information: You wouldn't want to belly flop! British thrill seeker wins death-defying diving contest from 88 foot cliff into freshwater pools

Monday, October 1, 2012

You wouldn't want to belly flop! British thrill seeker wins death-defying diving contest from 88 foot cliff into freshwater pools

You need nerves of steel - or perhaps a complete lack of common sense - to take part in this competition.
Thrill seekers scaled an 88ft cliff so they could dive into emerald freshwater pools.
As onlookers gaped, 11 competitors leaped from the platform to flip and twist for 27 metres, before hitting the water three seconds later at 85kph.

Are you sure you want to look down? Alain Kohl of Luxembourg waves to the crowd prior to diving from the 27.5 metre platform into the emerald green pool

Look out below! Gary Hunt of Great Britain spins through the air as he launches himself off the diving platform

Cyrille Oumedjkane of France clutches his legs as he makes the death defying jump, before hitting the water at 85kph

And the death defying Red Bull competition was won by Englishman Gary Hunt, who was crowned with the World Series championship title for the third time.
He was watched by 5,000 spectators in the cliff diving competition in Wadi Shab, Oman in the presence of His Highness Sayyed Tareq bin Shabib Al Said.
In seven stops across Europe, North America and the Middle East in the last 14 weeks the cliff diving elite was put to the test, awarding only the top-five divers from 27 metres with a ticket for the 2013 season.

Cyrille Oumedjkane of France gracefully leaps through the air as 5,000 spectators look on as the adrenalin junkies competed for the title

Brave Michal Navratil of the Czech Republic launches himself off the 88ft cliff in the valley

Point those toes! David Colturi of the USA grimaces as he tenses and throws himself into the water

An elated Gary Hunt said: 'This year has been the hardest without a doubt.
'It felt like everyone was on top of their game and you had to be diving really well to win it.
'Waiting for the final score was one of the most nerve-wracking times of my life.'
Emerald-green water, dramatic rock formations and Omani passion provided the stage set for the final three-second flights of the year in the canyon-like valley two hours south of the capital Muscat.
Almost 300 competition dives, seven different podium finishers and four winners’ faces in natural, urban, remote and unique venues made up the fourth season of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
The bottom six of the 2012 field of permanent participants will have to enter qualification, together with new talent, in order to claim a ticket for next season, early next year.

Nerves of steel: Gary Hunt of Great Britain clutches the World Series trophy after the seventh and final stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Wadi Shab in Oman