Molly Carlson finished second, and Jessica Macaulay was third, while Aimee Harrison was 12th at the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series stop in Polignano a Mare, Italy.
Conditions on the Adriatic Sea proved challenging for the divers on Sunday in Italy.
“We did not expect to compete,” Carlson admitted. “We normally draw the line for competition at 50 km per hour winds, but it was just under that at 45, so I’m proud of us for getting out there, being brave and competing in the crazy winds.”
Australia’s Rhiannan Iffland finished atop the podium with a score of 354.30 to secure the King Kahekili Trophy.
Carlson, a native of Thunder Bay, ON, was second heading into her final dive and scored 89.30 on her last attempt to finish with a combined score of 336.70.
“I am extremely pleased with my performance today,” Carlson said. “Obviously, conditions play a role, but it was anyone’s game, and it was the luck of the waves for sure. Rhiannan and I got pretty lucky and did some pretty great dives, but I’m so proud of her. We’ve been pushing each other throughout this season, and today she secured the King Kahekili Trophy – all she had to do was pass me, and she did that.”
The 23-year-old also finished second at last season’s stop in Polignano a Mare and admitted that experience helped her this weekend.
“You can just tell the confidence I had in Mostar and Polignano from last season to this,” Carlson said. “It just adds that little bit of self-love heading into these crazy dives, especially when conditions pick up.”
Macaulay finished third on Sunday with a cumulative score of 334.00. The 29-year-old entered her final dive in fifth and scored 93.60 on her last attempt to secure a podium finish.
With the third-place finish, Macaulay is in sole possession of the third place in the overall standings ahead of American Eleanor Smart and Australia’s Xantheia Pennisi heading into the final stop on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Sydney.
“I was really happy with Top 3, my podium finish. I was in contention for third place in the rankings, with Eleanor and Xantheia entering this competition. The three of us were really close, Eleanor and I were tied in the overall ranking, and Xantheia was 20 points away, so this competition really mattered for us,” Macaulay said. “If we had ended the competition yesterday due to weather, I would’ve been fifth in the overall standings.
“Competing today, doing the fourth dive was really important. I was a bit nervous because it was my reverse, and it’s not as consistent as my back, but it went really well. I was lucky with the waves, I think some of the other girls were not as lucky, and because I did a good dive and overtook Eleanor and Xantheia, I am third in the overall ranking, which makes this competition really important. Now I’m in good standing for the next competition.”
Harrison, who made her debut at Polignano a Mare in 2019, was 11th heading into her final dive on Sunday and scored 55.10 to finish with a combined score of 256.90.
“The competition dive did not go as well as I wanted it to, but waves like that are very tough to read,” Harrison said. “The first one I hit the bottom of a wave, so I went over and then the competition one I went over, so I landed a bit short. It’s mostly luck when it comes to waves.”
The 28-year-old Winnipeg, MB native, who was making her fourth start of the season, was able to make improvements on her previous appearance on the tour in Norway.
“I think the improvements were I was really focusing on my knees, my toes and my execution after Norway,” she said. “Proud that I improved those things that I set out to improve.”
About Diving Plongeon Canada
Diving Plongeon Canada (DPC) was established in 1967 as a not-for-profit organization to promote the growth and awareness of the sport in this country. As a member of FINA, the world’s governing body of aquatic sports, DPC contributes to the development of globally accepted standards of excellence in diving and supports the rules and regulations of international competition. Representing nine provincial diving associations, 67 local diving clubs and close to 4,000 high-performance athletes, DPC shares a national commitment to advance the art and sport of diving and to position Canada as the number one diving nation in the world. For information, visit www.diving.ca.
-30-
For more information:
Maelle Dancause
Manager, Communications
Diving Plongeon Canada
C 514-475-4540 | maelle@diving.ca