British Olympian in final event in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2011
Blake Aldridge, 2008 Diving Olympian and current European Cliff Diving Champion, was invited to participate, along side a world class field, in the ultimate showdown of the 2011 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series on 4th September. As a newcomer to this discipline he has shown himself to be the one to watch for 2012.
Blake, sponsored by Apogee Corporation, a major player in Digital Print Solutions, has his sights firmly on a medal having just become the European Cliff Diving Champion 2011.
In the land of the Cossacks, Red Bull hosted the final event of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2011. The ornate Swallow's Nest Castle near Yalta on the Crimean shore provided the perfect backdrop for the third season's culminating event. Divers ,turned climbers, used ropes to climb down to the diving platform, 27 meters above the water.
Blake Aldridge was invited following his success in La Rochelle and having recently become the European Cliff Diving champion for the 3rd time. He is definitely the one to watch as he gains more experience at 27 metres. His experience at 10 metres is enviable as he is still the British Record Holder for 10-metre synchro since 2008. He has over 35 National Titles. 3-times World Medallist and Olympic Games Finalist 2008 Beijing. But as Blake says 27 metres is very different and having come 2nd in the first and second rounds at Yalta he feels very encouraged for 2012.
To view video of the divers in action and hear what they have to say - Click Here
Apogee's Director of IT & Corporate Communications, Paul Hayes said, “We are very impressed with Blake this year following injury set backs. Blake and Apogee share an ethos to achieve excellence through hard work and inward evaluation and it’s that shared vision that forms the basis for our continued relationship. We look forward to seeing Blake carry the Apogee brand name at this final event of this 2011 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series”
Blake said, "I'm fortunate that my sponsors, Apogee, have kept supporting me through the Olympics and now with the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. They've been fantastic supporters. I owe everything to them for the last eight years of my life. Without their support I wouldn't be able to be here and do this. They're keeping the dream alive and I'll be back next year for sure."
Blake says, “I'm delighted to have competed for Red Bull for the 2nd time in my life and the 2nd time this year. I'm relatively inexperienced at this height even though I’ve been diving from 10 meters for 24 years, including at the 2008 Olympics. My previous experience is very different from 27 meters - nearly 3 times the height that I'm used to. Make no mistake, every dive is a learning curve for me but I'm confident that if I dive well I’ll be in the mix for the medals soon. Coming 2nd in the 1st & 2nd rounds in Yalta is very encouraging and with more training I am really aiming high for next year.”
“A few years ago not many people knew that cliff diving is actually a sport in which you can compete, that it’s more than jumping from the rocks into a lake or the sea for the fun of it. The World Series opened the sport to a more mainstream audience and now we have good new divers coming in.” American Kent De Mond recalls the earlier days, "most of them come from traditional Olympic diving but being exposed to cliff diving makes them think higher." You have to have a special mind set or, as Blake Aldridge – diver of the British national team at the Olympic Games in 2008 – prefers to express it: “an extreme mentality and real guts to be able to stand up to what you do” to make the transition to high diving.
Hardly three seasons old, the World Series’ participants have pushed the sport to such a high level that American Greg Louganis – four-time Olympic gold medallist and the most successful diver of all time – predicts an even brighter future for cliff diving: “This Series standardized the sport a bit. The height is always between 26.5m and 28m, they have the fixed degree of difficulty and a good panel of judges. Thus, the divers know better what to expect and can prepare better. I think it’s very possible that cliff diving becomes an Olympic sport. There is so much more talent coming into the sport. It’s an exciting time for cliff diving.”
The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series aims to guarantee the highest possible quality in this sport, featuring the world’s best athletes and providing them with a platform to excel and express their passion over and over again. 2012 should be very exciting.
Along side his training Blake, who has been helping to train blind and visually impaired children to trampoline at Linden Lodge School in their state of the art facilities. Apogee Corporation were the lead sponsor for Wandsworth based Linden Lodge School's new Movement and Performing Arts Centre, The Apogee Centre, where this training took place.
Blake is a Londoner with enormous talent who is passionate about getting people to become more active. He has been helping to encourage people to take part in the Gold Challenge (www.goldchallenge.org) with a view to getting people into sport and in particular to raise funds for Vision Charity's Sports Legacy Fund. Vision Charity also provided significant funds towards the equipping of The Apogee Centre at Linden Lodge School.
Blake went to school at Stanley Technical High School, South Norwood, Croydon. He was born and lives in South London and supports Arsenal Football Club.
About Apogee Corporation Ltd
Founded in Croydon, Wimbledon based company, Apogee Corporation, sponsors Blake Aldridge, Olympian and European Cliff Diving Champion 2011, in this weekend's Red Bull World Cliff Diving Final.
Apogee Corporation Ltd is a leading UK digital office solutions specialist. Their mantra is "The Digital Office Made Simple". It’s proven track record in the design, implementation and on-going support has led to some of the most innovative digital workflow solutions in the marketplace today. It has regional offices throughout the UK including the recently opened City Office. Apogee has made a number of strategic acquisitions which has contributed to their tremendous growth, a trend that has been recognized by inclusion on the Sunday Times Fast Track 100; a list that celebrates fast growing organisations throughout the UK.
Apogee’s solutions are based on a bespoke service. Starting with its unique "blank canvas" approach, Apogee Corporation always takes the time to understand how their clients work. These clients represent a real diversity both in terms of industry and size.
Apogee’s solutions include digital document devices, software, workflow, telecoms & IT infrastructure, which together form the communication channels within a business. All of this is supported by, Apogee, a single business solutions partner offering a wide range of digital office equipment, photocopiers, printers and fax machines from it’s partners which include Ricoh, Canon, Toshiba & Sharp
More Blake News
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If you would like more information on Blake and his diving
adventures you can visit his micro-site here (www.apogeecorp.com/blake).
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