Latest news with #MollyCarlson
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
‘The fear never goes away': High divers open up about their sport at World Aquatics Championships
Mexico's Jonathan Paredes said that even F1 drivers feel fear when stepping into their cars and going 300kmh. SINGAPORE – People see high divers as daredevils for risking serious injuries every time they jump off a cliff or tall platform. But underneath that calm facade is the inherent feeling of dread each time the athletes step up to the edge. Ask four-time high diving world champion Rhiannan Iffland, and she would readily admit to feeling afraid, even now. The Australian said: 'Every time I get up to the 20-metre platform, I have that sense of fear and everything. It just never goes away. 'Because it is scary getting up there. Every single time you walk up and you think about the 'what ifs', and you think about the things that could go wrong.' The extreme sport, which entails men leaping from a platform 27 metres high and women taking the plunge from 20m, is seen as the most death-defying event at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH). Iffland, who claimed world titles in 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024, is among the 16 women and 23 men who are competing in high diving at the Palawan Green in Sentosa from July 24 to 27. The 33-year-old heads the women's field after two rounds on July 24 with 169.50 points, ahead of Canadian Molly Carlson (165.80) and Colombia's Maria Paula Quintero (146.10). Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Live: People evacuated from border regions amid deadly Thailand-Cambodia clash Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Singapore Singapore says prolonged suffering of civilians in Gaza is 'unconscionable' Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore First BTO flats in Greater Southern Waterfront, Mount Pleasant to go on sale in October Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Asia 'Vampire coach': Coercive blood sampling in school casts spotlight on Taiwan's culture of obedience Singapore 1,300 names, addresses of traffic offenders published online; police investigating Canada's Molly Carlson slipped off the platform during a jump in Italy and admits that it had taken a toll on her mental state. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG A self-confessed adrenaline junkie, Iffland is not alone in having to constantly conquer her fear. Carlson too noted the worry she felt, especially after a near-tragic incident on June 29, when she slipped as she was jumping off the 22-metre platform at the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Italy. The Canadian went into an uncontrolled fall, but managed to land feet-first into the water and did not suffer any major injuries. The 26-year-old recalled: 'Italy was terrifying. I slipped off the platform and fell out of control. No injuries, but it did play with my mental (state) and for that, it took a lot to come back strong.' And she will be doing the same dive on July 25. 'I'm really happy I made some easy dives (on July 24), and I can just go into tomorrow with a fresh (outlook) and hopefully not slip off the platform.' On regaining her courage to dive again, Carlson said: 'For me, it's about being comfortable with the fear… I see my sports psychologist and we (agreed) that this is a scary sport. 'You're allowed to have those feelings, recognise them, let them be there and do the best that you can with them. Definitely don't push it away.' Men's diver Jonathan Paredes, 35, said the 'fear will never go away', even after many years in the sport. 'And that's good, because I always tell people that you have Formula One and I've never seen any (driver) jumping in that car, driving 300kmh, and not being scared,' added the Mexican. 'And I think that's part of life, and that makes you respect your sport and feel proud about it.' Gary Hunt, one of the oldest competitors in Singapore at 41, said it is a different type of fear he feels now. The British-born Frenchman said: 'It's not the same fear as what it used to be, for sure. In the first 10 years, for the first dives of the season, my legs would be shaking, but I don't feel that any more. 'But there's different fears. I went through very difficult periods where I was getting lost in the air, and so that completely broke my confidence, and I had to build that confidence back up.' Hunt is fourth overall on 200.55 points after the first two rounds on July 24, behind Spanish leader Carlos Gimeno (218.40), Romania's Constatin Popovici (216.50) and American James Lichtenstein (212.80). With the extreme event gaining traction among young people, the divers are hoping high diving can one day make it onto the Olympic roster. Carlson said: 'I think seeing the sport grow is so important. I know that the more we compete here, it's just going to keep growing. 'We obviously want to be an Olympic sport, and it just takes having a lot more countries. So the more we're posting on social media, the more people will know that we're here.' Australia's Rhiannan Iffland in action during her high dive at the Women's 20m platform rounds one and two at the World Aquatics Championships. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Iffland added: 'The sport has definitely grown, especially in the last five years. Training facilities are popping up all over the world, and the group of people are getting younger. 'It would be a great thing for the sport if it does (get) introduced into the Olympic Games… I think there's still some way to go but the spectators would love it.' The divers will compete in two more rounds on July 25 before the women complete their final two sessions on July 26 and the men on July 27.
CBC
17-07-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Cliff diver Molly Carlson after traumatic slip during Red Bull event
Canadian cliff diver Molly Carlson spoke to CBC Sports after a 'near-death' experience during competition in which she slipped off a 22m platform. The professional diver told host Anastasia Bucsis about the scary experience, her amazement that her body 'knew' what to do, and how excited she is to compete for Canada in high diving at the world Aquatics championships beginning July 23rd.
17-07-2025
- Business
Quebec-based Couche-Tard pulls out of bid for 7-Eleven parent company
Headlines Latest News Podcasts (new window) Couche-Tard made 1st offer in August 2024 A Couche-Tard convenience store is seen in Montreal, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. Photo: The Canadian Press / Christinne Muschi Alimentation Couche-Tard has backed away from a bid to buy the parent company of Japanese convenience store giant 7-Eleven. Couche-Tard says it withdrew its proposal to buy Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., which it accused of failing to sincerely and constructively engage with its offer. Couche-Tard says it repeatedly sought a friendly dialogue with Seven & i's founding family but alleges it was not open to any conversation and management hasn't been willing to address basic questions about industry dynamics in the country. Couche-Tard, the Quebec-based firm which owns Circle K and Ingo, first made a friendly offer for Seven & i last August. It improved the bid that fall before issuing a non-binding proposal earlier this year. Seven & i initially rebuffed the takeover, saying it would be too hard to nab regulatory approvals because some would see the deal as reducing competition across several markets. But after Seven & i's founding family failed to secure financing for what could have been a competing bid, Couche-Tard and the Japanese firm entered more serious discussions earlier this year about a potential path forward. Experts say the TikTok trend is a worthwhile exercise, but not to get hung up on the details 27 minutes ago Physical and mental health 'Definitely it is not consultation,' says AFN regional chief about summit 1 hour ago Federal Politics Conservative leader says he was honest about plans to cut public service 1 hour ago Federal Politics Thunder Bay, Ont.'s Molly Carlson ready to turn the page, compete at aquatics worlds Gap increased each year following start of COVID-19 pandemic
17-07-2025
- Sport
'I have 9 lives': Canadian diver reflects on terrifying cliff fall, overcoming near-death experience
After a near-death experience slipping off a 22-foot diving cliff, Canadian diver Molly Carlson says she'll celebrate the next time she gets on the diving board again. The 26-year old was competing at the second stop of the Red Bull cliff diving World Series in Polignano a Mare, Italy, on June 28th, when the fall happened, leading her to drop out of the competition. Watching it again, it's always terrifying. You don't expect yourself to slip off a 22-metre platform after years of doing it perfectly, Carlson told CBC Sports. I'm just really proud of myself for knowing what to do in the air in such a scary situation. WATCH | Molly Carlson joins CBC Sports to discuss traumatic slip: The next morning, the diver woke up with a black bruise covering the sole of her right foot. I was like, okay, I need to be smart about this, she said. The shock is over. I am in pain. Let's just make sure that I'm good for the world championships. And so I flew home early and I got an X-ray and it was all clear. Carlson, who has been outspoken about struggles with anxiety, says that her first instinct after the fall was to feel like she let down her sponsors and country. Now, she's rewriting her own narrative and celebrating her courage on the diving board. I live with anxiety, and I know that other people do too, she said. And for me, I'm just trying to really find deep down like, 'You have to do this for you. You can't be jumping off platforms for other reasons. You can't be trying to people-please the whole time.' WATCH | Molly Carlson shares struggles with anxiety, and overcoming: Later this month, Carlson will compete in Singapore for Team Canada at the World Aquatics Championships 2025. As she prepares to return to the world stage, supportive teammates are what grounds the diver, she says. Knowing that I have my coach, I have my teammates, I have Summer McIntosh ready to come cheer for me at the World Championships, Carlson said. I think that's the coolest thing ever, and I just can't wait to prove to everyone that I can do this dive. While Carlson is gunning for the podium at World's — becoming a world champion has always been a dream — her greater goal is to inspire those watching. At the end of the day, I've learned that success is so much more than outcomes. It's absolutely about how much you can connect with the audience, how much you can inspire, she said. It is truly through inspiration, and I hope that I am helping someone out there feel less alone. Tara De Boer (new window) · CBC Sports · Writer Tara is a Toronto-based journalist who writes and produces athlete features for CBC Sports, exploring the intersection of sport, society, and culture. Prior to this, she was a writer for the CTV News national editorial team, covering trending and breaking news. Tara's bylines have appeared in Toronto Life, Canadian Business, and Maclean's where she covers stories related to culture, entertainment, and sports. She holds a Master's degree from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'I have 9 lives': Canadian diver reflects on terrifying cliff fall, overcoming near-death experience
After a near-death experience slipping off a 22-foot diving cliff, Canadian diver Molly Carlson says she'll celebrate the next time she gets on the diving board again. The 26-year old was competing at the second stop of the Red Bull cliff diving World Series in Polignano a Mare, Italy, on June 28th, when the fall happened, leading her to drop out of the competition. "Watching it again, it's always terrifying. You don't expect yourself to slip off a 22-metre platform after years of doing it perfectly," Carlson told CBC Sports. "I'm just really proud of myself for knowing what to do in the air in such a scary situation." WATCH | Molly Carlson joins CBC Sports to discuss traumatic slip: The next morning, the diver woke up with a black bruise covering the sole of her right foot. "I was like, okay, I need to be smart about this," she said. "The shock is over. I am in pain. Let's just make sure that I'm good for the world championships. And so I flew home early and I got an X-ray and it was all clear." Carlson, who has been outspoken about struggles with anxiety, says that her first instinct after the fall was to feel like she let down her sponsors and country. Now, she's rewriting her own narrative and celebrating her courage on the diving board. "I live with anxiety, and I know that other people do too," she said. "And for me, I'm just trying to really find deep down like, 'You have to do this for you. You can't be jumping off platforms for other reasons. You can't be trying to people-please the whole time.'"Later this month, Carlson will compete in Singapore for Team Canada at the World Aquatics Championships 2025. As she prepares to return to the world stage, supportive teammates are what grounds the diver, she says. "Knowing that I have my coach, I have my teammates, I have Summer McIntosh ready to come cheer for me at the World Championships," Carlson said. "I think that's the coolest thing ever, and I just can't wait to prove to everyone that I can do this dive." While Carlson is gunning for the podium at World's — becoming a world champion has always been a dream — her greater goal is to inspire those watching. "At the end of the day, I've learned that success is so much more than outcomes. It's absolutely about how much you can connect with the audience, how much you can inspire," she said. "It is truly through inspiration, and I hope that I am helping someone out there feel less alone."
