BLAKE Aldridge won first place in the first stop of the 6th Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, held May 9-10 at Havana’s Tres Reyes del Morro Fortress.
The 31-year-old British diver, who finished eighth in the 2013 competition, bounced back from a mediocre qualifying round, in which he finished 11th, with 74.10 points, thus setting up a duel in the second round with Steven Lobue from the United States. Lobue won the preliminary round with 96.90 points, with 14 extreme divers competing.
On the final day, Aldridge, a Bejing Olympics finalist in synchronized platform diving, scored 311.0 to Lobue’s 306.65, to situate himself in second place, going into the final stage of the Havana competition.
In the final round which included the best eight divers, Aldridge (1.7 meters tall, 65 kilos) executed a dive worth 136.40 points, catapulting his global score to 447.40 and winning the title, sharing the podium with Jonathan Paredes and compatriot Gary Hunt.
Paredes, chosen as Rookie of the Year in 2013, led the competition going into the final round, with a score of 329.60. His last, great dive raised his point total to 445.10, just below the winner’s.
While Hunt, three time champion (2010, 2011 and 2012), came in third with a decisive final dive and 427.70 points.
Placing fourth through eighth respectively were Colombia’s Orlando Duque (423.3), 2009 champion; Lobue (402.25); Michal Navratil (399.65) from the Czech Republic; Russian Artem Silchenko (379.30), 2013 Word Series winner; and David Colturi from the U.S. (376.30).
Also competing in the event, held for the first time in Cuba, were Jorge Ferzuli (Mexico); Edivaldo Keda Moura and Jucelino Junior (Brazil); Miguel García Celis (Colombia), Andy Jones (U.S.) and Kris Kolanus (Poland).
Following the competition, a happy Aldridge commented that the victory came as a surprise, though he always believed he could win, if he executed his final two dives well, given their level of difficulty.
He added that winning in Cuba was phenomenal, especially given the fact that he hadn’t dived from such a height since the final in Thailand, six months ago.
Aldridge explained that he has been dealing with a back injury which prevented him from attempting 27-meter dives, and that he only made six training dives in Dubai, including his latest which begins with a handstand and flips.
Mexico’s Jonathan Paredes was pleased with his second place finish at the Morro, saying he wasn’t expecting to place higher than fifth, since his dives are not as difficult as those of his rivals, adding that he had not made a dive from this height since competing in Thailand.
His performance in Havana, the day before Mother’s Day was the best of his career, and he had dedicated it especially to his mother
The 2013 Rookie of the Year, making his first trip to the island, praised the well-organized event and the hospitality of the Cuban people.
Paredes, congratulated Aldridge, saying that he is a very good diver technically, "with many resources to do great dives," who approached the competition perfectly, dealing successfully with the strong winds at the entrance to Havana Bay.
He did however comment that there were six stops left in the World Series and that other divers will be adding new dives and improving their performances, as the competition continues.
Paredes concluded his remarks by describing the site as truly beautiful.
The 6th Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2014 continues with scheduled stops in the United States (June 7), Ireland (June 29), Norway (July 12), Portugal (July 26), Spain (September 20) and Brazil (October 19). ()
