15 Mins With
Cliff diver Orlando Duque
Over the course of his 20-year career, ‘ The Duke’ has amassed 13 world titles, two entries in the Guinness World Records, and a 34m dive o a bridge in Italy (his highest to date). ere’s also the small matter of a crocodile-infested dive in Australia, which he undertook partly as a way to raise awareness of the sport – and also because Duque takes a ‘why not?’ approach to just about everything.
Here, the Colombian explains what drives him to dive, and how he prepares both physically and mentally for a sport like no other.
Just thinking about the dive gets me excited. Knowing that I’m testing myself, working around the take-o point, nding the best way to jump o , and checking every single detail of the dive. All of that keeps me wanting more. I think it is necessary to psych myself up, to make sure I’m ready and concentrated.
The physical preparation has several layers. First, I need a regular tness routine: running, biking, swimming, rowing, any kind of cardiovascular training. en there is a strength component, so I do squats, deadlifts, shoulder press, bench press and hanging pulls. After that, jumping hurdles to transfer the power. We also do technical work at the pool: water-entry positions and so on.
I’m often on edge before a dive, but I take comfort from knowing how prepared I am. My brain is just trying to protect me and I have to convince myself I’m ready.
I’m not scared of heights, but I am scared of the impact with the water after a dive! I hit the water at about 85km/h and even a very small mistake is going to hurt – a big mistake could be deadly. Being aware of that keeps me on my toes.
You reach a balance between your body, your mind and nature all working together. I love feeling my feet on the rocks, looking at the blue-green water of the sea, working with my body to perform the dive.
I think our sport has everything it needs to become Olympic, and a big part of my work and energy is going towards that.
I am a member of the athletes’ committee at FINA [Fédération Internationale de Natation, which administers water-based Olympic sports] and together with Red Bull I think we are doing everything possible to show our sport at its best. Hopefully the IOC sees it the same way.