Cliff Diving Leaps Back to its Roots on Mid-Atlantic Volcanic Island

STORY BY Megan Hughes 12th July 2018

24 athletes will have to prove their versatility to stay in contention during 3rd stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series on São Miguel, Azores, Portugal on July 14. Celebrating its 10th season in 2018, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will crown two new champions this year, with seven demanding competitions for the men and five for the women.

The world’s best cliff divers return to the sport’s origins on a tiny volcanic island in the Portuguese Azores for a record 7th time this weekend. The men’s event follows a thriller in Bilbao, which saw British 6-time champion Gary Hunt still struggling and reigning champion Jonathan Paredes from Mexico powering to his first 2018 podium finish. Meanwhile, in the women’s it is Adriana Jimenez who will be the centre of attention after opening her account with a victory in Texas.

The Mexican diver comes to the picturesque volcanic islet as the title-defender in this majestic setting, where two of the four competition dives will be performed from the pure rocks. This is the only location on the 2018 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series calendar where the athletes will leap directly from the cliff face, just as the pioneers of this amazing sport did hundreds of years ago.

33-year-old Jimenez is one of three previous winners in the Portugal leg of the World Series and has proven her versatility when it comes to leaping from rocks as well as platforms 21m above the ocean waves. The women’s two-time champion Rhiannan Iffland knows how to cope with these challenges as well, having won in 2016, but the Australian comes from a disappointing season opener, missing the Texas podium by 0.2pts in what was the closest women’s final ever.

While the 26-year-old starts a season without victory for the first time, wildcard diver Jessica Macaulay secured her first ever podium for a female British diver in only her second appearance. With the record for the highest scoring women’s dive ever, the 25-year-old will compete on the Azores for the second time.

After two competitions in the men’s, two different athletes accounted for a win and the six podium spots were claimed by six different athletes. A mentally blocked record winner Hunt, who currently only sits in 11th place overall, and the defending champion Paredes, who just found his form during the 2nd stop keep this anniversary season wide open and the championship is completely up in the air.

As the World Series comes back to the archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic, 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 discipline, spreading their wings diving straight from the cliffs like the pioneers did in Hawaii almost 250 years ago. The 24 athletes from 14 nationalities will use the platform construction placed 21m (women) and 27m (men) above the ocean only for the more difficult optional dives.

The competition will be LIVE on Saturday July 14 at 12.30 GMT on www.redbullcliffdiving.com, Red Bull TV, Facebook & YouTube.

For more information and updates visit www.redbullcliffdiving.com.

Featured Image Credits: Paulo Calisto/Red Bull Content Pool

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