By Nick Butler

Reigning world champion Orlando Duque will be among those competing in Kazan ©Getty ImagesA major step on the road to the Kazan 2015 World Aquatics Championships will take place from tomorrow with the start of the inaugural International Swimming Federation (FINA) High Diving World Cup in the Russian city. 


Taking place from far higher levels than the indoor variant, high diving is the newest discipline on the aquatics programme, having been showcased for the first time at a World Championships in  Barcelona in 2013, and due to be held again in Kazan next year.

Many of those who competed in Barcelona will participate once again for the three-day competition that will mark the first standalone FINA event in the sport. 

Among the 25 men toeing the line in the gruelling 27 metre platform event will be Colombia's reigning world champion Orlando Duque as well as Gary Hunt of Great Britain and Jonathan Paredes of Mexico, the respective silver and bronze medal winners in Barcelona. 

World champion Cesilie Carlton of the United States will be a leading contender in the women's competition, meanwhile, while opposition is likely to come from compatriot Ginger Huber and Anna Bader of Germany. 

The three-day competition includes one men's session tomorrow, in which three rounds of dives will be performed.

The best 18 ranked divers after this first session will compete on Sunday (August 10) in the fourth round of dives, while another selection of the best 12 competitors will be made to the fifth and last round later on the same day.

Consisting of three rounds of dives from a slightly lower 20m platform, the women's competition will take place on Saturday (August 9). 

Training sessions have already begun ahead of the High Diving World Cup ©Kazan 2015Training sessions have already begun ahead of the High Diving World Cup
©Kazan 2015



The competition will be broadcast live on the FINA website, with a prize fund of $10,000 (£6,000/€7,400) being awarded to the two winners.

But as well as another opportunity to showcase the sport of high diving, it was also mark another test for the city of Kazan, ahead of the Championships taking place from July 24 until August 9.

Indoor diving, water polo and pool, open water and synchronised swimming will also feature on the programme in 12 months' time.

This comes a year after the city hosted the Summer Universiade, and a month after the World Fencing Championships were held there, with all of these events key components in a Russian Decade of Sport that has also included the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, and will include the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]