He is the most experienced French representative competing in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series and forms the ‘French connection’, together with Hassan Mouti, whom he introduced to the high diving scene. Cyrille Oumedjkane was born in Strasbourg, but – as his name suggests – he is of Maghreb origin, Algeria to be precise, and it’s a heritage he proudly recalls.
Born on the 5th of April 1976, Cyrille currently juggles cliff diving with his regular job as a lifeguard. However, his training as a diver is not very different from that of most of the athletes in the championship. He started in the swimming pool and made a career in classic diving, making a name for himself between 1992 and 1994, as French national 10-metre champion.
Considering himself a sportsman by nature, the Frenchman takes every opportunity to be active – whether cycling, swimming or diving just for the fun of it. He got into the whirl of cliff diving back in 2001. Adrenaline is what drives him and, although his performances in the first two seasons were relatively modest – finishing both Series 10th overall – 2011 proved something of a breakthrough for the Frenchman.
Required to qualify for the 2011 World Series, Oumedjkane impressed in Australia, then secured a fourth-placed finish in Athens in May, before finishing the third season fifth overall.
