As one of the most extreme sports in the world, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2009 was hosted by four cities in Europe before coming to Antalya, which produced a new champion.Silchenko's success in Antalya came as a surprise, putting him ahead of tour leader and nine-time world champion Orlando Duque from Colombia. The newly married Russian diver said this championship would be the best gift for his wife, as they are currently on their honeymoon. Nearly 40,000 people watched the 25-year-old champion compete. “I felt rather comfortable and fit after yesterday's training and thought there might be a slight possibility to win. I had a good start and was already some points ahead after the second round; however, I was really nervous before my last dive. Finally, I performed well, and now I am just happy,” Silchenko said.
Orlando Duque remains in first place with 92 points and English Gary Hunt is in second place with 71 points in the overall ranking, while Sichelenko is currently in third place overall with 66 points. The divers reached a speed of 90 kilometers an hour in 2.5 seconds after jumping from a 26-meter platform. Onlookers watched the cliff diving, one of the most dangerous and extreme sports, from Antalya's Atatürk Park and from boats.
Famous and well-known diving spots as well as extraordinary challenging natural venues have been selected for the Red Bull Cliff Diving Series 2009. With its first stop in La Rochelle, France, on May 8, the series continued to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on June 20, Dubrovnik, Croatia, on July 11 and Polignano, Italy, on July 26. The series will continue in Hamburg, Germany, on Aug. 29 and Sisikon, Switzerland, on Sept. 5 before reaching Athens, Greece, for the finals on Sept. 20. Red Bull Cliff Diving competitions are judged by five international jurors with scores awarded according to the degree of difficulty and the execution of the dive.
