Carlton and Huber finish 1-2 for US in high diving event

BARCELONA: Cesilie Carlton plunged the equivalent of seven stories into the murky waters of Barcelona’s harbour.

When the American resurfaced she had won the inaugural gold medal in the extreme sport of high diving at the World Championships.

Not bad for someone who is afraid of heights – and flying.

Carlton and team-mate Ginger Huber finished 1-2 in the 20m platform competition on Tuesday in an event that swimming governing body FINA hope will push aquatics into the X-Games age.

Previously, the highest anyone jumped from in a FINA competition was the 10m platform in pool diving.

This event literally brings the sport to new heights.

“I’m afraid of heights,” Carlton said. “That’s why I go very quickly. I don’t look down for a long time. But I know that I have control of what I’m doing.

“The toughest part is looking over,” she added.

Leaping from a temporary platform with thousands of fans watching from the shoreline, Carlton impressed the judges with her final dive, a triple half pike, and moved up from third after the second of three rounds.

Carlton won gold with a total of 211.60 points, Huber had 206.70 and Anna Bader of Germany took bronze with 203.90. Only six women competed. The 32-year-old Carlton works in the Chinese gambling city Macau as a performer in a show called City of Dreams in the House of Dancing Water. She’s from San Antonio, Texas.

“I would have never thought that I would have done high diving,” Carlton said.

“My husband was a high diver and the first time he told me he was a high diver I said, ‘You are crazy. Why would you want to jump off of something that high? That’s insane.’ And a couple years go by and I’m doing it. So it’s thanks to him that I’m doing it.

“He’s coached me through and pushed me,” Carlton added.

The 38-year-old Huber works at Sea World in San Diego, where she dives from only seven metres. — AP