After achieving qualification for the 2012 World Series, the finalist at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Blake Aldridge, learned a new dive as hard as Gary Hunt’s triple quad, with a DD of 6.3, by adding an extra twist to his back armstand dive and then added it to his diving programme for the first time in Boston.
Taking this risky step may not have brought him the points necessary to qualify automatically for the next season, but it certainly enhanced his reputation as a high-diving daredevil!
A competitive athlete, the former British diving world champion did his first dive from 27 metres in June 2011 at the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series competition in La Rochelle, France, and has been wanting more ever since. In his rookie year, however, the 30-year-old injured his adductor during the first stop in Corsica and, after a frustrating season with injury, had a sixth place in the Azores as his best result.
Making the cut for the 2013 World Series means another big chance for the Englishman to finally realise his desire to get at least a podium in the pinnacle of cliff diving competition.
QUOTE
“I’m so excited [to be qualified]. I am so happy. I am in for another year! I knew I had to do well otherwise I wouldn’t get my spot. So I was obviously nervous about that but again I had to compose myself and I managed to do that pretty well and jump up a place into third and qualify for the World Series. I am just happy it’s all over and now I am looking forward to the first competition.”
