WAY WAS EXCAVATED FROM NOTHING BUT A 3KM LONG DESERT.
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FACTS, STATS & ME
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50S T O P S
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DI V I N G W O R L D
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FR
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2
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9–
15
20091 athlete
with a degree of difficulty higher than 6.0
20155 athletes
Most difficult dive Blake Aldridge – 6.3 (reverse 2 somersaults, 5 twists free)
UKRAINE 6 athletes
USA 5 athletes
Colombia 4 athletes
Mexico 4 athletes
133 261 809 MI= 5.35 times
around the world
GARY HUNT 5 World Series titles, 25 victories
Artem Silchenko 1 World Series title, 10 victories
Orlando Duque 1 World Series title, 8 victories
Most podium finishes Gary Hunt – 44 Orlando Duque – 33 Artem Silchenko – 26
Artem Silchenko Highest-scoring individual dive 183.00 points
Gary Hunt Highest-scoring competition result 548.20 pts
STRONGESTNATIONS
THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY
THE MOSTSUCCESSFUL
THE FIRST 50 STOPS28 LOCAT IONS 23 COUNTRIES 4 CONTINENTS
MILESTRAVELLED
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50S T O P S
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S
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9–
1
5
3Champions
Orlando Duque Gary Hunt Artem Silchenko
8Winners of individual stops
Andrey Ignatenko, Orlando Duque, Gary Hunt, Artem Silchenko, Steven LoBue, David Colturi, Blake Aldridge, Jonathan Paredes
4 DIVERSfrom the original line-up in 2009are still participating:
Artem Silchenko, Gary Hunt, Michal Navratil and Orlando Duque
Youngest permanent World Series diver: David Colturi – 23 years old in his first World Series competition (2012)
Oldest World Series diver and competitor: Andrey Ignatenko – 46 years old in his last competition (2010)
1 athlete has competedin all 50 stops:
Gary Hunt
MORE THAN 1 MILLION Spectators overall
Most spectators at an event: 75,000 in La Rochelle, France, 2015
Venue with the most stops in seven years: 5 times - La Rochelle, France
Remotest venues: Hawaii, USA, 2010 / Rapa Nui, Chile, 2011
WINNERS
44 ATHLETES20 NATIONALITIES
VENUES &SPECTATORS
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Speedos & swimsuit – No matter what, when cliff divers travel, they always carry their ‘speedos’ – diving lingo for swimming trunks – and swimsuits in their hand-luggage. In cliff diving, this is the only real piece of equipment and some of the divers wear more than one when diving from great heights. You might be tempted to say that they wear as many as possi-ble because they’ve got so many but that’s only one half of the truth. The other half is that the impact on the water is so strong, that putting some extra layers between your skin and the water takes away a bit of the impact. Also, it has been known for speedos to rip upon water en-try, so wearing an extra pair can help maintain a diver’s dignity!
Shammy – The chamois or ‘shammy’ is a small towel that serves more than one purpose.
First, it keeps the diver’s body dry before a dive. This is important because the hands and legs need to be dry so as not to slip out of posi-tion in the air. At the same time, the athletes try to keep their hands wet – in the same way that some people lick their fingertips before turning the page of a book. In case of low temperatures, the divers also use the chamois to dry their bodies and stay warm. It’s also dry again as soon as you wring it out!
Flip-flops – Never ask cliff divers why there are so many different kinds of shoes – they won’t have an answer. Because all they need, wear and use are flip-flops: to climb slippery rocks or ladders, walk the platform, travel and even go out. Flip-flops, paired with the shammy, are the two things that make it to the water even before the diver; knotted together, they are thrown down the cliff – sometimes right on top of a scuba diver – and are immediately picked up by the athletes as soon as they surface. Never separate those besties for too long!
THE CLIFF DIVING ‘ESSENTIALS’
IT’D BE AN EXAGGERATION TO CALL THIS HEADING ‘ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT’, AS WE’VE ALL LEARNED THAT CLIFF DIVERS DON’T NEED MUCH MORE THAN A SUPER-FIT BODY AND A STRONG MIND, A HIGH CLIFF AND A STRETCH OF WATER BENEATH TO ENJOY THEIR PURE SPORT. AND, OF COURSE, COURAGE! BUT THAT’S ABOUT IT AND EVERYTHING MENTIONED HERE IS PROBABLY A MERE MEANS TO AN END, A FOND HABIT OR SOMETHING THAT PROVIDES EASE AND COMFORT.
FIND HERE THE LIST OF THINGS A CLIFF DIVER NEVER LEAVES THE HOUSE WITHOUT:
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Action cam – An important tool to com-municate with the world: take an action cam, put it on a stick, lean over the edge of the platform and upload the shot onto your social media channels. But not only the athletes use these super-flexible and tiny cameras to take spectacular images, they are also used by the professional moving and still images crew of the World Series, who provide people at home with some of the most fascinating one-of-a-kind close-up shots.
Measuring tape – In outdoor sports we’re always confronted with Mother Nature and her moods. The platform is usually mounted 20m (for the women) and 27m (for the men) above the water, but only the measuring tape erases all doubts regarding the actual height. So sports director Niki Stajkovic checks the distance between platform and water each time before training and competition.
Sunglasses – One could say, it’s a typical gadget for people living the desirable life of a ‘sunny boy or girl’. However, in the real life of a cliff diver, sunglasses are a necessity to give their eyes a break from the bright sunshine, allowing them to see the actual dive of their competitor in the bright sunlight, hide your emotions or simply make them look even cooler!
Towel – Believe it or not, cliff divers do freeze, and not just when diving into the chilly waters of Norway, Ireland or France. Exposing your body to extreme conditions like fear, pres-sure and top diving performance in combination with muscle flexibility and continuing mental concentration, can wash away your energy. A warm towel right after getting out of the water is simply the easiest way to warm up and relax a bit.
Lifeproof®Waterproof and Drop Proof, LifeProof pro-
tects the diver’s smartphones so they can live without limits and focus on their training, diving fearlessly to unleash their remarkable. Available for Apple and Samsung devices.
Exercise mat – Your square metre of com-fort to warm up and get your muscles and joints ready for three seconds of acrobatic freefall and hitting the water at speeds of close to 90kph.
Juggling balls – Gary Hunt introduced jug-gling to the World Series. It’s his way of mental relaxation as it completely takes your mind off of everything cliff diving-related. The perfect distraction before a cliff dive.
Headphones – A cliff diver’s best friend in the last phase of preparation. From hip-hop to hard rock to the latest hits – a cliff diver’s play-list is multifarious and long. If they want to tune out, they tune in!
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Every Stop of the 2016 World Series will be live on Red Bull TV – check redbullcliffdiving.com for exact timings.
MED
IA IN
FO
CLIFF DIVING IS FASCINATING, IMPRESSIVE AND EXCLUSIVE. THIS PURE EXTREME SPORT CONTINUES TO SPREAD ITS UNIQUE SPIRIT AROUND THE GLOBE.
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Tiragem: 4620
País: Portugal
Period.: Diária
Âmbito: Regional
Pág: 2
Cores: Cor
Área: 23,00 x 26,89 cm²
Corte: 1 de 3ID: 60147975 14-07-2015
BILBAO. El espectáculo tiene una cita con Bilbao el próximo 26 de sep-tiembre. Ese día el Puente de La Sal-ve se volverá a transformar en un gran trampolín a la ría desde el que los mejores clavadistas del mundo dejarán boquiabiertos a los vizcaí-nos. Un show sin igual desde una altura de 28 metros, uno más que el pasado año pasado, que hace doce meses congregó a más de 50.000 personas con el museo Guggenhe-im de fondo. La villa será de nuevo la única prueba que se celebre en España de las Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, que cerrará en aguas del Nervión el circuito de esta tem-porada.
Gary Hunt, ganador ya en cua-tro ediciones, tiene este 2015 el tí-tulo de nuevo en su poder, después de ganar cinco de las seis citas ya disputadas hasta el momento. A principios de agosto el británico se proclamó además campeón del mundo de esta modalidad en Ka-zán. El podio lo completaron el me-xicano Jonathan Paredes y el ruso Artem Silchenko, quien se llevó el pasado año la txapela en la capital vizcaína. Los tres estarán en el Botxo
de nuevo, y los tres también coin-ciden en señalar que esta cita tiene algo especial. «Es una ciudad que nos transmitió muchísimo a todos, es el sitio perfecto para la gran fi-nal». Hunt reconoce que se divirtió mucho «paseando y descubriendo Bilbao», y está seguro de que será «la guinda perfecta» para una tem-porada que califica de «espectacu-lar». «Allí me aseguré el año pasa-do mi título mundial, guardo los re-cuerdos con mucho cariño». Sil-chenko, por su parte, declaró a EL CORREO que espera «ansioso» su vuelta a la villa. «Estoy encantado, tuvimos el mejor público jamás vis-to».
Pero sin duda la imagen que re-cuerdan casi todos los presentes el año pasado en los saltos es la de Jo-nathan Paredes con la camiseta del Athletic saludando y arengando al público, desde la plataforma, ins-tantes antes de lanzarse al agua. Un gesto con el que se metió a todos en el bolsillo. «Creo que lo volveré a hacer, sin duda. Lo hablamos un día antes el mánager y yo y llegamos a
«Bilbao es el lugar perfecto para la gran final»Los tres mejores clavadistas del mundo se muestran encantados por volver a saltar en la capital vizcaína para cerrar la temporada
LAURA GONZÁLEZ
Silchenko: «Estoy encantado de volver a saltar en Bilbao. Tuvimos el mejor público jamás visto»
Gary Hunt hizo las delicias de los aficionados en Bilbao. :: FOTOS: © RED BULL MEDIA HOUSE
RED BULL SERIES EN BILBAO Martes 08.09.15 EL CORREO70 DEPORTES
SECCIÓN:
E.G.M.:
O.J.D.:
FRECUENCIA:
ÁREA:
TARIFA:
PÁGINAS:
PAÍS:
DEPORTES41300060453
Diario
1305 CM² - 145%14766 €
70-71España
8 Septiembre, 2015IN 2015
268,700 spectators on-site
3,361 media in 66 countries reported on the event
1,393 billion earned media contacts
2,976 TV reports
1,673 print articles
4,541 online features
981 pictures published by news agencies
The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series offers a dedicated international editorial service that includes a skilled team of photographers, TV crews and news, digital and social editors that produce editorial content and distribute news, pictures, stories and TV-footage to the interna-tional media, providing background and inside information and bringing the sport closer to a wider audience.
Millions of people around the world read about cliff diving in their favourite daily news-paper, hear about it on the radio station of their choice and watch the competitions live and on demand on TV or online.
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EDITORIAL PRODUCTS
Media ServiceMoving images, still images, editorial texts –
during the entire season the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series provides the media with a variety of rich and distinct contents and formats.
Availability of the products
-10
PreEventRelease
Event
NewsRelease
Results
Quotesof theDay
Quotesof theDay
LIVE (HD)
-2
TeaserText
TeaserPictures
LifestylePictures
AdditionalPictures
StoryPictures
Day 1Pictures
BestPictures
LocationPictures
Quotesof theDay
+2
Top 3divesClips
-3 +1
52minRecap
NewsCut
BestMomentsCutWinningDiveClips
Tune-InTrailer
Announce-mentClip
-1
Day 1Results
+5
FeatureStory
StoryClip
ˇ Announcement clip ˇ Tune-in trailer ˇ Live (HD) & Live Replay ˇ Winning dive clip (men & women) ˇ Best moments clip ˇ News cut & interviews ˇ Highlight programme (52min, HD) ˇ Feature story ˇ Athletes profiles ˇ Top 3 dives clips (men & women)
Additional moving images products throughout the season ˇ 5 editorial highlights (26min, HD) ˇ Generic sports clips ˇ Various social media clips ˇ Pre- and off-season content
ˇ Location ˇ Lifestyle ˇ Teaser ˇ Preparation ˇ Action ˇ Sequences ˇ Portraits
ˇ Pre-event release ˇ Teaser text ˇ News release ˇ Quotes ˇ Story text
All-purpose editorial content ˇ Athletes profiles ˇ Judges profiles
MOVING STILL EDITORIAL
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NEWSROOMDiscover the editorial world of cliff diving!The Red Bull Cliff Diving Newsroom is your place to be to stay
up to date with the latest editorial products. The content portfolio ranges from high-quality photos to HD videos and the latest news and stories for global media. Also, it’s super easy to down-load content in high resolution and use for your next extraordi-nary feature about cliff diving.
Our content is available free of charge for editorial purposes after successfully registering.
Media contact [email protected]
1. SIGN UP Here you go; you can now search for content.
2. FIND There are several options to find your desired content. Search specifically in drop-down menus and editorial sections or simply search full text.
3. USE Download your desired content in the format you need. All products are available in HD.
GET WHAT YOU WANT.IT’S QUICK AND EASY!
RED BULL CLIFF DIVING NEWSROOMREDBULLCLIFFDIVINGNEWSROOM.COM
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SOCI
AL M
EDIA
facebook.com/redbullcliffdiving@redbullcliffdiving@cliffdiving
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ENCY- CL
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DID YOU KNOW?A-Z
ACAPULCOIn Acapulco, Mexico, pearl divers began to
dive from the cliffs of La Quebrada in the 1930s – some with greater skill than others – in order to find the biggest and most valuable pearls. Legends recall the heights from which they jumped. The figure of 36 metres is inscribed into the top of the cliff; however many people talk about jumps in excess of 40 metres. The highest level on site is actually 25.90 metres above the sea.
BLIND ENTRYThe last time the diver sees the water is at
least half a somersault before entry as he or she lines up ‘blind’.
BRAKING DISTANCEThe braking distance for a high dive from
28m is approximately 4m after entry into the water.
CHAMOISThe chamois or ‘shammy’ is a small towel
that serves a few purposes. It keeps the divers’ body dry before a dive. This is important because the hands and legs need to be dry so as not to slip out of position in the air. At the same time, the athletes try to keep their hands wet – in the same way that some people wet the tips of their fingers to turn the pages of a book. In case of low temperatures, the divers try to stay warm by drying their bodies with the chamois. It’s dry again as soon as you squeeze the water out of the towel.
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTYThe degree of difficulty of a dive is evaluated
on the basis of the following: take-off, number of somersaults, number of twists, position dur-ing the somersaults and entry into the water.
EQUIPMENTThere is no need for equipment. Cliff diving is
the athlete versus gravity – which is one of the main reasons why so many people are intrigued by the sport.
EVOLUTIONImprovement and evolution are crucial as-
pects of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Besides offering jaw-dropping diving action, the World Series also intends to push the limits of high diving. Bringing together the best of their kind and providing them with a stable platform height and a set number of competitions broke new boundaries in its very first year of existence. Gary Hunt’s triple somersault with four twists – the Triple Quad – was the first dive conceived exclusively for cliff diving and has a degree of difficulty of 6.2. The evolution of high diving, which began in 2009, continued in the past years following intense off-season preparation and with the introduction of a Women’s World Series in 2014. More jaw-dropping action from up to 28m is guaranteed for 2016.
FEMALE COMPETITIONThe first female competition in the history of
Red Bull Cliff Diving was held in Malcesine, Italy, in July 2013 and won my Germany’s Anna Bader.
FINAIn April 2012 the Fédération Internationale
de Natation, FINA, included high diving as a professional sport.
FREE FALLDuring a dive from 28m, the athletes have
about three seconds of free fall in which to per-form their spectacular movements before they plunge into the water.
G-FORCEAt the highest point, the G-force value
increases to five, which means that the diver experiences a force equal to five times his own weight.
GUINNESS WORLD RECORD There are two Guinness world records in cliff
diving. Orlando Duque’s perfect dive during the WHDF Cliff Diving World Championship in Kaunolu, Hawaii, in 2000, when he performed a double back somersault with four twists from
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24.40m. He earned a perfect 10 from all seven judges and scored 159.00 points; a number which has been noted as the highest scored dive ever. The Colombian has also participated in more world championships than any other cliff diver.
HEIGHTHigh diving competitions are generally held
at heights ranging from 18-23 metres for female and 20-28 metres for male divers. 26.5 metres – the minimum height in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series for a men’s competition – is the equivalent of an eight-storey building.
HIGH SCORESAfter the 2015 season Russia’s Artem Silchen-
ko holds the high score of 183.00 points for a single dive. Britain’s Gary Hunt holds the record for the highest-scoring competition result of 548.20 points.
HEROESOUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS, BROKEN RE-
CORDS AND UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS – CLIFF DIVING HAS ITS HEROES, LIKE KING KAHEKILI, ENRIQUE APAC RIOS, LUCY WARDLE, OLIVIER FAVRE, ORLANDO DUQUE, GARY HUNT AND ARTEM SILCHENKO.
IMPACT The force of the impact is nine times harder
than from the 10-metre platform and can also be compared with running full speed into a wall.
JURYAn international jury of five people judges
each dive. The judges consider take-off, position in the air and water entry and they award scores from 0 to 10.
KAHEKILIIn the 1770s, a no less illustrious personage
than Kahekili, the last independent king of Maui, indulged in cliff diving.
KAMEHAMEHAIn the 19th century, the Hawaiian King Kame-
hameha, was the first to allow the organisation of cliff diving contests with defined rules to determine the best and bravest athlete.
KAUNOLUCliff diving is a very traditional discipline,
which has its origin during the 1700s in Kaunolu, on the south western part of the Hawaiian island of Lanai.
LELE KAWALele Kawa is a Hawaiian expression, meaning
‘leaping feet-first from a high cliff into water without making a splash’ and was used by Ka-hekili, the last independent king of Maui, as an initiation rite for his warriors.
LIFEPROOF® LifeProof is the Red Bull Cliff Diving World
Series partner to protect competitors’ smart-phones to ensure they can focus on competing, safe in the knowledge that their device is pro-tected from dirt, dust, rocks and crucially, water! For more information, visit www.lifeproof.com #LiveLifeProof
LIVEIn 2016, all stops of the Red Bull Cliff Diving
World Series will be live on redbullcliffdiving.com and Red Bull TV.
LOCATIONSPossum Kingdom Lake (USA), Copenhagen
(DEN), Azores, São Miguel (POR), La Rochelle (FRA), Polignano a Mare (ITA), Pembrokeshire, Wales (GBR), Mostar (BIH), Shirahama (JPN) and Dubai (UAE) are the nine alluring locations for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2016.
MAXIMUM HEIGHTThe maximum height for competitions in the
Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is 28m / 92ft. Due to the rapid acceleration, almost no time benefit occurs from higher dives and the risk of injury increases disproportionately.
MINDA lot of things go through a diver’s mind just
before a dive: They rehearse the whole process mentally before stepping onto the platform. Some of them mimic the dive, recreate it in their heads and try to feel it. In the last seconds before the dive they are completely focused and the fear is gone.
78ORIGINCliff diving had its origin during the 1700s in
Hawaii.
PANCAKE LANDINGA pancake landing, or crash landing, from
cliff diving heights can be compared with a hard landing from 13 metres on concrete.
PLATFORMThe platform must be a stable take-off board
constructed with a minimum length of 1.5m, a minimum width of 0.75m and a water-sprayed rim at least 2m beyond the vertical line.
PRESSUREThe fact that the mere thought of a high
dive in a neutral and relaxed environment sees the heart rate and the body tension rise to the same high level experienced before the actual execution – as proven at the Red Bull Diagnos-tics and Training Centre in Austria – underlines the mental and physical pressure the athletes are exposed to.
REQUIREMENTSThe main requirements for cliff divers are an
extensive technical education, many years of experience in diving or a similar acrobatic sport, as well as courage, self-confidence, extraor-dinary physical control and the ability to make decisions within fractions of a second based on the following impulses: sight, space, time and experience.
RISKThe highest risk of injury occurs during the
water entry, when parts of the body are already exposed to absolute deceleration and others, above the surface, are still at top speed. Crash landings can be ruled out though, because of the divers’ technical training and experience.
SAFETYRegulations for safety are a maximum height
(28m / 92ft), a minimum water depth (5m / 16.4ft), a stable and water-sprayed platform with a minimum length of 1.5m and width of 0.75m and with a rim at least 2m beyond the vertical fall line, rescue divers, paramedics and as well as an ambulance.
SKILLMost athletes reach their maximum technical
skill and mental maturity at around 30 years of age. Besides a technical education, the main prerequisite for all cliff divers is at least 10 to 15 years of training in diving or a similar acrobatic sport. Another necessary requirement is the ability to make split-second decisions based on impulses such as sight, space, time and experience.
SOMERSAULTA somersault is an acrobatic exercise in
which a person rotates around the somersault axis, moving the feet over the head. It can be performed forwards, backwards or sideways and is an important part of each high dive.
SPEEDFROM 28M, THE SPEED AT WHICH YOU ENTER
THE WATER IS 85-90KPH / 53-56MPH; AN AC-CELERATION THAT COMPARES TO A LAMBORGHINI MURCIÉLAGO.
TAKE-OFFAt the take-off, the diver leaves the platform.
After the take-off, the diver has about 10-12 metres in which to do his tricks. A good take-off almost guarantees a good entry.
TRAININGA balanced training program includes spring-
board diving, flexibility and power training, as well as mental conditioning.
TRIPLE QUADGary Hunt’s (GBR) triple somersault with
four twists – the Triple Quad – was the first dive conceived exclusively for cliff diving and has a degree of difficulty of 6.2.
TWISTA twist is one of the nine main groups in
which dives are classified. Any dive incorporat-ing an axial twisting movement comes under this group. Twists of up to five revolutions are performed in competitions and can be added to dives in the forward, back, reverse, inward and handstand categories.
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UNDER WATERAs soon as the athletes land, they start their
braking process under water. In less than a second the divers’ bodies decelerate from 85kph / 53mph to zero.
VERTICAL POSITIONTo minimise the risk of injuries and the water
splash, the water entry should be in a perfectly vertical position.
WATERWater is the central element in cliff diving.
Characteristics like temperature, density and colour play important roles when the diver approaches the entry point.
WATER ENTRYThe most dangerous part in cliff diving is the
water entry. Even if the divers have a good line and break the water’s surface perfectly vertical, it still hurts. With their bodies under tremendous pressure, the water is like a wall; with forces nine times harder than those faced by Olympic athletes from a 10-metre tower.
WEBwww.redbullcliffdiving.com is the official
website of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. It contains up-to-date news, divers’ profiles, picture galleries, videos and the latest informa-tion about the stops and results.
WOMEN’S WORLD SERIESIn 2014, Red Bull Cliff Diving introduced the
Women’s World Series and Rachelle Simp-son, from the United States, was crowned the first-ever female champion. The 28-year-old defended her title in 2015. In its third year, the Women’s World Series will decide its winner during seven competitions.
ZERO PROTECTIONCliff divers do not have any protection except
their own experience. Their diving ability is their only protection against injuries.
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Publisher Red Bull Media House GmbH, Oberst-Lepper-dinger-Straße 11-15, 5071 Wals bei Salzburg
Photography RED BULL CONTENT POOL (Romina Amato, Paulo Calisto, Ray Demski, Balazs Gardi, Romina Amato, Paulo Calisto, Ray Demski, Balazs Gardi)
Illustration Kastner & Partners in Madrid, Sascha Duensing (Sirius-sdz), Birgit Lohmann, Icarus creative, Studio ZWUPP
Layout & Graphicdesign Studio ZWUPP – www.zwupp.at
PUBLICATION RED BULL CLIFF DIVING MAGAZINE 2016
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