To discuss it better at the coffee machine | Dives of more than 20 m in the river

Did you enjoy the Olympic events on the 10m tower? This was just a taster. For the first time, on Sunday, the Red Bull Cliff Diving series will stop in Canada, more precisely at the Grand Quai of the Port of Montreal. The athletes will launch themselves from a 21 to 27 m platform into the water of the St. Lawrence River. A look at this colorful and emotional competition.

The madness of heights

High diving has been around virtually forever, but its crystallization as a competitive sport is relatively recent. The specialty made its debut at the Aquatics World Championships in 2013, but since 2009, divers have been competing on a global scale in the Red Bull Cliff Diving series. Similar to a Formula 1 season or the Alpine Skiing World Cup, competitors travel the globe in a series of events held in Europe, Oceania and North America. Sunday, Montreal will be the sixth stop (of eight) of the 2024 season. This is the first time Canada has hosted a round of the series. Admission is free and up to 50,000 spectators are expected.

Thrills and aesthetics

It’s hard to find a more enthusiastic promoter than Lysanne Richard, a Quebec high-diving legend and pioneer of the sport in Canada. She will also be the event’s host in Montreal. In her eyes, there is no better blend of “thrills and aesthetics.” “It’s a sport that defies human capabilities,” she emphasizes in a telephone interview. “Humans aren’t made to dive from that high! It’s against nature. On site, you can see how high it is.” The audience thus develops a sort of empathy for the athlete about to dive, and silence falls. The diver takes off and hits the water—feet first—at a speed of almost 80 km/h. “And when the athlete comes out, everyone feels a sense of relief!” “On the Red Bull circuit, women jump 21 m, and men 27 m.

Montreal, capital of high flying

Canada may not have a long history of international high diving competitions, but that doesn’t stop Montreal from being its capital. Since 2022, 15, 18 and 20 m platforms installed at the Olympic Park have allowed athletes to train in the city all year round. In 2022, Montreal hosted the World Junior Diving Championships. Good news for athletes: after a pitiful week in terms of weather, we’ll see the sun again this weekend. The conditions at the site are highly favourable for divers, points out Lysanne Richard, since there is less wind at the port than at the ocean, for example. However, the dark colour of the water could require an adjustment in training, she says.

Which athletes should you watch?

Headlining the event will undoubtedly be Montreal-based Ontarian Molly Carlson. Currently ranked second in the world, the 25-year-old is one of Canada’s most-followed athletes on social media—nearly four million people follow her on TikTok, where she promotes her sport, of course, but also body diversity and mental health education. She won silver at the most recent WorldAquatics (formerly FINA) World Championships, finishing behind current champion Rhiannan Iffland of Australia, who also leads the overall standings in the Red Bull series. Two other Canadians will be diving this weekend: veteran Aimee Harrison, 29, and newcomer Simone Leathead, 21. On the men’s side, the only local talent will be 17-year-old Charles-Antoine Labadie.

When are the Olympics?

Even though high diving is becoming more and more known to the public, and even though WorldAquatics has made it an official discipline for quite some time, this event is still not included in the Olympic Games. Make no mistake: the “high diving” presented at the 1912, 1920 and 1924 Games actually called for jumps of up to 10 m. “We’ve been hoping for this for a long time,” notes Lysanne Richard. Realistically, she is aware that her sport still needs to develop, particularly geographically. Africa is essentially not represented, and Asia very little. In addition, “everywhere on the planet, there is a lack of representation among women.” However, as with most emerging sports, there are more and more young enthusiasts, so perhaps high diving will one day be on the programme at the Games. However, this will not be for at least eight years, since it is already a given that we will not see him in 2028 in Los Angeles.