Cliff Diving
These cliff divers faced their fear and went full send after 21 months away
The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2021 season opener was the first event in almost two years. Find out how it pushed the divers to even greater feats.
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Bodies in prime shape, tension and thoughts on the platform, smiles and satisfaction in the water – it was obvious to the observing eye that the 24 cliff divers went through a lot of emotions and sensations during last week’s Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2021 season opener in the south of France.
It seemed that the 21 months since the last competition provoked insecurity and an inability to train for the acrobatic dives from up to 27m. How hard was it really to balance body and mind and take the leap?
Stepping onto the platform. Looking down deep. Knowing there’s no room for mistakes as the water surface is unforgiving. Believing in yourself. Taking the leap and feeling the sensation of flying before piercing through the water. A cliff diver’s daily routine will never become a habitual activity. When the break is longer than usual, the thrill thrives among the elite athletes.
“I think my thoughts will be on the first dive – what am I doing here?!”, explains Gary Hunt, the eight-time overall champion and most experienced diver in the field. “Luckily, we are a good team, we support each other. So, we are all in the same boat, nobody has been able to train. That’s part of the competition, that’s part of the sport.”
Gary Hunt takes a moment to gather his thoughts on the platform in France
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool
The comraderie and supportive spirit was probably the most valuable asset last weekend in Saint-Raphaël when the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series celebrated its restart after almost two years without a competition.
Back in action in France
While seasoned cliff divers such as America’s David Colturi felt terrified before the first training session, not having done a high dive in over a year, the women’s 21m platform seemed a lot higher than usual to Jaki Valente. The Brazilian athlete had just reclaimed permanent status before the (diving) world went into lockdown.
An extra training day and the possibility to dive from lower heights in order to get familiar with the rocky nature of the sport were implemented to ease up the tension. “In the world of diving, I mean there are so many perfectionists, they want to do everything perfectly. They are so hard on themselves,” says Greg Louganis, the sports director of the World Series.
Rhiannan Iffland calms her mind beside Greg Louganis
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
“I try to remind them to really lighten up, be kind to yourself, trying to get them to smile because if you smile and if you can laugh then it changes the body chemistry, and you are more relaxed.” As a four-time Olympic gold medalist the American knows exactly what it means to perform and prevail under pressure.
Obviously, the fear is following you, but it is a nice feeling to get back and fly
It’s this final bit of reassurance from the outside world that allows the athletes to step onto the edge of the platform approximately eight storeys above the water. This is where they want to be and feeling the wind they create after launching from the platform is what they craved for so long.
“Before you go to the platform, you are nervous, you think about all the bad things that can happen. When you walk on the platform, you are scared,” says Italy’s Alessandro De Rose. “But as soon as you make the last step on the platform, everything goes. Obviously, the fear is following you, but it is a nice feeling to get back and fly.”
Alessandro De Rose flies away from his fears in France
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
From an onlooker’s perspective, it felt and looked as if the break had never happened. The mental commitment on the platform, the impeccable movements in the air, and the precise body alignment on entry didn’t go unnoticed by experts such as Red Bull Cliff Diving Ambassador Orlando Duque, who commented after the first training session: “It was really good quality, some of the divers looked like they never stopped diving.”
And while everybody knows that the inability to train was a matter of fact, Andy Jones took the same line before his 50th appearance in the World Series. “Being out of training for this long could seem like you lose it but really, I think everybody is feeling so healthy after such a long rest that maybe we are going to raise the bar, who knows.”
This was Gary Hunt's first appearance as a French diver
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
Fans enjoyed the drama on the Mediterranean Sea
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
The perfect viewing spot for the five judges
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
A little stretch for Alessandro De Rose before the final round
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
With a personal best for record champion Rhiannan Iffland from Australia, a world-first armstand focused diving list by Spanish wildcard Carlos Gimeno and a debut win by wildcard diver Catalin Preda from Romania, the season’s first competition might have just proved Jones’s predictions right.
And honestly, between us all, we’ve never doubted any of that! It’s great to be back big!
Listen to Rhiannan Iffland, Aimee Harrison and Gary talk managing their fear in Beyond the Ordinary podcast:
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