A beloved New Zealand summer pastime, to dive into water and generate the biggest splash possible, has taken on a competitive flavor at the inaugural “Manu” world championships in Auckland.
The Manu is a dive-bomb method thought to have originated in New Zealand about 30 years ago and is practiced fervently at pools, rivers and ocean diving spots across the country.
Some consider it a rite of passage to spend hours on a warm afternoon honing a technique in which the lower back enters the water first, with the body following in a “V” shape — arms and legs extended.
Scott Rice, organizer of the self-proclaimed “world championship” event, estimated that about 5,000 Manu dives would be judged across a series of qualifying events ahead of the final on March 9. The grand prize is NZ$30,000 (US$18,591).
Unlike Olympic diving, where athletes seek the smallest splash possible, Manu judges look for height and volume in the splash, along with a “pure” sound upon impact, Rice said.
Former All Blacks rugby union great Sean Fitzpatrick was among competitors leaping from 3m and 5m platforms at a world championship qualifying event yesterday, seeking the “pop” needed upon splashdown to send a plume of water skyward.
Fitzpatrick, who was part of the team who won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, said he was setting his sights on a second world title at the age of 60.
“Do I want to be a Manu world champion? Well, that’s why I’m here,” he said. “I’m getting a bit old and long in the tooth and taking on some of these young kids, but we’ll see how we go.”
Fitzpatrick, who captained the All Blacks in 51 of his 92 matches, said he has been taking advice from rivals.
“To do the Manu, you’ve got to get your leg tuck right and as soon as you’ve got your backside into the water, immediately try to straighten your body to get the right ‘pop.’ I’ve been told that’s the way to do it,” he said.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their