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Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in St. Pete
An elite group of international cliff divers will soon make a historic splash down at the St. Pete Pier. FOX 13's Kailey Tracy reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - An elite group of international cliff divers will soon make a historic splash down at the St. Pete Pier.
The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series stops in St. Petersburg from June 5–6.
It is the only stop in the United States this year, and the first time the event has come to Florida.
Building the massive pier structure
What we know:
Crews on Thursday installed the second platform on the custom-built dive tower located at the St. Pete Pier near the St. Pete Museum of History. The massive tower stands 103 feet tall.
Divers prepare for high speeds
By the numbers:
Women dive from 70 feet and men dive from 90 feet, reaching speeds of 53 mph. Organizers say the water at the pier is about 12 to 15 feet deep.
A total of 24 international athletes will compete in the event.
This includes American diver James Lichtenstein, who is celebrating his fifth year in the series.
Courtesy: Red Bull
"With an urban area like St. Pete, the audience is going to be able to be pretty close to the action, which is super exciting," Lichtenstein said.
Lichtenstein placed third in Bali last weekend during the first stop of the tour.
Last year, Lichtenstein became the first American male to win an event on home soil in Boston.
Home crowd advantage in Florida
What they're saying:
"Any stop in the U.S. is super great. I love having the home crowd on my side and having some family and friends there as well," Lichtenstein said. "If you're coming down, you're going to see some of the best athletes in the world doing some of the most death-defying dives in the world, and trying to do all that with, you know, great execution as well as trying to rip that entry, trying to leave no splash entering the water," Lichtenstein said.
Courtesy: Red Bull
Lichtenstein noted that the sheer scale of the dive requires immense mental strength.
"The hardest part is jumping. As soon as you jump, at least as soon as, you know, one of us jumps, people at our level, the body will take over and do what it's, what we've been training it to do. But there's always definitely a fear. We respect the height. We respect the consequences, but it's about how well you can manage that fear," Lichtenstein said.
Unconfirmed details about the event
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the specific weather safety protocols or the exact layout of the spectator viewing zones along the waterfront.
Thousands expected at the waterfront
What's next:
The free event kicks off at 11:15 a.m. on June 5.
Local organizers expect more than 50,000 spectators to fill the area over the weekend.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Red Bull Cliff Diving organizers, who provided event details and logistical statistics, as well as American diver James Lichtenstein, who explained the athletic preparation and mental challenges of the competition.