Blake Aldridge takes debut win at 2014 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series kick-off in Cuba
With his first victory in a World Series competition, the former Olympic diver has reached his highest goal yet. After his only podium finish in La Rochelle last year, Blake Aldridge made it to the top position in front of 60,000 enthusiastic Cuban spectators along the famous Malecón on a hot Saturday afternoon. It was a tight fight between the top six athletes in this season’s first 27m battle off Morro Castle in Havana and it was Mexican Jonathan Paredes who took second place ahead of the three-time champion Gary Hunt, from England. After this outstanding first-ever competition in Cuba’s capital city, the game is on again.
As of today, the 31-year-old is the seventh winner of a World Series competition and that comes after a week of doubts, as Aldridge came to Cuba with a back injury. From 11th position after the seeding round, he surpassed all expectations with an inspired display to beat the favourites, including the World Series champion Artem Silchenko (379.30pts) and his fellow Brit Gary Hunt (427.70pts). Despite a lower Degree of Difficulty, Mexico’s rising star, Jonathan Paredes (444.75pts), finished in a personal best, only 2.65pts behind. The fight between the sport’s heavyweights Orlando Duque (423.30pts) and Gary Hunt for the last podium spot went in favour of the Englishman by the narrow margin of 4.40pts.
The sixth year of World Series competition started in the ‘Pearl of the Antilles”, as Cuba was once known, and featured six athletes from Latin and South America. The renaissance-style fortress of Morro Castle has been guarding the entrance to Havana Bay since the late 16th century and was the take-off point for 14 of the world’s best cliff divers. Perched on a promontory opposite the harbour of Old Havana, ‘El Morro’ can be viewed from miles around as it dominates the port entrance. Thus, many thousands of spectators came to watch the premiere competition on Cuban soil and were witness to a sporting spectacle, as the athletes pulled off a dazzling array of tricks at speeds of up to 90kph to begin the new season in style and raise expectations even further ahead of what is expected to be a stellar year for the sport. Next stop is Fort Worth in the US state of Texas on June 7.
QUOTES OF THE WINNERS
Blake Aldridge
“It’s surreal and I’ve been waiting for this moment for three years. To do it the way I’ve done it is unbelievable. I started off with a bad dive and then did two great dives and changed my final dive just before I did it to the big armstand and it paid off. Jonathan [Paredes] was running away with it but I did an amazing back twist and an amazing reverse somersault and then I decided to do the big back armstand. I was on the platform for a while before my final dive and that gave me time to compose myself. I didn’t watch anybody’s dive in the final round and didn’t know anybody’s score so it was really me on my own and I just tried to tell myself to come out, to do it as well as you can and you never know what might happen. I did that and I’ve walked away with the win!”
Jonathan Paredes
“I didn’t expect to finish as high as second and this is one of the best feelings I’ve had. It was a beautiful
competition here in Cuba and I’m delighted to have started my season so well. I felt the pressure being the last guy up on the platform but at the last moment I told myself that I just had to do it. My next goal is to raise my degree of difficulty. I’ll be training back in Mexico and then getting ready for the next stop in Texas.”
Gary Hunt
“It was a great start to the season but I know that I can dive better. I’m learning a new dive so that will always affect consistency and perhaps that was the difference today, but I’m determined to learn what will be the new hardest dive in the world.”
RESULTS STOP 1, HAVANA
1. Blake Aldridge | UK | 447.40pts
2. Jonathan Paredes | MEX | 444.75
3. Gary Hunt | UK | 427.70
4. Orlando Duque | COL | 423.30
5. Steven LoBue | USA | 402.25
6. Michal Navratil | CZE | 400.00
7. Artem Silchenko | RUS | 379.30
8. David Colturi | USA | 376.30
9. Jucelino Junior | BRA | 284.55
10. Andy Jones | USA | 281.55
11. Kris Kolanus | POL | 258.30
12. Miguel Garcia Celis | COL | 257.90
13. Edivaldo Keda Moura | BRA | 226.95
14. Jorge Ferzuli | MEX | 180.50
Red Bull Cliff DIving World Series 2014
It’s pure, it’s fast and it takes your breath away. Cliff divers leap aesthetically from almost three times the Olympic height and hit the water at speeds of 85kph, protected only by their concentration, skill and physical control. Since 2009, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has featured the biggest talents, the most promising newcomers, and since 2013 has also provided a platform for women. Seven tough competitions for the men, three challenges for the women – in its sixth season this jaw-dropping sport will hit new as well as proven ground in the Caribbean, the continents of North and South America and Europe between May and October to determine a new champion for both men and women.
Maurice Lacroix is the official watch partner of the 2014 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.