Orlando Duque made it two wins out of two at the Cenote Ik Kil in Mexico as the Colombian confirmed his return to top form in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
The 36-year-old followed his success in the season opener on Rapa Nui with another, near faultless performance, which produced two 10s after he hit his third dive, a reverse double somersault with four twists, to take control of the contest.
Proof that practice makes perfect, Duque is reaping the rewards from what he believes was a transitional period in 2010.
“Last season was tough," said Duque. "I’d learned a couple of new dives, I had to struggle with them a little bit to make them work and get on the right side of the fine line between missing the dive and doing really well. In pre-season I focused a lot on quality and it looks like it’s paying off. I’m feeling a lot, lot better than last year. I’m happy, man.”
Englishman Gary Hunt, whose win here last year accelerated his charge towards the title, finished second, with veteran Slava Polyeshchuk claiming the final place on the podium.
The same three athletes occupy the top three spots in the championship, although Duque has now extended his lead over Hunt to 11 points.
Strong performances from Cyrille Oumedjkane and Steven Lobue saw the pair claim their highest ever finishes in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, with a fourth and sixth place respectively.
Mexican wildcard Jonatan Paredes, meanwhile, could also be proud of his performance after his first appearance among the high diving elite produced a seventh-placed finish.
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