Rachelle Simpson (USA) - Photo credit: Giorgio Scala

 

Living in San Antonio (Texas, USA), Simpson has been a performer in the “House of Dancing Water” show in Macau (CHN) for the last two years and started cliff diving also in 2012.

"Today, I was the best [she finished almost 25 points ahead of Huber], but the success goes to whoever has got good DDs and is able to perform them well. Having four U.S. athletes in the final, we were naturally strong candidates for the medals," considered Simpson, who finished her three-dive final with a DD 4.0 - a front 3 somersaults with 1 ½ twists, piked.

“Wait for me in 2015, I’ll be back!” she concluded.

Also smiling was Ginger Huber. “It looks I am getting used to the second place… In fact, I had a very similar day as the final in Barcelona: my two first dives went OK, while the last one was less good," recalled Huber, who will turn 40 in December. “I presented two new dives and I still hope to have a new one by 2015," said Huber.

“Satisfied” with her result, the U.S. athlete believes that this podium will have a significant importance for the development of High Diving in her country: "It will definitively boost our Sport there."


Ginger Huber (USA) - Photo credit: Giorgio Scala

Cesilie Carlton, the 2013 world champion, had some problems with her second dive (the final rotation was deficient), precisely the same in which Simpson shone, but accepted the final result with philosophy: "It was a tough competition. Everyone is showing new dives and this makes everything more complicated. I hoped to have a medal and I got it," considered Carlton, known for her confessed fear of heights.

"For 2015, I will also add some DD to my programme and I of course look forward to coming back to Kazan. The venue is nice and the view excellent."


The U.S. trio: Huber (silver), Simpson (gold) and Carlton (bronze) - Photo credit: Giorgio Scala

Disappointed but always with her legendary smile in the face, Anna Bader (GER) was one of the day’s victims of the wind. Presenting an armstand dive, she had an instable start and rotated too fast, spoiling the entry. “I always go for the risk. In Barcelona, it was also windy and I’ve made it OK," noted Bader. “But taking a lot of inspiration from today’s final, I’ll present new ideas in 2015. With so many Americans in the field, it is natural they get medals, but I was hoping I could interfere with their plans…”, she concluded.