The World Aquatics High Diving World Cup came to an intense and riveting conclusion as the last male and female athletes nailed dives of increasing difficulty in the fourth round to ramp up pressure on the third-round leaders until the very last dive was thrown.
On Saturday, Molly CARLSON of Canada and Constantin POPOVICI of Romania won their first World Cup titles in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, against a top-flight field that they will face again in July at the World Aquatics Championships - Fukuoka 2023 in Japan.
This weekend’s event was a direct qualifier for worlds and CARLSON was ecstatic to secure a berth. “I’m so excited to go to Fukuoka!” she said. “Not only to be with this incredible group of high divers changing the world and pushing the sport, but to be able to see other sports and cheer for Canada in swimming and water polo.”
To claim victory over two-time world champion Rhiannan IFFLAND in Florida, CARLSON nailed her fourth dive: a half-twisting forward quad (with a 4.4 degree of difficulty) to earn 121.00 points for a total of 374.00 points for the two-day contest.
“It’s definitely surreal,” CARLSON said of the win, especially since three of her four dives were new. CARLSON’s final dive was the only one that she hadn’t changed, but it carried the highest difficulty in the contest. “It’s a lot of flips,” she said. “To spin fast takes a lot of strength and power.
“I knew deep down: if you get the right take-off, you’re going to get the perfect entry. In the air, I was like: this is it,” CARLSON said. “I came up and I knew; I knew I was on top of the podium.”
“I knew deep down: if you get the right take-off, you’re going to get the perfect entry. In the air, I was like: this is it.”
Entering the last dive, IFFLAND was only 3.10 points behind CARLSON but her final dive (a back double-twisting triple) only carried a 4.3 DD. Despite earning 113.95 points, it wasn’t enough to overtake the Canadian. IFFLAND finished second by 10.15 points.
“The last dive is my bread and butter,” IFFLAND, 31, said. “I was excited to see where it was at the start of the season. Now I know what I need to do. I need a stronger take-off and I could have stood up a little more at the end. In Fukuoka, I’ll be working to chase my two gold medals from 2017 and 2019. I’m not ready to give up the top spot just yet.”
"In Fukuoka, I’ll be working to chase my two gold medals from 2017 and 2019. I’m not ready to give up the top spot just yet.”
Third place went to Carlson’s training mate Jessica MACAULAY, 30, who had been in a fourth-place tie after the first day of competition.
MACAULAY called her final dive, a back triple with a 4.0 DD, “my money dive. It’s the dive that I crush the most consistently. I always put it last. When I was up there, I reminded myself: I got this. I don’t know if that dive is especially difficult. It’s just more beautiful because I’m in the pike shape so you can see how long my legs are. I mastered it the day I learned it!”
How Popovici Prevailed
In the men’s field, the top three from Friday maintained their positions on the podium, but no one had it easy. With one dive to go, they were all within 17.15 points of each other.
Although Aidan HESLOP of Great Britain, 21, threw the hardest dive in world in the final round (a 6.6 DD back quad with four twists), he was already out of the running and finished eighth.
Constantin POPOVICI of Romania finished with the second-hardest dive (a triple-twisting armstand back 3½ with a 6.0 DD) and nailed it to win handily, 19.50 points ahead of Carlos GIMENO, 33, of Spain, and 35.75 points ahead of Gary HUNT, 38, of France.
“The last dive is my signature dive,” POPOVICI said, but “all four dives are important. If you miss one you will not be on the podium. Being the gold medallist at this event is great. It's an important win but it's a long year.”
“The last dive is my signature dive.”
In addition to earning a world championship berth in high diving on Saturday, POPOVICI will also be competing on the 10m platform in Japan in an effort to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the latter.
“I was injured last year so the results in 2022 were not what I had expected,” he said. He recently changed coaches and clubs. “I want to win everything this year, not just in Fukuoka.”
For GIMENO, the World Cup silver was a career high. “I changed all of my dives in one week,” the Spaniard said. “Getting second place with four new dives, not far outside of the winner, is amazing. It’s my dream come true but I am going to be training for the gold.”
Although HUNT did not achieve the World Cup five-peat he was aiming for at age 38, he nailed his final dive for third place: a back quad-twisting triple (with 5.2 DD) so well executed that the announcer on the pool deck called it “a masterpiece from the master blaster!”
“I think Constantin was too far ahead for me to catch him, even if I executed perfect dives.” HUNT said. “I would need more difficult dive.”
But Hunt’s choice was strategic. “The new generation is coming through and I’m betting that they cannot be that consistent [with such high risk]. If they slip up I will be there,” he said.
HUNT, like Saturday’s winner, plans to do double-duty in Fukuoka, first in the 10m synchro events.
As always, HUNT said, “I am going to be looking for some 10s.”
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