As you would have simply imagined, the sport of diving is associated with people jumping off things into the water. The ancient ways of diving took the form of people jumping off hills, cliffs or trees. As the history of diving progressed, people began to leap off from man-made features such as bridges, buildings and fishing piers. Some of the original inhabitants from extrinsic places used to lure and impress the tourists while cliff diving and it glittered an interest in these individuals to take the feat back to their homes which helped spread the game of cliff diving.
In the late 1800’s, the earliest of competitions in diving history took place. Almost every athlete performed the basic forward straight dive which is often performed throughout Europe. Diving first appeared in the Olympics at the 1904 games in St. Louis. Later on in 1908, springboard diving was created.
Around 2009 all this changed, when Red Bull invented the Cliff Diving World Series – an annual pageant of competitions in different regions around the world, portraying some of the world’s best Olympian and professional high divers. This event has taken cliff diving to new success and heights, and participating competitors and athletes have increased the difficulty level of high diving to a degree that was not even thought of a few years back. It is a contest at the FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation) World Championships, and will significantly become a diving event in the Olympics.
Gary Hunt, a Red Bull cliff diver is the only athlete who has competed in all 50 World Series and won more than half of them. Gary Hunt, is a man at the very top of his game, winning the World Series champion for five times. Ever since he finished his runner-up in the first World Series in 2009, there has been virtually no stopping the for the 32years old man.
Not only is cliff diving today one of the most burgeoning, thrilling professional sporting events, it also gives professional and aspiring divers a great reason to travel to various beautiful destinations with magnificent natural scenery.
In early 1900’s, the sport of diving began to relax a number of its rules which started the growth of tucks, pikes and somersaults. Since then, diving has developed into a highly athletic display of skill, power and grace. More so than swimming, it is a sport that has roots in gymnastics, which is obvious because of its Swedish ancestors who trained and practiced for gymnastics by landing in the water.
Gary Hunt is also the winner of High Diving World Cup in 2009 and in 2006, he won the 3rd Commonwealth Games 10m Synchro.
From something as simple as jumping off high elevations into water, the history of diving is a simple one that involves the evolution of a sport. The sport has become one of powerful athletes winning great feats in the air that leave audiences breathless. From the pool party in summer to the famous athletes in the world, diving will always be thrilling and great fun and hence, goes the history of diving.
