The 2024 World Aquatics High Diving World Cup season served as the qualification pathway for the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025. As the world’s best prepare to compete on the sport’s biggest stage, we look closer at the athletes set to compete from the breathtaking heights of the 20m and 27m platforms.
Up next in the women's competition is Madeleine Bayon. Madeleine secured a 14th place finish at the World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024.
We put Madeleine into the question-and-answer hot seat. Here's what we got from her:
Porto Bridges: A Dream Dive Spot
Madeleine’s dream location for a dive pays homage to her Portuguese roots. “I think I’d like to dive from one of the bridges in Porto because I’m half Portuguese, half French,” she shared. Having already performed in front of France’s iconic Eiffel Tower, she’s set her sights on Portugal for her next landmark dive.
Celebrity Guest: Simone Biles
If Madeleine could invite any celebrity to watch her dive, it would be gymnastics legend Simone Biles. “I’d love to dive in front of Simone Biles to see if she’s impressed or not,” she said. As a former gymnast herself, Madeleine’s dives are often inspired by gymnastic techniques, making this dream audience even more meaningful.
Sacred Waters in Japan
Of all the places she’s competed, one of her most cherished experiences was diving in Japan. “We dove in the Japanese jungle into sacred waters where no one else could go,” Madeleine revealed. The location’s spiritual significance made it an unforgettable moment in her career.
Reggaeton Vibes
To get pumped for her dives, Madeleine’s go-to playlist is filled with reggaeton tracks. “I live in Spain, so I listen to a lot of reggaeton. It hypes me up and puts me in a really good mood,” she explained. This infectious Latin music keeps her energy high as she prepares to perform.
Linguistic Superpower
Madeleine is a polyglot, speaking French, Spanish, Portuguese, and English fluently. “But Spanish and Portuguese is kind of cheating because they’re so similar,” Her linguistic skills make her a true citizen of the world, just like her international diving career.
Gymnastics Meets Diving
Without a traditional diving background, Madeleine’s gymnastics training gives her a unique edge in the sport. She’s working on a new dive inspired by gymnastic movements: “Handstand, two and a half flips, with one twist—but the twist happens in the first flip, not split between the two,” she explained. “It’s what we do in gymnastics, so it makes more sense to me.” She’s excited to bring her gymnastic creativity to the high-diving platform.