The Port of Montreal will host the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series this summer

Molly Carlson can't wait to get on the St. Lawrence River this summer.

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series returns to its adopted home of Montreal on August 25, the first time Canada has been on the schedule since the circuit's inception in 2009.

The Canadian stop takes place at the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal.

The Red Bull World Series sees women dive from a platform 21 meters above water, or about seven stories high. Men jump from a platform 27 meters high on average.

Each dive lasts just three seconds, with male competitors reaching speeds of up to 85 km/h as they dive.

“I can't even imagine what it's like to get in the water after doing an amazing dive and performing in front of a Canadian crowd. I'm sick to my stomach just thinking about it,” Carlson said. “I can't wait to do my best in front of everyone.”

The 25-year-old native of Thunder Bay, Ont., who now calls Montreal home, is entering his fourth season on the circuit, ranked third overall in 2021 and second the last two years.

The World Series opens May 26 in Athens before Boston (June 8), Italy (June 30 at Polignano a Mare), Northern Ireland (July 20 at the Causeway) and Norway (August 10 at Oslo).

The circuit then moves to Turkey (September 29 in Antalya), ending on November 10 in Sydney, Australia.

Each stop is different.

In Boston, competitors dive from platforms on the roof of the Institute of Contemporary Art.

Featured on TV's Game of Thrones, Northern Ireland's rugged Causeway Coast sees athletes dive into the choppy waters of the Atlantic Ocean. In Italy, this is a picturesque town on the edge of a cliff

12 male and 12 female divers participate in each event. There are eight divers on the regular roster, with four men's and women's wild cards in each event.

Canadian Simone Lithead, 20, of Montreal, will make the transition from wild card to regular diver this season.

Australian star Rhiannan Iffland won the women's title for seven years in a row. It earned him the King Kahekili Trophy, named after the Hawaiian chief who jumped from the sacred Kaunolo Cliffs, which first emerged as a sport in the 1700s as a sport of cliff jumping.

Romania's Constantin Popovici won the 2023 men's title, with Great Britain's Aidan Heslop second. Heslop accompanies Carlson and trains with him in Montreal under coach Stephane Lapointe.

A former gymnast, Carlson has been practicing traditional diving (10m and 3m springboard) for 12 years.

He attended Florida State on a diving scholarship and was named the 2017 and 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Diver of the Year. When he contracted COVID, he thought his diving career was over.

“Then an old college coach said, 'You know you're good at high diving.

He moved to Montreal and began high diving training under Lapointe, attracted by the Olympic Sports Center's 20m diving platform.

“Here I am jumping off the craziest platforms in the world,” he said, “and I'm loving every second of it.”

“It's scary every day, but it's pushed me to be my bravest self. It's helped me come out of my shell, not just as an athlete, but as a person, and helped me find my confidence and courage. So I'm grateful for this sport and I love Canada for what it's all about.” I can't wait to show you that.”

Carlson's sunny attitude and willingness to try anything, whether it's skydiving or skydiving, has earned him a loyal following. He has 3.8 million followers on TikTok and 368,000 followers on Instagram.

Carlson hits the water at a speed of 65-70 km/h. Even if you get the dive right, the sport takes its toll.

Carlson was out for two months after spraining his knee in a cliff dive, and soon learned his body could only handle so many repetitions from that height. He later suffered a concussion on a botched landing and was sidelined for six weeks.

Heslop won gold in the men's 27m diving event at the World Aquatics Championships in February.

Iffland won her fourth 20m title in Doha, ahead of Carlson, who left Red Bull after last season, and Canada's Jessica Macaulay.

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This Canadian Press report was first published on April 9, 2024

Neil Davidson, Canadian Press