Red Bull press release confirms the dates for the 2012 series, great to see a UK date included
The best high divers in the world versus gravity. Twisting and flipping 27 metres through the air and hitting the water after three seconds at 85kph. Three years after its inception, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is established as the pinnacle of high diving competition. In 2012 this unique championship will once more be the platform for the world’s most dizzying dives in seven stops between June and September in Europe, North America and the Middle East. Eleven athletes will compete head-to-head for the prestigious World Series title and spread the spirit of cliff diving all over the globe.
2011’s top seven divers, including two-time champion Gary Hunt and his predecessor, Orlando Duque, have all qualified automatically for the fourth edition. 15 others – among them five pre-qualified from last season – will fight for one of four available slots at the qualification competition in February in Australia so that they too can be a part of the 2012 World Series. The field of eleven permanent participants will be added to with up to three wildcard divers per event who will for the first time get awarded points for the overall rankings and might have a say in the final results.
In a sport where three seconds can be an eternity and even the smallest mistake could cost you victory, a head-to-head battle will spice things up even further. Only the top seven divers after three rounds and one lucky loser will make it to the final heat. Five international jurors who award scores from 0 to 10 for each dive judge the whole competition which consists of two required and two optional dives. US diving icon Greg Louganis, a four-time Olympic gold medallist, will again be part of the eleven-person jury pool, whose eagle eyes will view take-off, position in the air and water entry.
Natural and urban, remote and iconic – six of the seven selected locations are new to the calendar and promise challenging competition. Kicking off in mid June in France, the World Series goes north to Grimstad (NOR) and will touch Portuguese soil for the very first time on the volcanic islands of the Azores one month later. The mid-season stop is hosted by Ireland, and after a touchdown in the sports-mad city of Boston (USA) – the only unchanged location for 2012 – South Wales (GBR) welcomes the divers in early September. Only three weeks later the grand final takes place in the Sultanate of Oman, in the picturesque Wadi Shab.
In its fourth year, the 2012 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will deliver a series of innovations that will put the world’s high diving elite to the test. Only the best of the best can win the title!
CALENDAR & LOCATIONS
June 22 – 23 | FRANCE
July 6 – 7 | Grimstad | NORWAY
July 20 – 21 | Azores | PORTUGAL
August 3 – 4 | Serpent’s Lair | IRELAND
August 24 – 25 | Boston | USA
September 7 – 8 | South Wales | UNITED KINGDOM
September 27 – 28 | Wadi Shab | OMAN
Further details of the qualification will be announced in January 2012.
