Forty athletes from 17 countries, the men from a 27 meter platform, the women from 20 meters. The second edition in Sulcis Iglesiente, a poor land but with uncontaminated and wild nature
Sulcis Iglesiente is an area of Sardinia northwest of Cagliari, right in front of the island of Carloforte. Forget the luxury and sequins of the Costa Smeralda, here is the real Sardinia, here nature offers unspeakable scenery and even if the area is not rich, in fact it is the poorest in Sardinia, the effort of the people of Iglesias to enhance the territory is a kind of mission. Here comes tomorrow World Cup of diving from great heights: will stop at Porto Flaviaa few kilometers from Iglesias. A place with a unique charm, an old port that was used to load the minerals extracted from the mine and take them around the world. The organizers’ commitment is above all to change as little as possible the dream scenario that nature has decided to give. For this reason, after last year’s experiment, the platforms were made of wood, giving up the Innocenti tubes which have less stability. An improvement much appreciated by athletes. Two platforms, twenty meters long for women and 27 meters long for men. The athletic gestures are impressive, the concentration that must be put into each dive is decisive. When you get to the water the speed can reach ninety kilometers per hour in less than three seconds. An error, in addition to compromising the race, can also create major physical problems even if the organization is obsessive from every point of view: medical personnel ready to intervene, checks as soon as the athletes complete the dive.
The favourites
The iconic appointment withHigh Diving World Cuporganized by World Aquatics – the global body for aquatic disciplines – and hosted by Marmeeting, an Italian company with thirty years of experience in organizing major sporting events, will once again transform the Sardinia in the world capital of dives from extreme heights. The spectacle and adrenaline are the fundamental ingredients of this event, capable of leaving the public in suspense where human courage defies gravity in a natural and unique setting. The absolute protagonists of the weekend will be 40 elite athletes from 17 countriesready to challenge each other overlooking the sea using two incredible platforms installed directly on the historic Sardinian cliffs of Porto Flavia. In the women’s draw, the North Star remains the Australian Rhiannan Ifflandundisputed queen of the discipline and winner in Porto Flavia last year. Precisely in view of the race, the symbolic champion of this sport, with five world gold medals, said: “The preparation for this appointment is going very well. In the last period I have focused a lot on attention to detail and perfecting my dives to be ready for this stage of the World Cup.” Among the men, however, the spotlight will all be on the American James Lichtensteinfresh from his first historic triumph in Porto Flavia where he managed to get the better of the Romanian champion Constantin Popovici and on Spanish Carlos Gimeno. The races will in fact be broadcast all over the world on the official channels of World Aquatics And Rai Sport (channel 58)
