Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Magazine 2025

O F F I C I A L P E R FO R M A N C E PA RT N E R

AUTHENTIC AND UNFILTERED. THE WORLD’S BEST CLIFF DIVERS, DARING HEIGHTS, A FUSION OF PRECISION, FOCUS, AND PURE AUDACITY—THIS IS THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES 2025.

THIS YEAR, THE COMPETITION RETURNS TO SOME OF ITS PUREST, MOST ICONIC, AND FAN-FOCUSED LOCATIONS SINCE THE SERIES’ DEBUT IN 2009. ACROSS FOUR EXCITING STOPS ON THREE CONTINENTS, ATHLETES WILL PUSH THE LIMITS OF HUMAN POTENTIAL, PERFORMING STUNNING DIVES FROM RAW ROCKS, PRIVATE BALCONIES, AND HISTORIC BRIDGES. 12 WOMEN AND 12 MEN WILL CAPTIVATE AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE, EXECUTING COMPLEX DIVES FROM UP TO 27 METERS ABOVE WATER, PLUNGING AT SPEEDS EXCEEDING 85 KILOMETRES PER HOUR. IN JUST THREE SECONDS OF AESTHETIC FREEFALL, THE NEXT GENERATION OF ATHLETES WILL FACE OFF AGAINST RECORD-SETTERS AND SEASONED CHAMPIONS FOR THE COVETED KING KAHEKILI TROPHY. EXPERIENCE THE EXTRAORDINARY AS THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES SHOWCASES CREATIVITY, COURAGE, AND RELENTLESS ADRENALINE IN ITS 16TH SEASON. TURN THE PAGE TO DISCOVER ALL THE ESSENTIAL INSIGHTS FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE YEAR!

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WORLD SERIES RULES & REGULATIONS

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DIVER WOMEN 36 DIVER WOMEN 39 MOLLY CARLSON 41 NELLI CHUKANIVSKA 43 RHIANNAN IFFLAND 45 GINNI VAN KATWIJK

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DIVER MEN 52 ANDREA BARNABA 54 SERGIO GUZMAN 56 JAMES LICHTENSTEIN 58 CONSTANTIN POPOVICI 60 WILDCARDS

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38 KAYLEA ARNETT 40 MEILI CARPENTER 42 ELISA COSETTI 44 SIMONE LEATHEAD 46 WILDCARDS

53 CARLOS GIMENO 55 AIDAN HESLOP 57 YOLOTL MARTINEZ 59 OLEKSIY PRYGOROV

LOCATIONS 66 EL NIDO 67 POLIGNANO A MARE 68 MOSTAR 69 BOSTON

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MEDIA INFO & ASSETS ENCYCLOPAEDIA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 18

At the age of 21, Mexico’s Yolotl Martinez exploded onto the scene in 2024 and has positioned himself among the established cliff-diving elite with a flawless style.

WELCOME BY THE SPORTS DIRECTOR As we enter the 16th season of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, four crucial competitions await. Every single dive will count. Mistakes can be costly—not just in execution but in the rankings. I expect an intense battle between seasoned veterans and rising talent, especially against the reigning champion. This year, we welcome seven new faces—more than ever before—with six of the sixteen permanent divers aged between 18 and 23. Exciting times!

This season will be a true test of strategy, skill, and the willingness to take risks for the King Kahekili Trophy. Adding to the challenge, the athletes will face a diverse set of venues—from cliffs and balconies to bridges—each demanding adaptability and precision. All of this will set the stage for a thrilling final showdown in sportswild Boston.

It will be interesting to see who can best adapt to changing conditions, stay focused under pressure, and manage their nerves—and maybe even their fear. We’ll be watching closely, tracking every move to see who will claim the ultimate prize.

I can’t wait for the 2025 season to begin and wish all the cliff divers the very best!

ORLANDO DUQUE

OVERALL RANKINGS 2024

WOMEN 1- Rhiannan Iffland AUS – 157pts.

2- Molly Carlson CAN – 112 3- Simone Leathead CAN – 68 4- Meili Carpenter USA – 58 5- Kaylea Arnett (W) USA – 57 6- Ginni Van Katwijk (W) NED – 52 7- Maria Paula Quintero COL – 50 8- Xantheia Pennisi AUS – 42 9- Elisa Cosetti (W) ITA – 38 10- Eleanor Smart USA – 38 11- Nelli Chukanivska (W) UKR – 30 12- Anna Bader (W) GER – 15

6 The introduction of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in 2009 signalled the start of a new era for this pure and captivating sport.

The sport has been elevated to new levels of performance, perfection, creativity, courage, adrenaline and adventure by the world’s leading cliff divers.

In this most recognised series of cliff diving competitions, the top eight women and men in 2024 have secured a permanent ticket for the 2025 World Series via the World Ranking.

At each stop during this multi-day event, 12 women and 12 men aged between 18 and 40 demonstrate their acrobatic skills to a panel of international judges and a live audience.

Each dive is performed at a height of up

THE WORLD’S LEADING CLIFF DIVERS

MEN 1- Aidan Heslop GBR – 121pts.

2- Constantin Popovici ROU – 101 3- James Lichtenstein USA – 107 4- Carlos Gimeno ESP – 80 5- Oleksiy Prygorov UKR – 63 6- Yolotl Martinez (W) MEX – 52 7- Jonathan Paredes MEX – 45 8- Andrea Barnaba (W) ITA – 35 9- Nikita Fedotov ARM – 35 10- Sergio Guzman (W) MEX – 32 11- David Colturi (W) USA – 30 12- Miguel Garcia (W) COL – 27

to 27 metres, at a speed of 85 kilometres per hour for three seconds. These metrics serve as a testament to the athletes’ remarkable concentration, physical and mental mastery, and their pursuit of the esteemed King Kahekili Trophy.

SCAN ME TO FIND OUT MORE!

CLIFF DIVING SCIENCE A DIVE IN NUMBERS DIVE HEIGHT TAKE-OFF JUMP ROTATION SPEED VERTICAL VELOCITY TIME IN THE AIR WATER ENTRY IMPACT DECELERATION

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27 M | 90 FT FOR MEN 21 M | 70 FT FOR WOMEN UP TO 0.8 M 2.4 PER SECOND 22.5 M | 73.8 FT PER SECOND 2.6 SECONDS UP TO 85 KPH | 53 MPH 10 G

Risks – The landing phase is the riskiest part of the dive. This is because parts of the body are already decelerating rapidly while other parts, above the surface, are still travelling at full speed.

At this point, it is absolutely crucial to maintain maximum body tension. The divers must actively retract their bodies straight after hitting the water. This prevents their body parts from being crushed or twisted by the force of the water.

The divers have technical training and experience, so they can avoid major mistakes.

High diving over 28 metres is not worth the risk as the time advantage is minimal and the risk of injury is disproportionate.

Cliff diving is an elite extreme sport. By the end of the 2024 season, 112 athletes from 27 countries had taken part in the World Series.

Platform ˇ Stable take-off board construction ˇ Minimum length: 1.5 m | 4 ft ˇ Minimum width: 0.75 m | 2 ft ˇ Platform rim at least 2 m | 6 ft beyond the vertical fall line Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series heights 28 m | 92 ft max. height 26.5 m | 87 ft min. height

22 m | 72 ft max. height 20 m | 65 ft min. height

Olympic platform diving

10 m | 33 ft

IMPACT UP TO 9 TIMES HARDER THAN FROM 10 M PLATFORM

Heights can vary due to tides and waves

Saftey divers Three safety divers at landing point, paramedics next to the diving point, ambulance on standby.

Water spray The water spray breaks the surface and provides an important reference point for the divers.

-5 m Minimum water depth

SCAN ME TO FIND OUT MORE!

ON THE EDGE

THE NEUROSCIENCE AND NERVE OF CLIFF DIVING Fear never truly disappears in cliff diving — it just becomes part of the process. Standing on a tiny platform, high above the water, your mind wrestles with instinctive signals of danger.

The human brain isn’t wired to judge vertical distance well, which is why even seasoned athletes feel that stomach-churning moment before take-off. But those who master their fear learn to trust the dive, their training, and their own muscle memory.

For world-class divers like those in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, fear isn’t an enemy—it’s a companion. Aimee Harrison, a professional cliff diver and behavioural science student, understands this better than most. “Cliff diving is 20 percent physical and 80 percent mental,” she explains. “The challenge isn’t whether you can do the dive. It’s convincing your mind to go along for the ride.”

The road to the top isn’t straightforward. Many divers start in traditional competitive diving before making the leap—sometimes literally— into the world of cliff diving. Olympic-style platforms only reach 10 m, far below the 21 m for women and 27 m for men in competition. To get used to these heights, many divers turn to high dive shows at amusement parks and circuses, where they can train under controlled conditions.

It’s a path fuelled by passion, where love for the sport must outweigh the risks.

Those risks are ever-present. Entering the water just slightly off-angle can mean pain; a bad landing can lead to injury. That’s why divers rely on rigorous training, visualization techniques, and sometimes even rituals—like ten-time Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion Gary Hunt, who juggles before every dive to focus his mind.

Read the extended story and watch the videos by scanning or clicking the QR

Despite the dangers, the draw of cliff diving is undeniable. There’s a purity to it: three seconds of total freedom, spinning at speeds nearing 90kph, time seeming to slow as the world blurs around you. The fear? It stays on the platform.

And when a diver resurfaces to the roar of the crowd, they know it was all worth it.

27m is the equivalent of an eight-storey building. Many people feel nauseous at the thought of looking down from that

height because their brain is processing multiple signals to help balance them: the ground, their inner ear and their vision.

“I find it important to look at my world from the outside in to see how proud I should be of my achievements as a diver,” says eight-time King Kahekili Trophy winner Rhiannan Iffland.

“Staying mentally and physically focused means training hard, putting in the hard yards and trusting that you’ve done that, and stepping up there confidently knowing that you’ve left no stone unturned”.

REVIEW 2009 The inaugural Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series kicks-off in La Rochelle, France.

Orlando Duque (COL) is crowned 1st World Series champion.

2010 Gary Hunt (GBR) becomes the ‘brilliant Brit’ with 4 wins and 2 podiums in 6 competitions. At 26, he is the youngest champion in event history.

The final is held in Hawaii, the sport’s birthplace.

2011 The World Series takes place at one of its most remote venues in Rapa Nui, Chile, 3,700 km from the mainland.

2012 The title is decided during the hottest finale in Oman’s Wadi Shab at temperatures over 40°C. In the final dive, Gary Hunt wins by just 1.85 points over Orlando Duque.

World Aquatics (formerly known as the Fédération Internationale de Natation, FINA) recognises high diving as a professional sport and includes it in its official program.

2013 Four different locations in Thailand’s Krabi Province make for a pure cliff diving adventure.

After 8 competition dives Artem Silchenko (RUS) wins the stop and the overall title.

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2014 The introduction of the women’s competition to the World Series marked the start of a new era. Rachelle Simpson (USA) becomes the 1st female champion.

2015 The homecoming of a legend: Orlando Duque competes in Colombia for the first time.

He finishes 3rd.

Steven LoBue (USA) hits the platform with his head, finishes his dive and comes out with only a small scratch on his forehead. Since then, he’s called the ‘miracle man’.

2016 The biggest World Series ever, with nine stops around the globe, culminates with the first night event in Dubai.

A wildcard, Australian cliff diving sensation Rhiannan Iffland, is crowned Women’s World Series champion.

2017 Four-time Olympic gold medallist Greg Louganis follows Niki Stajkovic (AUT) as sports director.

With a failed dive at the season finale in Chile, Gary Hunt opens a door for ‘style master’ Jonathan Paredes (MEX) to his first overall win.

2018 The World Series celebrates its 10th anniversary with seven competitions in classic venues.

On June 2, the hottest event to date is recorded in Texas: it’s 44.5°C when the divers hit the flat waters at Hell’s Gate.

2019 For the first time an athlete wins every stop: Rhiannan Iffland achieves the perfect season.

Colombia’s Orlando Duque bows out from an illustrious career during the final in Bilbao.

Gary Hunt scores the perfect dive in his 77th appearance, becoming the first person in World Series history to get all 10s from the judges.

2023 Each competition dive must be performed from a different take-off direction, which requires greater versatility from the divers.

For the first time since 2017, the World Series crowns a new champion in the men’s.

Romania’s Constantin Popovici becomes the 5th cliff diver to win the overall title.

239 days pass between stop 1 (June 3) and stop 6 (January 28) – the longest season to date spans over 34 weeks. It is the first time that the final competition takes place in the next year.

2024 A new Degree of Difficulty table is introduced to reflect the latest developments in the sport.

The event in Boston marks the 100th stop in the history of the World Series. To date, 103 athletes from 25 countries have participated in at least one competition.

On 10 November, Aidan Heslop becomes the youngest overall winner at 22 years of age, while Rhiannan Iffland collects her eighth King Kahekili trophy in a row.

2020 The World Series is cancelled due to the pandemic.

2021 A record season is marked with 54 tens awarded by the judges in five competitions.

Rhiannan Iffland continues her winning streak with two perfect seasons.

2022 Orlando Duque follows Greg Louganis as sports director.

Sydney sees a triple title fight with Gary Hunt extending his reign with his 10th title in the final dive of the season.

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FRESH FACTS FOR 2025

7 NEW PERMANENT ATHLETES KAYLEA ARNETT (USA), NELLI CHUKANIVSKA (UKR), ELISA COSETTI (ITA), GINNI VAN KATWIJK (NED); 16 ANDREA BARNABA (ITA), SERGIO GUZMAN (MEX), YOLOTL MARTINEZ (MEX).

THE LIVE STREAM OF THE FINAL ROUND ON RED BULL TV WILL RUN FOR 120 MINUTES TO ENSURE THAT VIEWERS RECEIVE ALL THE RELEVANT INFORMATION AND INSIGHTS.

NELLI CHUKANIVSKA (UKR) BECOMES THE YOUNGEST EVER PERMANENT DIVER AT 18 YEARS. FOR THE FIRST TIME ITALY, THE NETHERLANDS AND UKRAINE WILL BE REPRESENTED IN THE WOMEN’S PERMANENT LINE-UP. FOR THE FIRST TIME, ALL ROUNDS OF DIVING WILL BE STREAMED ON YOUTUBE.

In the run-up to the 2024 season, Catalin Preda and David Colturi have become the first people to dive into the

wadis of Saudi Arabia in a hike and dive experience through the rough and rugged natural landscape of Jazan province.

The judges award points between 0 and 10, with half-point increments for take-off, execution in the air and water entry.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

COMPETITION FORMAT Ahead of each competition a draw determines the diving order for the 1st round.

Competition format can change due to local diving conditions.

12 DIVERS 8 permanent + 4 wildcards

ROUND 1

DAY 1

maximum DD WOMEN 2.6 MEN 2.8

ROUND 2 maximum DD WOMEN 3.4 MEN 3.6

In reverse starting order based on cumulative points from previous rounds.

DAY 2

ROUND 3

FINAL ROUND In reverse starting order based on cumulative points from previous rounds.

OPTIONAL DIVE ROUNDS No capped Degree of Difficulty (DD). Every element of the dive counts as per DD table in the rulebook.

The winner of any individual stop is the diver with the highest point total from this competition after four dives.

PERFORMANCE

INSPIRED BY

O C E A N S TA R PHOTOGRAPHER ROMINA AMATO @ RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES

JUDGING &

A PANEL OF FIVE INTERNATIONAL JUDGES EVALUATES EACH DIVE ON THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: ˇ TAKE OFF ˇ POSITION IN THE AIR ˇ ENTRY IN THE WATER

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY The Degree of Difficulty of each dive – or DD – is calculated based on the difficulty of the execution of each manoeuvre and the junction of each dive component. ˇ Type of take off ˇ Number of twists ˇ Number of somersaults ˇ Position during the somersaults ˇ Type of entry

The DD table was adjusted for the 2024 World Series and ranges from 2.6 (women) and 2.8 (men) for the Required Dives to up to 6.0 for the hardest dives currently performed in the sport.

PTS

POS

According to the official Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series rulebook, the judges must evaluate what is seen and not what wants to be seen. In addition, each dive must be judged without any bias towards the diver or dive to ensure an objective result.

POINTS are awarded from 1st to last place, including wildcards.

22 BEST DIVE OF THE COMPETITION In the women’s and men’s competitions, the diver who performs the best dive at each tour stop will be awarded one point.

This bonus will count only for the Red Bull Cliff World Series overall ranking.

SCORING

SCORES from 0 to 10 in half point increments.

Judges score the dives without assistance.

5 scores by 5 judges.

HIGHEST & LOWEST score are discarded.

The remaining three scores are added together.

THE SUM is multiplied by the Degree of Difficulty for each dive.

SCORES from all four rounds are cumulated to produce the final result of the competition.

23 POINTS PER COMPETITION The points from the single competitions count towards the overall score and the World Series ranking. All results from the individual competitions count towards the overall World Series ranking.

JUDGES

FIVE JUDGES The Competition Committee will select and confirm three judges, one assistant head judge and one head judge for each tour stop from

a pool of 12 judges. Judges for each event will be chosen based on their performance, availability and travel considerations.

Antonio Martinez (MEX) Former diver and high diver, head judge

Cyrille Oumedjkane (FRA) World Series diver between 2009 and 2016; head judge

Anke Piper (GER) Three-time European champion 10m, head judge

Jeff Arbon (AUS) Participant Olympic Games Seoul 1988

Sam Dorman (USA) Silver medallist Olympic Games Rio 2016

Ginger Huber (USA) 25-time competitor in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series between 2014 and 2019

Simon Latimer (NZL) Former New Zealand Diving Team Member, three-time Olympic judge

Julian Llinas (ESP) Judge at three Olympic Games

Egill Ormarsson (DEN) Competed and performed in high diving between 1995 and 2009

Eber Pava (COL) 12-time competitor in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series between 2009 and 2013; new judge in 2025

Valerio Polazzo (ITA) New judge since 2023

Marion Reiff (AUT) Participant Olympic Games Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004

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DOS & DON’TS Take Off ˇ The diver does not show a steady balance and control in an armstand dive.

The body should come to rest in a vertical and straight alignment for no less than two full seconds before initiating the dive action.

THE JUDGES DEDUCT POINTS FROM THEIR SCORES WHEN…

Execution ˇ An intermediate break of position, a break in position at or just before the entry occurs and if a dive is done in a completely different position than announced. ˇ The straight position upon take-off is not shown for at least one quarter of a somersault in all flying dives. ˇ An obvious break of straight position occurs after at least one complete somersault has been performed in either tuck or pike position.

Entry ˇ The arms at the entry are away from the body and either below or above the shoulders. ˇ A dive is over- or under-twisted by more than 90° the head judge declares a failed dive.

Powerless take-offs, incorrect distance to the platform.

Unaesthetic execution, open or crossed legs, unpointed toes, legs that are not straight in pike, layout position or entry phase.

Short and non-vertical entries, under- or over-rotated entries.

WHAT THE JUDGES CONSIDER A MISTAKE : 25

DIVE POSITIONS 3 POSITIONS ALL THREE POSITIONS (STRAIGHT, PIKE, TUCK) MUST BE SHOWN.

PIKE With knees straight but a tight bend at the hips.

SOMERSAULT The diver rotates head over end, forwards, backwards, reverse or inward. The record number of somersaults is currently 5.

STRAIGHT With no bend at the knees or hips.

TUCK Body folded into a tight ball, hands holding the shins and toes pointed.

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SCAN ME TO FIND OUT MORE!

FREE Body position is optional, but legs must be together, and toes pointed.

DIVE COMPONENTS

BARANI One somersault forward rotation with a ½ twist.

The entry manoeuvre gives the diver the best view of the water.

BLIND ENTRY The last time the diver sees the water is at least half a somersault before entry and so they line up “blind”.

TWIST The body twists on axis whilst rotating.

The record number of twists is currently 5.

27 FLYING Dives consisting of at least one complete somersault performed in the straight position at no less than 90°.

The straight position must be followed by either tuck or pike.

DIVE DIRECTIONS Each one of the five directions can also incorporate an axial twisting movement.

FORWARD The diver takes off facing the water and rotates forwards.

BACK The diver takes off with their back to the water and rotates backwards.

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ARMSTAND The armstand can be executed forward, back, reverse and inward.

REVERSE The diver takes off facing the water and rotates backwards towards the platform.

SCAN ME TO FIND OUT MORE!

INWARD The diver takes off with their back to the water and rotates forward towards the platform.

HOW TO WATCH WATCH THE FINAL ROUNDS OF ALL STOPS OF THE 2025 RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES LIVE AND ON DEMAND ON REDBULLCLIFFDIVING.COM, RED BULL TV AND YOUTUBE ALL ROUNDS CAN BE WATCHED ON YOUTUBE FOLLOW @REDBULLCLIFFDIVING TO NOT MISS A DIVE!

Sneak a peek behind the scenes of Red Bull Cliff Diving with the show ‘More than a Dive’ on Red Bull TV and follow your heroes closely with a dedicated 26min show after each stop on YouTube.

PLEASE, CHECK REDBULLCLIFFDIVING.COM FOR YOUR LOCAL TIMES.

Polignano a Mare: the spiritual home of Red Bull Cliff Diving. With athletes launching from private homes carved

into the cliffs, this unique location blends history, adrenaline and breathtaking scenery, making it a true icon of the sport.

For the 12th time since 2009, the laid-back coastal town transforms into the beating heart of the World Series as

thousands of fans pack every vantage point to watch the world’s best divers.

KING KAHEKILI TROPHY It is the silk ribbon of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series and reserved for the very best - the King Kahekili Trophy for the overall winner is awarded in honour of the great Hawaiian chief. As the last independent ruler of Maui, Kahekili first leaped from the holy lava cliffs of Kaunolu, the birthplace of this majestic sport in the late 1700s.

The old Hawaiian principles of mana and pono, power and balance, were crucial when lele kawa, which loosely translates as ‘leaping feet-first from a high cliff into the water without making a splash’, was born on the islands in the middle of the Pacific. These principles have applied since the 18th century and are a prerequisite for today’s sport of cliff diving.

The King Kahekili Trophy was created by the Hawaiian artist Kuaho Zane. The overall form references the shape and stance of ki’i or wooden images, traditionally carved as three-dimensional representations of gods and protective ancestors called aumakua. The trophy with its asymmetrical, cliff-like top is completely printed on the right side - resembling the tattoo that completely covered the right side of Kahekili’s body. The base is made of Koa wood and symbolizes the feet of both the ki’i and the diver who must hit the water feet first.

The World Series represents a significant challenge to athletes, requiring them to demonstrate the requisite mana and pono to achieve the best possible results and secure the overall title in 2025.

THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS’ AWARD OF VIRTUE & EXCELLENCE

10x Gary Hunt

8x Rhiannan Iffland

2x Rachelle Simpson

1x Jonathan Paredes

1x Orlando Duque

1x Artem Silchenko

NAMES ON THE KING KAHEKILI TROPHY TO DATE

MEN Orlando Duque, COL 2009 Gary Hunt, GBR 2010 Gary Hunt, GBR 2011 Gary Hunt, GBR 2012 Artem Silchenko, RUS 2013 Gary Hunt, GBR 2014 Gary Hunt, GBR 2015 Gary Hunt, GBR 2016 Jonathan Paredes, MEX 2017 Gary Hunt, GBR 2018 Gary Hunt, GBR 2019 Gary Hunt, FRA 2021 Gary Hunt, FRA 2022 Constantin Popovici, ROU 2023 Aidan Heslop, GBR 2024

WOMEN Rachelle Simpson, USA 2014 Rachelle Simpson, USA 2015 Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2016 Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2017 Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2018 Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2019 Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2021 Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2022 Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2023 Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2024

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1x Constantin Popovici

Who’s going to be celebrating when the 2025 season wraps up?

1x Aidan Heslop

2025

WACKY MOMENTS &

Bilbao, Spain 2018

are, Italy, 2018 Polignano a M

Pembrokeshir e, Wales, 2016

Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina, 2021

Salzburg to Mostar, Douglas D C-6, 2021

Inis Mór, 2012 Ireland,

Bilbao, Spain 2018

WILD TIMES BEHIND THE SCENES…

, 2021 Oslo, Norway

Copenhagen, Denmark, 2016

Shirahama, Japan, 2016

Copenhagen, Denmark, 2015

re, Pembrokeshi Wales, 2013

Azores, Portugal, 2019

35 15 ce, 20 , Fran chelle La Ro

PERMANENT DIVERS WOMEN 2025 KAYLEA ARNETT USA MOLLY CARLSON CAN MEILI CARPENTER USA NELLI CHUKANIVSKA UKR ELISA COSETTI ITA RHIANNAN IFFLAND AUS SIMONE LEATHEAD CAN GINNI VAN KATWIJK NED

For the eight athletes from six countries and up to four female wildcard divers, it’s all about nailing those highest marks for form and composure, while raising the bar on acrobatic complexity from 21 metres.

PERMANENT DIVERS W O M E N

Representing USA

KAYLEA ARNETT

Date of birth April 19, 1993 Height/Weight 1.61 m/63 kg City of residence Las Vegas Profession Diving coach/ high diving/ performing Started cliff diving 2015

Career Highlights 2024 2nd place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Boston + Polignano a Mare 3rd place – World Aquatics World Cup Bahrain 4th place – World Aquatics Championships Doha

Favourite spot Lake Mead, Las Vegas Favourite dive Front double, 1.5 twist 1st World Series appearance 2024 Best result in a competition 2nd place

WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET IN CLIFF DIVING? UNWAVERING CONFIDENCE FOR SURE. The surprise package 2024, American Kaylea Arnett took the sport by storm during her debut season.

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A relative latecomer to the world of competitive high diving, the Texanborn athlete had already caught the eye with an impressive 4th place finish at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, but few could have predicted what was to come.

A runner-up spot at her World Series debut in Boston gave Arnett a dream start, and just three weeks later she proved it was no fluke when she repeated the feat in Polignano a Mare.

It was clear Rhiannan Iffland had a serious new contender to deal with.

Injury unfortunately scuppered the 31-year-old’s chances of pushing for the title, but another podium finish upon her return in Montreal helped her to an overall fifth-place finish and with it a permanent invite to the 2025 season.

Arnett, who suffered mental and physical burnout during her years as a traditional diver, had initially been hesitant to continue diving through fear of it tainting her love for the sport. But the lure of cliff diving was too great, and she admits her past experiences have made her stronger: “My goal is to simply enjoy each dive and embrace the experience.”

Year

Ranking

2014

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–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

–

–

2019

–

–

2020

–

–

2021

–

–

2022

–

–

2023

–

–

2024

5 Wildcard

Career Highlights

Representing Canada

2023 1st place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Mostar 2022 1st place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Boston 2021 2nd High Diving qualifier 2014 Youth Olympian

Date of birth September 23, 1998 Height/Weight 1.70 m/65 kg City of residence Montreal Profession MA in Counselling Psychology student, High Diver, Tiktok Specialist Secret passion Promote good mental health in young athletes, especially body positivity.

MOLLY CARLSON

2024 1st place – World Aquatics World Cup Bahrain

Started cliff diving in 2020 Favourite spot Saint-Raphael, FRA Favourite dive Front double half tuck 1st World Series appearance 2021 Best result in a competition 1st place

Year

Ranking

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

–

–

2019

–

–

2020

–

–

2021

3

2022

2

–

2023

2

–

2024

2

–

Wildcard

Runner-up for the past three seasons, Molly Carlson is once again looking to take the step up and claim her first title in 2025.

IF I COULD TELL YOU JUST ONE THING... BEING YOURSELF IS BRAVE AND BEAUTIFUL.

The 26-year-old TikTok sensation has been a constant threat to eight-time champion Rhiannan Iffland ever since her unforgettable debut in SaintRaphaël, where three stunning dives propelled her to a surprise second place.

ing on to secure six more second places, finishing runner-up behind Iffland.

The next two seasons saw Carlson miss the podium just once in 13 competitions and claim 3 more victories, including an emotional home-soil win in Montreal, making her the only diver to beat Iffland in the last 35 stops.

After a rookie season in which she finished on three podiums and took silver at the World Aquatics Qualifier, the bubbly Canadian has earned herself a permanent ticket.

The Montreal-based athlete made her full-time diving debut in the 2022 season opener with an impressive win, go-

Carlson is a world-class cliff diver and renowned content creator inspiring self-love, body positivity and fearlessness with her #BraveGang community.

She was invited to be a creator at the Paris Games last year, fulfilling a longheld ambition

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Representing USA

MEILI CARPENTER

Date of birth December 8, 1987 Height/Weight 1.60 m/60 kg Profession Performer, teacher Secret passion Rock climbing, hiking Started cliff diving 2014 Favourite dive 5264B 1st World Series appearance 2021 Best result in a competition 3rd place

HAVE YOU EVER USED YOUR TALENT TO IMPRESS SOMEONE? I’M A PERFORMER, SO I ESSENTIALLY MADE A CAREER OUT OF THIS…

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Following a delayed entrance into the sport owing to contract obligations, injuries and a global pandemic, the 37-year-old has enjoyed four progressive seasons from the women’s 21m platform.

After just three appearances in her debut season in 2021, the American bagged two podiums the following year to help secure a sixth-place finish overall, and with it a permanent place.

Despite not stepping back onto the podium since then, Carpenter has consistently proved herself as a top

six athlete, with fifth and fourth-place finishes overall in the last two seasons respectively.

Before her World Series career began, Carpenter had made the best of her time and invested her energy into a college career just to study chemistry and psychology, summa cum laude, and top it off with a Master’s degree in education.

Keeping herself busy during the off season, the professional performer signed up for an acrobatics show in which she did aerial acrobatics, tumbling, trampwall, Russian swing, Chinese poles, and sword fighting, and also did a lot of acting. “I really love performing, but it’s hard to find a balance between training and actually getting some rest,” explains Carpenter.

Career Highlights 2024 4th place overall – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2022 Qualification as permanent World Series diver for 2023 3rd place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Boston + Oslo 2021 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series debut in Downpatrick Head 2012 Finalist US Olympic Trials, 3m

Year

Ranking

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

–

–

2019

–

–

2020

–

–

2021

10

2022

6

2023

5

–

2024

4

–

Wildcard

Career Highlights

Representing Ukraine

2022 Winner Junior World Championships Montreal, 12m

Date of birth March 28, 2007 Height/Weight 1.75 m/64 kg City of residence Zadar, CRO Place of birth Dnipropetrovsk Profession Student Started cliff diving in 2022 Favourite spot Marmeeting, Italy Favourite dive 625B

NELLI CHUKANIVSKA

2024 Becomes the youngest permanent World Series athlete ever 3rd place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Sydney

1st World Series appearance 2024 Best result in a competition 3rd place

Year

Ranking

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

–

–

2019

–

–

2020

–

–

2021

–

–

2022

–

–

2023

–

–

2024

11 Wildcard

Just three months after making her debut in Oslo, 18-year-old Nelli Chukanivska wrote herself into the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series record books by becoming the youngest-ever athlete to earn a permanent ticket.

Four top ten finishes in four stops – including a fifth place in Montreal and a stunning third spot at the season finale – surprised the cliff diving world and automatically earned her a reputation as one of cliff diving’s most exciting upand-coming young females.

Chukanivska, who won her first ever diving competition at the age of just five, was introduced to high diving by former World Series wildcard diver Oleg Vyshyvanov – and in 2022 she won the

WHAT DOES TRUE LUXURY MEAN TO YOU? BE WITH YOUR PARENTS. Junior High Diving World Championships in Montreal (12m).

The Ukrainian, along with a group of other unattended kids from her country, was taken under the wing of Oleg in Croatia after the outbreak of war, and has been living, training and going to school there since.

A graduate of the Orlando Duque’s Under my Wiiings programme in Mostar in 2023, this talented youngster dreams of one day becoming a champion and is certainly one to look out for in the upcoming season.

41

Representing Italy

ELISA COSETTI

Date of birth July 24, 2002 Height/Weight 1.65 m/58 kg Place of birth Trieste Profession Student, athlete Secret passion Drawing Started cliff diving 2020

Career Highlights 2024 3rd place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Oslo 2022 3rd place – LEN European High Diving Championships Rome 2021 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series debut in Polignano a Mare

Favorite spot Athens, Greece and Polignano a Mare, Italy Favourite dive 5461c 1st World Series appearance 2021 Best result in a competition 3rd place

WHO WOULD YOU WANT TO BE FOR A DAY? I WOULD LIKE TO BE A SINGER AND MEET ALL MY MUSIC IDOLS. In 2021 Elisa Cosetti became the first – and to date only – Italian female to compete in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Four years on, the 22-year-old embarks on her first season as a permanent athlete.

42

Memories of that special debut on home soil in Polignano a Mare still hold a special place in Cosetti’s mind: “Competing in your own country, the crowd gives you so much energy. In that moment you feel very important for those people, it’s like you are famous and everyone wants a photo with you!

It’s insane.”

In 2024, the youngster enjoyed a breakthrough season, kicking things off with a personal best fourth-place finish at the season opener in Athens, before going one better and earning a first-ever podium spot in Oslo. Another solid performance at the Sydney finale secured her a first overall top 10 finish and with it a permanent ticket for 2025.

Year

Ranking

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

–

–

2019

–

–

2020

–

–

2021

16

2022

13

Cosetti, who credits compatriot and former cliff diver Alessandro De Rose with sparking her interest in the sport, will get to chase her dream of winning a competition this year.

2023

11

2024

9 Wildcard

Career Highlights

Representing Australia

1st female cliff diver to score a perfect dive

Height/Weight 1.67 m/60 kg

8-time Winner Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2024, 2023, 2019 & 2017 Winner World Aquatics High Diving Championships

City of residence Sydney Profession Athlete Secret passion Scuba diving and traveling Started cliff diving in 2015

2019 & 2018 Winner World Aquatics High Diving World Cup

Favourite spot Kakadu, Australia, Guatemala, Takachiho Gorge, Japan, Northern Ireland

RHIANNAN IFFLAND

Date of birth September 9, 1991

Favourite dive Front triple half twist pike 1st World Series appearance 2016 Best result in a competition 1st place Year

Ranking

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

1

2017

1

–

2018

1

–

2019

1

–

2020

–

–

2021

1

–

2022

1

–

2023

1

–

2024

1

–

Wildcard

In 2024, Rhiannan Iffland extended her invincible status for another year, collecting her 8th World Series title in a row along with a 4th World Aquatics World Championships gold medal.

After exploding onto the scene in 2016 with a debut victory in Texas, the 33-year-old has gone on to rack up unparalleled records in the sport. With 41 victories in 51 stops, 49 podiums, two unbeaten seasons and numerous other streaks and high-scoring achievements, the Australian has simply been untouchable for the best part of a decade now.

Despite dominating once again last year, winning six out of eight events and wrapping up the title with a stop to spare before being crowned on home

LOOKING AT THE POOL OF CLIFF DIVERS, BUILD THE PERFECT ATHLETE. ANDREA’S AESTHETIC, GARY’S MIND, KAYLEA’S ENERGY. soil in Sydney, the Newcastle native described it as her most challenging season yet: “The biggest challenge has been trying to hold onto the motivation, the drive, the training, staying mentally focused for such a long season.”

Having stated her intentions to continue cliff diving for at least the next five years, Iffland could soon match the legendary Gary Hunt’s haul of ten titles, perhaps surpass it. For now though, “my main goal is to focus on staying consistent while easing the pressure I put on myself.”

43

Representing Canada

SIMONE LEATHEAD

Date of birth April 22, 2003 Height/Weight 1.57 m/54 kg Place of birth Montreal Profession Professional athlete Secret passion Cooking/baking Started cliff diving 2022 Favorite spot Antalya, Turkey

Career Highlights 2024 2nd place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Sydney 2nd place – World Aquatics World Cup Bahrain 2023 Secures permanent place on World Series in debut season 2022 Winner Junior World Championship Montreal, 15m

Favourite dive 5461B 1st World Series appearance 2023 Best result in a competition 2nd place

WHO WOULD YOU WANT TO BE FOR A DAY? ANYONE WHO IS ABOVE 6’0 BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT TO WORLD LOOKS LIKE FROM HIGHER.

44

Leathead, who was inspired to become an athlete by her two older brothers, first came to prominence at the 2022 Junior World Championships in Montreal, where she secured gold from the 15m platform.

The most recent addition to Canada’s blossoming posse of Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series talent, Simone Leathead followed up a promising debut season with a series of stunning performances in 2024.

After participating in “Red Bull Under My Wiiings” with Orlando Duque, the youngster became the first talent from the next generation camp to earn a spot on the tour.

After earning herself a permanent ticket thanks to four top 10 finishes in 2023, the 22-year-old fulfilled the experts’ predictions by landing on the podium three times last season, including remarkable runner-up spots at the World Series finale and the World Cup in Bahrain.

The 1.57 m athlete, who describes herself as ‘small but mighty’, will be aiming to grow her confidence and technique from the more natural take-off spots following a few struggles last season – most notably on the rough cliffs of the Causeway Coast – in order to make the step up to title contender.

Year

Ranking

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

–

–

2019

–

–

2020

–

–

2021

–

–

2022

–

–

2023

10

2024

3 Wildcard

–

Career Highlights

Representing Netherlands

2021 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series debut in Saint-Raphaël

Height/Weight 1.65 m/54.5 kg City of residence Austin, TX Profession Owner of To Die For Shammies; high diver, performer on RCCL Harmony of the Seas.

Secret passion Anything creative: crafting, painting, pottery, sewing.

Started cliff diving in 2016

GINNI VAN KATWIJK

2024 2nd place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Causeway Coast

Date of birth March 5, 1985

Favourite spot Takachiho, Japan Favourite dive 6153B 1st World Series appearance 2021 Best result in a competition 2nd place Year

Ranking

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

–

–

2019

–

–

2020

–

–

2021

16

2022

–

2023

18

2024

6 Wildcard

–

After three years competing as a wildcard, Ginni van Katwijk makes the step up to permanent status following a series of eye-catching performances in 2024.

Proving that age is just a number, the 40-year-old went toe-to-toe with her younger rivals from the 21m platform last season, outshining many of them as she not only earned her first top six finish, but repeated the feat on four more occasions – including a stunning runner-up spot in Northern Ireland. Her reward was a sixth-place finish overall and a permanent ticket for the 2025 season – making her the most senior athlete to ever achieve this.

Van Katwijk, who became the first Dutch diver to compete in the World

HAVE YOU LOST THE ABILITY TO JUMP IN THE WATER LIKE A ‘NORMAL’ PERSON? NOPE… I CAN STILL RUN INTO THE WATER WITH MY LEGS TUCKED UP SCREAMING “CANNNONNBALLLL” Series, also holds another unique record; she is one half of the first ever married couple to appear at a stop, along with husband Matt Cooper, who joined her in action during her 2021 debut when he was called up as a last-minute injury replacement in the men’s competition.

Away from competition, van Katwijk loves travelling, napping and indulging in anything creative.

45

WILDCARDS

FOUR STOPS, FOUR WILDCARDS EACH – WHO CAN MAKE A BID FOR A SPOT ON THE WOMEN’S PERMANENT LINE-UP FOR 2026?

Australia November 26, 1998

Colombia June 23, 2000

ELEANOR SMART

IRIS SCHMIDBAUER

Germany April 11, 1995

MARIA PAULA QUINTERO

XANTHEIA PENNISI

MAYA KELLY

46

Switzerland March 3, 2000

Spain May 5, 1998

USA November 7, 2006

MORGANE HERCULANO

PAULA GILABERT

MADELEINE BAYON

France December 4,1997

USA October 21, 1995

The allocation of wildcard appearances to these athletes is contingent upon their respective World Ranking positions.

Ginni van Katwijk from the Netherlands dives from the impressive 21 metre cliff at Dunluce Castle, Causeway

Coast, on July 18, 2024. It was the World Series’ first visit to Northern Ireland.

It was one of the biggest mass dives in history when 13 athletes launched themselves off the cliffs and the 21 metre platform during the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series stop in Takachiho, Japan on August 1, 2023.

PERMANENT DIVERS MEN 2025 ANDREA BARNABA CARLOS GIMENO SERGIO GUZMAN AIDAN HESLOP JAMES LICHTENSTEIN YOLOTL MARTINEZ CONSTANTIN POPOVICI OLEKSIY PRYOGOROV

Eight world-class divers from seven nations, joined by four wildcards at each stop, will push the limits of their sport as they compete for the prestigious King Kahekili Trophy across four thrilling competitions in 2025.

ITA ESP MEX GBR USA MEX ROU UKR

PERMANENT DIVERS M E N

Representing Italy

ANDREA BARNABA

Date of birth June 4, 2004 Height/Weight 1.80 m City of residence Trieste Profession High Diver

Career Highlights 2022 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series debut in Polignano a Mare 2024 3rd place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Antalya

Secret passion Playing videogames Started cliff diving 2020 Favourite spot Rome, the venue of the Europeans of 2022 Favourite dive 5242D 1st World Series appearance 2022 Best result in a competition 3rd place

IF YOU WEREN’T A CLIFF DIVER, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE BECOME INSTEAD? A CHEF BECAUSE I REALLY LOVE COOKING. Following a series of strong performances last season, Andrea Barnaba earned an upgrade from wildcard status and will now be the youngest permanent male diver in 2025.

52

The 20-year-old Italian, who made his debut with an eye-catching seventh-place finish on home soil in Polignano a Mare in 2022, is shaping up to be one of the most technically adept and elegant divers on tour. Out of his four appearances in 2024, he picked up the best dive award in two of them

– most notably an immaculate Back 3 Somersaults 2 Twists Pike in Antalya which earned him a couple of 10 scores from the judges and powered him to third place and a first-ever podium.

A couple of sixth-place finishes and one seventh-place helped land him in eighth spot overall, which was highly impressive considering he only competed in 50% of the stops.

The future certainly looks bright for Barnaba, who’s come a long way since the embarrassment of a bellyflop from the 10m platform in front of the eyes of coach Alessandro De Rose.

Year

Ranking

2009

–

–

2010

–

–

2011

–

–

2012

–

–

2013

–

–

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

–

–

2019

–

–

2020

–

–

2021

–

–

2022

16

2023

–

2024

8 Wildcard

–

Career Highlights

Representing Spain

2021 First-ever perfect handstand dive – five 10s from the judges

Height/Weight 1.70 m/67 kg City of residence Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

2021 4th Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Downpatrick Head 2022 4th Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Paris 2023 1st Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Mostar 2024 2nd place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Athens + Sydney

Year

Ranking

2009

–

–

2010

–

–

2011

–

–

2012

–

–

2013

–

–

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

18

2019

–

–

2020

–

–

2021

7

2022

10

2023

3

2024

4 Wildcard

Date of birth October 24, 1989

–

Profession Graduate in social work university Performer in ­acrobatic shows Secret passion Scuba diving

CARLOS GIMENO

2018 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series debut in Bilbao

Started cliff diving 2014 Favourite spot The Canary Island Favourite dive Handstand dives 1st World Series appearance 2018 Best result in a competition 1st place

As the first Spaniard to hold permanent status, Carlos Gimeno has gradually established himself as one of the top cliff divers in the world and is now setting his sights on the title.

The 35-year-old diver enjoyed a breakthrough season during cliff diving’s comeback year in 2021, executing two World Series firsts in Ireland’s Downpatrick Head. Not content with becoming the first athlete to spring from the bare rocks using his hands, Gimeno wowed the crowd with a first-ever perfect handstand dive, becoming only the third man ever to receive five 10s from the judges.

Second place at the 2023 season opener in Boston gave Gimeno his first-ever

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS: HARD WORKER, CONSISTENT, DISCIPLINED. podium, before a sensational victory in Mostar saw him become only the third man to win as a wildcard. He rounded out the season with third place in Auckland; a result which secured him the same position on the overall podium.

In 2024, now with a permanent place on the tour, Gimeno continued to perform at a high level. He narrowly missed out on victory twice, and only once found himself outside the top five places at an event, ultimately finishing in fourth place overall.

53

Representing Mexiko

SERGIO GUZMAN

Date of birth February 26, 1991 Height/Weight 1.75 m/70 kg City of residence Mexico City Profession Diving Coach Secret passion Dancing Started cliff diving 2011 Favourite spot Mostar

Career Highlights 2024 4th place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Sydney 2016 1st place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Shirahama 2015 2nd place - Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Mostar Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series debut in Cartagena

Favourite dive Back 4 somersaults tuck 1st World Series appearance 2015 Best result in a competition 1st place

IF YOU WEREN’T A CLIFF DIVER, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE BECOME INSTEAD? I’D BE AN ARCHITECT OR A GRAPHIC DESIGNER BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE TO DRAW PLANS. Eight years after losing his permanent status, Sergio Guzman is back on full-time duties from the 27m platform in 2025.

54

Following just nine wildcard appearances in four seasons between 2019 and 2023, the somersaulting, salsa-dancing Mexican took full advantage of his five invites last season to work his way back into the permanent line-up this year.

Despite a slow start in Greece and Italy, the 34-year-old proceeded to

rattle off three top six finishes, coming agonisingly close to his first podium since 2016 when he missed out on third place by a mere 0.25 points at the season finale.

It all began in 2015, when as a rookie he became the first-ever male wildcard to make it onto the podium in just his fourth competition. The upward trajectory continued into 2016, where a stunning victory in Shirahama helped elevate him into sixth place overall that season.

Famous for bringing his smile, good vibes and a splash of salsa dancing to the 27m platform, Guzman has now earned his right to sit at cliff diving’s top table once again in 2025.

Year

Ranking

2009

–

–

2010

–

–

2011

–

–

2012

–

–

2013

–

–

2014

–

–

2015

10

2016

6

–

2017

11

–

2018

10

2019

19

2020

–

2021

11

2022

17

2023

12

2024

10 Wildcard

–

Career Highlights

Representing Great Britain Date of birth April 18, 2002 Height/Weight 1.83 m/84 kg City of residence Montreal, Canada

2023 2nd place overall – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 1st place - Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Polignano a Mare & Takachiho

Profession Cliff Diver

2022 2ndoverall – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series

Favourite spot Takachiho, Japan

2021 1st World Aquatics High Diving qualifier Abu Dhabi 2018 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series debut in Polignano a Mare

Year

Ranking

2009

–

–

2010

–

–

2011

–

–

2012

–

–

2013

–

–

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

23

2019

13

2020

–

2021

8

2022

2

–

2023

2

–

2024

1

–

Wildcard

–

Secret passion F1 Started cliff diving 2010

AIDAN HESLOP

2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion Winner World Aquatics Championships Doha

Favourite dive 5187B 1st World Series appearance 2018 Best result in a competition 1st place

At the tender age of 22, Great Britain’s Aidan Heslop became the youngest Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion in history when he finally laid his hands on the King Kahekili trophy in 2024.

Following the heartache of missing out on the title two years in a row - first to the legend Gary Hunt and then to his Romanian nemesis Constantin Popovici, Heslop dusted off the disappointment to return even more powerful and determined last season, scoring four victories to prevail in a thrilling three-way title fight.

One of the first “pure cliff divers” to come into the sport - his mind and body focused solely on the discipline

WHO LOOKS BETTER DOING A DIVE - THE GIRLS, OR IS IT THE BOYS? THE ONES WITH THE GOOD FORM. from a young age and a debut at 16 – Heslop is now reaping the rewards for his hard work, dedication and unwavering ambition.

In 2025, Heslop will not only hope his title inspires girlfriend cliff diver Molly Carlson to finally shake off her own runner-up tag, but he’s also not resting on his success: “I think my ambition is to show some dominance in the sport.

Not just to win a world championship, but to be fairly untouchable by other divers… be the person that everyone wants to beat.”

55

Representing USA

JAMES LICHTENSTEIN

Date of birth October 26, 1994 Height/Weight 1.75 m/75 kg City of residence Chicago, Illinois Profession Math tutor, trampoline coach, diving coach Secret passion Looking up flights and planning trips Started cliff diving 2015 Favourite spot Polignano a Mare Favourite dive 629C

Career Highlights 2024 1st place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Oslo 2023 3rd place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Takachiho 2022 3rd Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Switzerland Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series debut in Mostar 2012 Competed in 2012 Olympic Trials for trampolining National Champion double mini trampoline

1st World Series appearance 2022 Best result in a competition 1st place

WHY CLIFF DIVING AND NOT BALLET? I AM MUCH BETTER AT SHOWING MY CREATIVITY IN MY DIVING THAN THROUGH CHOREOGRAPHY. ALSO, I’M TERRIBLE AT CHOREOGRAPHY. A surprise title contender in 2024, James Lichtenstein pushed the favourites all the way in a thrilling fight for the King Kahekili Trophy.

56

The 30-year-old American made his debut in Mostar in 2022 and quickly showcased his talent. Powered by his back quint—a dive with a backward take-off and five somersaults in under three seconds—he landed on the podium in just his second-ever event.

Two more top 10 finishes secured him a permanent spot for 2023, where third

place in Takachiho marked his season highlight.

In 2024, the self-confessed perfectionist found the right formula, opening with third place in Athens. Three more podiums followed before he achieved his dream with a brilliant win in Oslo: “Getting my first win in Norway was the best moment of my career so far. I finally achieved a goal I had set for myself before I started cliff diving.”

His stunning start put him atop the standings with three stops to go, placing him in a title fight with heavyweights Aidan Heslop and Constantin Popovici. Though he missed the podium in the final events, his efforts earned him third place overall.

Year

Ranking

2009

–

–

2010

–

–

2011

–

–

2012

–

–

2013

–

–

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

–

–

2019

–

–

2020

–

–

2021

–

–

2022

11

2023

8

–

2024

3

–

Wildcard

Career Highlights

Representing Mexico Date of birth January 3, 2003 Height/Weight 1.71 m/71 kg City of residence México City Profession Student Secret passion Cooking Started cliff diving 2024 Favourite spot Bilbao, Spain

YOLOTL MARTINEZ

2024 3rd place _ Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Montreal 4th place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series debut in Boston 4th place – World Aquatics World Cup Bahrain

Favourite dive 6274B 1st World Series appearance 2024 Best result in a competition 3rd place

Year

Ranking

2009

–

–

2010

–

–

2011

–

–

2012

–

–

2013

–

–

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

–

–

2019

–

–

2020

–

–

2021

–

–

2022

–

–

2023

–

–

2024

6 Wildcard

An impressive fourth place on his debut in Boston awarded the 22-yearold with further competition invites, and he took full advantage of the opportunity.

HOW HIGH DOES A CLIFF HAVE TO BE FOR YOU TO SAY NO? WHEN YOU DON’T HEAR THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE DOWN BELOW.

A couple of top six finishes followed before his efforts were finally rewarded with a podium appearance when he took third place in Montreal. Sixth spot in the overall season standings was fully deserved and earned the young Mexican diver a permanent place on the World Series.

Describing himself as ‘shy, stubborn and curious’, “Yolo” is aiming to build on his first year of experience and fight for even more in 2025: “I want to demonstrate consistency, increase the Degree of Difficulty and make it into the top three. It would also be a dream to share the podium with my hero, Jonathan Paredes.”

Having been inspired to take up cliff diving after watching a clip of fellow countryman Jonathan Paredes, the signs are promising for Martinez, who also picked up a fourth place at the World Aquatics World Cup in Bahrain.

57

Representing Romania

CONSTANTIN POPOVICI

Date of birth October 2, 1988 Height/Weight 1.72 m/69 kg City of residence Bucharest Profession Artist/athlete Secret passion Cooking Started cliff diving 2018 Favourite spot Sisikon, Switzerland Favourite dive Reverse double with double twist 1st World Series appearance 2018

Career Highlights 2024 1st place – World Aquatics World Cup Bahrain 2023 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Champion Winner World Aquatics Championships Fukuoka 2022 1st Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Denmark + Bosnia & Herzegovina European High Diving Champion 2021 2nd overall – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series

Best result in a competition 1st place

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS: OPTIMIST, BELIEVER, DOER. 2023 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion Constantin Popovici has been one of the sport’s most successful and resilient athletes since making his debut in 2018.

58

In that title winning season, three victories and two podiums propelled the Romanian to glory ahead of rising star Aidan Heslop, having previously been runner-up to Gary Hunt in 2021.

Last year, it was once again a red-hot battle between the 36-year-old and the increasingly powerful Heslop.

Victory at the season opener in Athens set Popovici well on his way, but a seri-

ous knee injury at the following stop in Boston threatened to put an immediate end to his title defence. Miraculously, the ultra-fit athlete returned just three weeks later to score a barely believable victory in Polignano a Mare.

Popovici went on to push Heslop all the way following his stunning return, but ultimately fell short as the young Brit collected his first King Kahekili Trophy.

Year

Ranking

2009

–

–

2010

–

–

2011

–

–

2012

–

–

2013

–

–

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

–

–

2018

11

2019

4

–

2020

–

–

2021

2

–

2022

5

–

2023

1

–

2024

2

–

Wildcard

Career Highlights

Representing Ukraine

2023 2nd place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Paris 2021 Requalification as permanent World Series diver

Date of birth June 25, 1987 Height/Weight 1.81 m/75 kg City of residence Trieste Profession Professional diver Secret passion Professional hip-hop dancing

2018 3rd place – World Aquatics High Diving World Cup

Started cliff diving 2016

2008 3rd place – Olympic Games Beijing, 3m springboard synchro

Favourite spot Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland

OLEKSIY PRYGOROV

2024 1st place – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Sydney

Favourite dive 5185B 1st World Series appearance 2017 Best result in a competition 1st place

Year

Ranking

2009

–

–

2010

–

–

2011

–

–

2012

–

–

2013

–

–

2014

–

–

2015

–

–

2016

–

–

2017

19

2018

17

2019

7

–

2020

–

–

2021

11

2022

7

–

2023

5

–

2024

5

–

Wildcard

With a Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series victory at the 2024 season finale in Sydney finally added to his Olympic diving medal, Oleksiy Prygorov has proved himself to be one of the most versatile divers in history.

For many experts in the sport, this win was no late-career fluke; it had been on the cards for some time. Those inconsistent years following his debut in 2017 had begun to settle in 2022, with four top seven finishes and two podium near-misses that season.

That long-awaited first podium finally arrived at the 23rd attempt in Paris in 2023, while a sixth place and two more top five finishes lifted the 37-year-old diver to a personal best overall position of fifth.

A CLIFF DIVER AUTOMATICALLY IS ALSO… A CLIMBER AND A BRAVE HEART. Last season, a runner-up spot at the penultimate stop in Antalya was followed by that sensational win in Australia, landing him once more in fifth place overall.

The self-confessed shopaholic, who also boasts medals from the World Cup and European Championships, will no doubt have another victory jotted down on his ‘shopping’ list for 2025.

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WILDCARDS

FOUR STOPS, FOUR WILDCARDS EACH – WHO CAN MAKE A BID FOR A SPOT ON THE MEN’S PERMANENT LINE-UP FOR 2026?

Armenia May 27, 1995

Switzerland July 21, 2002

CATALIN PREDA

PIERRICK SCHAFER

New Zealand December 1, 2000

Romania June 29, 1991

Mexico August 14, 1989

BRADEN RUMPIT

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Colombia March 20, 1991

JONATHAN PAREDES

GARY HUNT

France June 11, 1984

MIGUEL GARCIA

NIKITA FEDOTOV

ARCHIE BIGGIN

Great Britian April 23, 2008

The allocation of wildcard appearances to these athletes is contingent upon their respective World Ranking positions.

The cliffs of Antalya provided a natural and spectacular setting for this image of Nikita Fedotov as the World Series returned to the Turkish seaside city after 15 years.

Adventure comes with a challenge, and that's what the stunningly beautiful Cave of Light in Ibiza offered - a challenge. “When I first heard about this place, I was very shocked”, says World Series record winner

Gary Hunt, "I didn't know if it was possible. Then I saw photos and it kind of went the other direction – I felt like we could do it. Seeing the place for real, it was a really difficult decision making process.”

PURE, CLASSIC, FAN-FOCUSED LOCATIONS EL NIDO POLIGNANO A MARE MOSTAR BOSTON

Spanning three continents, with stunning launch points—from raw rocks to private balconies and historic bridges—these unparalleled sporting spectacles also see athletes diving into a sea of sports fans, watched by thousands on-site and countless more around the world.

PHI ITA BIH USA

ICONIC PLACES A R O U N D T H E W O R L D

EL NIDO STOP 1 APR 11–13

LAGEN ISLAND, MINILOC ISLAND El Nido | PHILIPPINES

Location Limestone rocks on Lagen Island and Miniloc Island in the Philippines’ Palawan archipelago

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series kicks off its thrilling 16th season in mid-April 2025 in El Nido, Palawan—a breathtaking destination known for its crystal-clear emerald waters, towering limestone cliffs, and vibrant marine life.

Returning to the Philippines for the first time since 2019, this iconic event promises a stunning combination of natural beauty and athletic excellence.

Coordinates 11.2097089, 119.4622539 Platform heights 27m | 20m Water depth 5.5m to 7m Water temperature in April 26°C

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Air temperature in April 28°C Water Pacific Ocean, seawater

Set against the backdrop of lush forests, serene lagoons, and dramatic rock formations, this curtain raiser introduces a brand-new diving location on Lagen Island while revisiting the iconic Small and Big Lagoons on Miniloc Island. These breathtaking sites, which wowed the world during the series’ 2019 debut in the Philippines, once again showcase the region’s unparalleled natural beauty and provide the perfect stage for the world’s best cliff divers.

The competition begins with rounds one

Previous Winners 2019 Rhiannan Iffland | Gary Hunt

and two, where both men and women will dive directly from the limestone rocks of Lagen Island and the Small Lagoon—an enchanting spot accessible through a narrow passage between two limestone formations that appear to “kiss.” Protected by surrounding cliffs and coral, the lagoon offers calm, glass-like waters ideal for this opening challenge.

For the more daring optional dives, athletes will head to the dramatic Big Lagoon, a deep bay carved into Miniloc Island and surrounded by towering cliffs. Known as a haven for sea turtles and kayakers, the lagoon’s deep waters and pointed limestone walls provide a striking and challenging stage for the 24 competitors.

EL NIDO, BEING ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY, IS PROTECTED FOR ITS UNIQUE FLORA AND FAUNA – AMONG THEM 813 SPECIES OF FISH, AND PRISTINE GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS.

POLIGNANO A MARE

STOP 2 JUN 28–29

BASTIONE DI SANTO STEFANO Polignano a Mare | ITALY

Location Bastione di Santo Stefano

For a record-extending 12th year, Polignano a Mare—the beating heart of European cliff diving—hosts the second stop of 2025. Perched along the stunning Adriatic coastline, this picturesque town once again becomes the stage for breathtaking dives and unforgettable moments.

Coordinates 40.99720, 17.21860 Platform heights 27m | 21m Water depth +5m Water temperature in June 22°C Air temperature in June 22°C Water Adriatic Sea, seawater

Each season, Polignano a Mare adds a new chapter to its rich cliff diving history. Athletes leap from take-off points perched on private homes built directly into the cliffs, creating a unique and storied connection between the sport and this magical location.

of locals and tourists eager to catch a glimpse of the aerial acrobatics. Some lucky fans even snag high-fives from the athletes as they pass through the bustling old town, weaving their way from the beach back to the platforms.

For more about Puglia’s incredible offerings, visit www.weareinpuglia.it.

ALL TAKE-OFF SPOTS ARE LOCATED WITHIN PRIVATE RESIDENCES.

The natural amphitheatre of the Puglian town amplifies the drama of each event.

From cliffs and private balconies to the sandy beach and the historic arch bridge, every corner overflows with thousands Previous Winners 2024 Rhiannan Iffland | Constantin Popovici 2023 Rhiannan Iffland | Aidan Heslop 2022 Rhiannan Iffland | Gary Hunt 2021 Rhiannan Iffland | Gary Hunt 2021 Rhiannan Iffland | Gary Hunt 2019 Rhiannan Iffland | Gary Hunt

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2018 Rhiannan Iffland | Gary Hunt 2017 Rhiannan Iffland | Alessandro De Rose 2016 Lysanne Richard | Artem Silchenko 2015 Rachelle Simpson | Gary Hunt 2010 Artem Silchenko 2009 Orlando Duque

MOSTAR STOP 3 SEP 05–06

STARI MOST Mostar | BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

Location Old bridge in Mostar

The deep bond between the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series and the city of Mostar will come alive once again this year as the world’s best divers return to Stari Most for the ninth time. Since its debut on the calendar in 2015, with just one break, this iconic location has been the stage for countless moments of cliff diving brilliance.

Coordinates 43.33730, 17.81496 Platform heights 27m | 21m Water depth 5m to 5.5m Water temperature in September 13°C Air temperature in September 27°C

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Water Neretva River, freshwater

One glance at the majestic 16th-century bridge spanning the emerald waters of the Neretva River is enough to spark memories of unforgettable feats: Jonathan Paredes claiming his maiden victory in 2015, Constantin Popovici achieving perfection with five 10s in 2019, and Gary Hunt and Rhiannan Iffland securing their

Previous Winners 2023 Molly Carlson | Carlos Gimeno 2022 Rhiannan Iffland | Constantin Popovici 2021 Rhiannan Iffland | Gary Hunt 2019 Rhiannan Iffland | Constantin Popovici

titles a stop early that same year. The first-ever handstand dive directly off the bridge, Carlos Gimeno’s fairytale first win in 2023—the stories from Stari Most are etched into the sport’s history.

Mostar has hosted the penultimate stop four times, where high stakes have turned the tide of championships. This year, the bridge takes centre stage once more as the third of four stops, a pivotal moment in the season where precision and nerve can make or break title hopes.

THE BRIDGE WAS DESTROYED DURING THE WAR IN BOSNIA (1992-1995), AND LATER FAITHFULLY RECONSTRUCTED USING THE ORIGINAL STONE BLOCKS TAKEN OUT FROM THE RIVER BELOW. IT WAS REOPENED IN 2004.

2018 Adriana Jimenez | Gary Hunt 2017 Cesilie Carlton | Gary Hunt 2016 Lysanne Richard | Michal Navratil 2015 Jonathan Paredes

BOSTON

STOP 4 SEP 19-20

INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART Boston | USA

Location ICA – waterfront museum and exhibition space

For the first time ever, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will crown its champions in Boston, as the city hosts the final event of the season this September. After serving as the season opener twice, the sports-mad metropolis now takes centre stage for the most dramatic moment of the year—the decisive showdown where the men’s and women’s titles will be claimed.

Coordinates 42.3528824, -71.043011 Platform heights 27m | 21m Water depth 7m Water temperature in September 18°C Air temperature in September 20°C

It marks only the second time in the competition’s 16 season-long history that the United States hosts the grand finale, following Hawaii’s iconic event in 2010.

Last year, tens of thousands of pas-

Water Boston Harbour, seawater

Previous Winners 2024 Rhiannan Iffland | Aidan Heslop 2023 Rhiannan Iffland | Constantin Popovici 2022 Molly Carlson | Aidan Heslop

sionate fans lined the Boston Harbor to witness history as Australia’s Rhiannan Iffland and the UK’s Aidan Heslop triumphed at the landmark 100th Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series event. In 2025, an equally electrifying atmosphere is expected, with local hopes pinned on seeing a first American winner after Kaylea Arnett’s and James Lichtenstein’s podium finishes in 2024.

Set against the evolving skyline of the Seaport District, the Institute of Contemporary Art provides a striking venue for the season finale, and an electric crowd will set the scene for an unforgettable coronation of the 2025 World Series champions.

BOSTON IS HOME TO THE FIRST COLLEGE – HARVARD UNIVERSITY – IN AMERICA

2013 Gary Hunt 2012 Gary Hunt 2011 Orlando Duque

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Imagine a volcanic archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean - exposed to the elements, with raw rocks, wild waters and spectacular scenery. The islet of Vila Franca

do Campo, off Portugal’s São Miguel in the Azores, has served as the backdrop for the World Series eight times to date.

CLIFF DIVING AROUND THE WORLD

BUCKLE UP AND IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE ADVENTURES OF THE ATHLETES. Cliff diving is more than just a competition - it’s adventure, exploration and travel while doing what you love.

Cliff diving awakens the wanderlust in all of us!

Cliff diving has literally travelled the world, with divers launching from icebergs in Antarctica, Indian step wells, sacred cenotes in Mexico and the world’s largest waterfall in Zambia. They have gone cliff-searching from Puerto Rico to Ibiza to Guatemala, dived in Croatia’s blue cave, while delving deep into Australian Aboriginal culture...

Follow the divers on their exciting ventures as they explore spectacular sites in lush and wild areas on our YouTube channel.

The World Series athletes aren’t just competitive, they have an adventurous spirit and a curious nature. They constantly embark on trips to exotic places, some of which you’ve never even heard of! They show us unique places all over the world and also explore local culture, traditions and history, always offering some great cliff diving wisdom along the way.

The protagonists of these journeys come in all shapes and forms: multiple champions and young talents, male and female, debutants and experienced explorers. What they all have in common is their love of free-falling from great heights in some of the most unexpected environments.

JUST PICTURE IT – THE WORLD’S ELITE CLIFF DIVERS SOARING TO UNIMAGINABLE HEIGHTS, UP TO 27 METRES ABOVE WILD WATERS – WHAT AN INCREDIBLE SYMPHONY OF SKILL, CONCENTRATION, AND SHEER AUDACITY THAT WILL BE!

In 2025, 12 incredibly talented men and 12 powerfully brave women will captivate audiences worldwide. Their three seconds of free fall will redefine the boundaries of human capability as they execute dives of increasing complexity with unparalleled precision.

This isn’t just a sport; it’s an art form. Aesthetic free falls that push the limits of what’s physically possible. Picture the sheer rush of watching these athletes reach speeds in excess of 85 km/h, defying gravity and expectation.

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is more than just a competition; it’s an electrifying experience that will leave spectators on the edge of their seats.

It’s a global spectacle set against the backdrop of natural wonders, vibrant urban landscapes, and secluded venues, captivating thousands of spectators on site and on screen.

MEDIA INFO & ASSETS

MEDIA INFO

Cliff diving is an incredibly pure sport that never fails to amaze.

The oldest extreme sport in the world is as popular as ever and continues to spread its unique spirit around the globe in 2025.

Get ready for the ultimate experience, because this isn’t just about dry interviews! At most venues, media representatives and content creators can also get wet during the World Series stops. They can participate in an action-packed diving workshop and test their knee stability and head for heights on the 27-metre high platform.

OUTCOME NUMBERS 2024 1.35 billion impressions across print, TV and online channels

26.6K media items in 1,822 outlets in more than 100 countries

1,039 pictures in news agencies

547 million impressions across owned social media channels

321 media & 172 content creators onsite

104 hours of 3,858 TV news airings across international networks

> 895 million video views

19 live and/or highlight programme takers

NEWSROOM

Discover the editorial world of cliff diving!

Welcome to the Red Bull Cliff Diving Newsroom, your one-stop shop for all the latest and greatest editorial content! Here, you’ll find a treasure trove of high-quality HD videos and stunning images, all ready to be used across various media channels. Whether it’s television, film, print, radio, or podcasts, you’ll have everything you need to bring your editorial projects to life. Best of all, it’s all available for free! Just register, and you’ll have instant access to a world of possibilities. dh - les sports+ 24/09/2024 www.dh.be

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www.dh.be 24/09/2024 dh - les sports+

plongeon

plongeon

19

“Il faut aimer dépasser la peur”

Red Bull Cliff Diving Newsroom redbullcliffdivingnewsroom.com

. Originaine de Grande-Bretagne, Gary Hunt a représenté la France aux Jeux olympiques. © Dean Treml/ Romina Amato/ Baptiste Fauchille/ Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool

rencontre

reprises. Il faut bien connaître ton plonger, explique le parfait bilin-

corps et avoir une certaine relation gue, avec un accent qui trahit ses Né en Angleterre, Gary Hunt a représenté la France aux avec la peur. Il faut aimer un peu origines. La plus commune, c’est la Jeux olympiques de Paris. Le quadragénaire compte bien avoir peur et dépasser cette peur. Il y gymnastique. Pour une raison ou une prouver qu’il reste la star du plongeoir à 27m à Antalya, en a qui prennent un tel plaisir après autre, ils arrêtent la gym. Tout ce ce week-end, lors des Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. avoir fait quelque chose qui leur fait qu’on apprend en gymnastique, ça se peur que ça donne envie de continuer. our le commun des mortels, et précision, de l’autre. Imaginez- Il faut avoir un peu cette envie de se le monde s’arrêterait pres- vous grimper jusqu’à la plateforme dépasser.” que à 27 mètres au-dessus de saut pour exécuter des saltos et des eaux. Rien que de se la figurer, autres figures, avant d’atterrir en “Pour moi, c’est cette hauteur provoquerait des ver- toute sécurité les pieds devant un boulot incroyable. tiges. Pour Gary Hunt, c’est une quelque 30 mètres plus bas. Et dire Je serais fou de ne pas journée de travail comme une que pour Gary Hunt, le premier le faire.” autre. Les plongeons spectaculai- saut à 10 mètres, il a osé le faire il y res dans des cadres idylliques de a trente ans. “Dès mes premières lecelui qui a représenté la France aux çons de plongeon, j’ai adoré cela ; je Véritable légende vivante de son Jeux olympiques fascinent et inspi- savais que la natation n’était pas sport, Gary Hunt vit toujours pour rent, tout en procurant des fris- pour moi et que je continuerais avec celui-ci. “Il n’y a personne qui se sons. Chaque saut est un savant ce sport, explique le champion du lance de 27 mètres sans savoir ce qu’il mélange entre courage, d’une part, monde de plongeon extrême à dix fait. Pour moi, c’est un boulot incroyable. Je serais fou de ne pas le faire, sourit-il. J’ai un boulot où je saute dans l’eau et dans l’air : c’est ça mon métier. On me paie pour voyager dans le monde et sauter de falaises. Si on m’avait proposé ça comme boulot il y a 100 ans, je serais considéré comme fou. C’est incroyable que ça existe comme métier. J’ai pu avoir autant de succès, parce que j’étais un des premiers plongeurs à tenter des figures vraiment difficiles, maintenant le niveau a vraiment augmenté. Si tu veux être champion, il faut commencer tôt et il faut beaucoup s’entraîner.”

P

. Des années d’entraînement

transfère très facilement au plongeon. Moi j’avais fait quand même un an ou deux de gymnastique quand j’avais 4 ou 5 ans. Après, on a déménagé de Londres à Leeds, où je me suis mis à la natation. Ce n’était pas vraiment pour moi. À un moment donné, j’ai changé de piscine et j’ai vu qu’il y avait des gens qui plongeaient.

Dès que j’ai vu ça, ils avaient l’air de s’amuser tellement que j’ai demandé à mes parents de commencer des cours de plongeon. Du coup, pour moi, c’était plus la natation qui m’a emmené vers le sport de plongeon. La petite base que j’avais en gymnastique, cela m’a motivé, cela m’a donné la confiance de me dire que je pouvais faire des choses intéressantes sur les plongeoirs. Je voyais des jeunes filles de 9 ans courir et sauter de 10 mètres et pour moi c’était incroyable.

Je me disais : j’ai envie de faire ça, ils ont l’air de bien s’amuser de ne pas avoir peur et c’était le challenge pour moi.”

“Quand ma mère a vu ce que je faisais, ça lui a fait un peu peur.”

Une activité parascolaire peu Avant d’avoir l’idée folle de fendre l’air pour se déployer avec commune, qui peut faire peur aux grâce et pénétrer dans l’eau, sans parents, mais ceux de Gary Hunt éclaboussures, il y a des années l’ont toujours soutenu. “Mes pad’entraînement. “Il y a beaucoup de rents, surtout ma mère, nous emmedifférentes manières pour en arriver à naient à la piscine. Il y avait des séan-

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cas de confrontation en football garde. Cela te donne un peu d’éneravec la France, tant son pays gie. Pendant les entraînements, je d’adoption a déjà remporté de tro- pense qu’on a tous peur. On apprend phées. Les Jeux olympiques, ça n’a ja- à gérer cette peur. Il y avait des anmais été un but pour moi, parce que nées où lors des entraînements, je trouvais ça hyper dur. Quand je j’avais les jambes qui tremblaient. Ce plongeais en Angleterre, j’avais du n’était pas facile de gérer ça, mais pemal à être dans le top 2 de mon pays tit à petit tu prends confiance et ça et j’étais très content de pouvoir faire devient un peu plus facile.” les championnats d’Europe. Je voulais absolument représenter mon pays, je . Red Bull donne voulais tous les vêtements qui vont des ailes aux plongeurs avec, l’esprit de l’équipe et je voulais Après la parenthèse olympique, plonger, je voulais continuer à plon- l’Anglo-Français est invité à particiger et le 27 mètres ça m’a permis de per à l’étape turque des Red Bull continuer ma carrière. Les deux plon- Cliff Diving World Series, qui se dégeurs français de 10 mètres, ils ont ar- roulera ce week-end à Antalya. “On rêté, alors je commençais à croire que peut vivre du plongeon et du saut, ce serait peut-être ma place, et le rêve oui, explique celui qui va disputer sa centième compétition. On n’a Cet été, Gary Hunt s’est offert son Gary Hunt semble défier la gra- pas de gros salaires, mais si on est sur rêve olympique, à domicile en vité avec une maîtrise qui force le podium pendant l’année, ça suffit plus. En effet, il a défendu les cou- l’admiration. Celle de milliers de pour vivre sur les mois où il n’y a pas leurs de la France, en compagnie fans. Tout juste quadragénaire, il de compétitions. Il faut être dans le de Lois Szymczak, lors de l’épreuve s’épanouit à mesure que la dis- top 10 mondial pour faire une cardu plongeon synchronisé à 10 m. tance avec le sol augmente… seule- rière. Cela se développe, mais ce n’est Alors, certes, il n’est pas monté sur ment quand il y a de l’eau en des- pas simple. Pour moi, c’est grâce à le podium, mais il a pris la 8e sous de lui. Plonger dans le vide, Red Bull que le sport de plongeon de place. Pour son pays d’adoption, en pour le Parisien d’adoption, c’est vol est là où il est, qu’il permet à plus. bien plus qu’un défi physique. “Les beaucoup de plongeurs, beaucoup de “On ne savait même pas qu’il y entraînements pour moi, c’est encore gens qui organisent, d’avoir une caraurait les jeux à Paris quand je suis plus dur, assure notre interlocu- rière. Avant, il n’y avait pas assez de venu en France et que j’ai rencontré teur. On a plus peur pendant les en- compétitions pour que les plongeurs ma femme. Depuis 2009, je vis en traînements, il y a plus de doute et prennent confiance, il n’y avait pas France, je m’entraîne avec l’équipe de souvent il y a plus d’erreurs dans les assez d’argent pour vivre de ça. Il y France et, petit à petit, je me sentais entraînements. Pendant la compéti- avait très peu de professionnels il y a bizarre de représenter la Grande-Bre- tion, tu as envie de gagner. C’est 20 ans. La série Red Bull a donné à tagne. L’équipe de France a été telle- l’adrénaline qui te pousse et il y a tous les plongeurs des opportunités ment accueillante que ce n’était pas souvent beaucoup de monde qui re- de prendre confiance en eux. En Turvraiment une décision difficile. J’avais du mal à expliquer tout ça à mes “On n’a pas de gros salaires, mais si on est amis, à ma famille, mais ils ont tout sur le podium pendant l’année, ça suffit pour vivre compris mes raisons, explique celui sur les mois où il n’y a pas de compétitions.” qui supporterait l’Angleterre en ces où on quittait la maison à 5h, 5h30 pour s’entraîner. On faisait beaucoup de sport, la gymnastique, la danse… Je les remercie beaucoup.

Quand j’ai commencé le plongeon, ils étaient toujours là pour les compétitions. Lorsque j’ai commencé à faire le haut vol, c’était des spectacles au début avec une toute petite piscine.

Quand ma mère a vu ce que je faisais, ça lui a fait un peu peur. Quand j’ai commencé à faire les compétitions de 20 à 25 mètres, elle aimait beaucoup que je l’appelle… après, pour lui dire que tout allait bien. Je l’ai fait pendant pas mal d’années. Après, je pense qu’elle a commencé à prendre confiance en moi…”

. 8e place aux Jeux olympiques s’est réalisé.”

quie, j’aimerais mieux plonger qu’au Canada, où j’avais repris la compétition. J’aimerais ne commettre aucune erreur.”

“J’ai eu assez de victoires pour être comblé. Si je prends plaisir à plonger, les résultats, on s’en fout.”

S’il semble toujours à l’aise au moment de prendre son élan, Gary Hunt ne pourra pas éternellement prendre son envol. “Ce que les gens disent sur moi, ça ne me regarde pas.

S’ils veulent me donner des compliments, c’est génial. Moi, je suis très fier de ce que j’ai fait, et après je n’écoute pas trop ce que les autres disent. Je continue à faire ce que j’aime et je pense plutôt à mon avenir qu’au passé. Ce ne sont pas les victoires que je cherche. J’ai eu assez de victoires pour être comblé, mon ego est satisfait. J’ai toujours envie de gagner, mais si je prends plaisir à plonger ; les résultats, on s’en fout. Pour l’instant, j’ai toujours envie de faire ces compétitions. Je suis prêt pour un dernier challenge cette année et l’année prochaine, lors de laquelle j’espère me battre pour le titre. On verra pour la suite après. Une fois que je n’aurai plus le plaisir de faire ces compétitions, ce sera à ce moment-là que je vais arrêter. Je me vois encore plonger 3-4 ans, et si je ne suis plus compétitif, je vais commencer à aller dans le coaching. C’est très valorisant de transmettre ta passion, mais ça va me manquer de ne plus être sur scène.”

Fabrice Melchior

EDITORIAL ASSETS -14

-10

-3

Pre Event Release

Teaser Release

Teaser Pictures

-2 Quotes & Story of the Day Location & Lifestyle Pictures

Event Trailer

MOVING ˇ Clips trailer, winning dives best moments, editorial ˇ Live (HD) on redbullcliffdiving.com, Red Bull TV and YouTube ˇ News cuts (pre news, ‘ready to air’ news, national & international news, regional selects) ˇ Athletes’ profiles ˇ Highlight programme (26min, 52min)

-1

Products per stop

Event

The Day in Bullet Points

+1

+3

+5

News Release Quotes of the Day Results

Day 1 Pictures

Action & Podium Pictures

YouTube LIVE

YouTube Red Bull TV LIVE

Pre News Cut

News Cut & Selects Winning Dives Clip

Additional Pictures

52min Highlight Best Highest Moments Scoring Clip Dives Clip

STILL ˇ Location | Lifestyle ˇ Action | Sequences ˇ Preparation | Portraits

EDITORIAL ˇ Announcement release ˇ Daily wrap ups and insights ˇ News release ˇ Quotes ˇ Feature stories All-purpose editorial content ˇ Athletes’ profiles ˇ Judges’ profiles ˇ Info graphics

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Extras throughout the year ˇ Generic sports clips ˇ Social media clips ˇ Pre- and off-season content ˇ Special activations and athletes’ projects

Media Service – During the season, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series provides the media with a variety of rich and distinct contents and formats, including moving and still images, editorial texts and special requests.

A skilled team of photographers, TV crews and news, digital and social editors produce editorial content and distribute news, pictures, stories, audio and TV-footage to the international media, providing background and in-depth information and bringing the sport closer to a wider audience.

As pure as it gets – cliff diving in Japan’s Takachiho Gorge, deep in the mountains of Miyazaki Prefecture,

Kyushu. Aidan Heslop and Carlos Gimeno were among the chosen few who were allowed to dive into the Gokase River.

ENCYCLOPEDIA A

Acapulco In Acapulco, Mexico, pearl divers began to dive from the cliffs of La Quebrada in the 1930s in order to find the biggest and most valuable pearls. Legends recall the heights from which they jumped. The figure of 36 metres is inscribed into the top of the cliff; however, many people talk about dives in excess of 40 metres. The highest level on site is actually 25.90 metres above the sea.

Age In 2025, the age range within the permanent athletes is between 18 and 40 years. Six out of the 16 of these athletes are between 18 and 23 years old.

B

Blind Entry The last time the diver sees the water is at least half a somersault before entry and hence lines up “blind”.

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Braking distance The braking distance for a high dive from 27m is approximately 4m after entry into the water.

C

Chamois The chamois or ‘shammy’ is a small towel that serves a few purposes. It keeps the divers’ body dry before a dive. This is important because the hands

and legs need to be dry to not slip out of position in the air.

At the same time, the athletes try to keep their hands wet – in the same way that some people wet the tips of their fingers to turn the pages of a book.

In case of low temperatures, the divers try to keep warm by drying their bodies with the chamois. It’s dry again as soon as you squeeze the water out of the towel.

Champions Between 2009 and 2024 the World Series has crowned eight different champions: Orlando Duque (1), Gary Hunt (10), Artem Silchenko (1), Jonathan Paredes (1), Constantin Popovici (1) and Aidan Heslop (1) in the men’s, Rachelle Simpson (2) and Rhiannan Iffland (8) in the women’s.

Chilly windy A weather condition sometimes experienced at World Series events: chilly temperatures and windy weather. The term was coined

by Michal Navratil, a Czech diver from the original line up, and has turned into regular World Series lingo.

D

Degree of Difficulty The Degree of Difficulty of a dive is evaluated based on the following: take-off, number

of somersaults and twists, position during the somersaults and entry into the water. As of 2024 the World Series follows a new Degree of Difficulty table as an adjustment to the sport’s recent evolutions.

E

Equipment There is no need for equipment. Falling free from great heights combined with the most appealing acrobatics – that’s the simple essence of cliff diving. It’s pure. It’s fast and it takes your breath away - the main reasons why so many people are intrigued by the sport.

Evolution Improvement and evolution are crucial aspects of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

Besides offering mesmerising diving action, the World Series also intends to push the limits of the sport. Bringing together the best of their kind and providing them with a stable platform height and a set number of competitions broke new boundaries in its very first year of existence. Gary Hunt’s triple somersault with four twists – the Triple Quad – was the first dive conceived exclusively for cliff diving. The evolution of the sport, which began in 2009, continued in the past years following intense off-season preparation and with the introduction of a Women’s World Series in 2014.

More spellbinding action from up to 27m is guaranteed in the 16th season.

F

Female competition The first female competition in the history of Red Bull Cliff Diving was held in Malcesine, Italy, in July 2013 Germany’s Anna Bader won. The Women’s World Series was introduced in 2014.

Free fall During a dive from 27m, the athletes have about three seconds of free fall in which to perform their spectacular movements before they break the water.

G

G-force The G-force value increases to around 10 at the highest point, meaning the divers experience a force equal to ten times their own weight.

H

Height High diving competitions are generally held at heights ranging from 20-22 metres for female and 26-28 metres for male divers. 26.5 metres – the minimum height in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series for a men’s competition – is the equivalent of an eight-storey building.

Heroes Outstanding achievements, broken records, and unforgettable moments – cliff diving has its heroes, like King Kahekili, Lucy Wardle, Laso Schaller, Orlando Duque or Gary Hunt. Also Rhiannan Iffland, the Australian wildcard who won 5 of 7 competitions in her debut season to become the women’s champion in 2016; in 2024 she secured her eighth consecutive overall title.

High Scores All tens from the judges to score 156.00 points - Gary Hunt and Constantin Popovici accomplished the first ever perfect dives in the history of the World Series in 2019.

Three more athletes added their names to this elite group in 2021: Rhiannan Iffland, Carlos Gimeno and Catalin Preda.

I

Impact The force of the impact is nine times harder than from the 10-metre platform and can be compared with running full speed into a wall.

J

Judges An international panel of five judges assess each dive. They consider take-off, position in the air and water entry and they award scores from 0 to 10.

K

Kahekili In the 1770s, Kahekili, the last independent king of Maui, indulged in cliff diving.

KAMEHAMEHA In the 19th century, the Hawaiian King Kamehameha, was the first to allow the organisation of cliff diving contests with defined rules to determine the best and bravest athlete.

Kaunolu The holy cliffs of Kaunolu, on the southwestern part of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, are considered the birthplace of this majestic sport.

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L

Lele Kawa Lele Kawa is a Hawaiian expression, that means ‘leaping feet-first from a high cliff into water without making a splash’.

Kahekili used it as an initiation rite for his warriors.

Live In 2025, all stops of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will be live on redbullcliffdiving.com, Red Bull TV and YouTube.

Locations El Nido (PHI), Polignano a Mare (ITA), Mostar (BIH) and Boston (USA) are the four distinctive and pivotal locations in 2025.

M

O

Origin Cliff diving had its origin during the 1700s in Hawaii.

P

Performance Cliff diving is a performance-based sport and everything that happens from take-off to landing requires absolute precision to score high. Precise and athletic, MIDO’s Ocean Star 600 Chronometer with its outstanding watchmaking performances perfectly reflects the qualities required in cliff diving. An exceptional autonomy up to 80 hours power reserve and an extraordinary accuracy, the sporty automatic timepiece is water-resistant up to a pressure of 20 bar (200 m / 660 ft). midowatches.com

Maximum height The maximum height for competitions in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is 22 m | 72 ft for the women and 28 m | 92 ft for the men. Higher dives offer almost no time benefit and the risk of injury increases disproportionately due to the rapid acceleration.

Mind A lot of things go through the divers minds just before a dive: They rehearse the whole process mentally before stepping onto the platform. Some of them mimic the dive, recreate it in their heads and visualize the movements. In the last seconds before the dive, they are completely focused, and the fear is gone.

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NEW In 2025, the World Series will see seven new permanent divers: Kaylea Arnett (USA), Elisa Cosetti (ITA), Nelli Chukanivska (UKR), Ginni van Katwijk (NED), Andrea Barnaba (ITA), Sergio Guzman (MEX) and Yolotl Martinez (MEX).

Platform The platform must be a stable takeoff board constructed with a minimum length of 1.5m, a minimum width of 0.75m and a rim at least 2m beyond the vertical line.

Pressure The fact that the mere thought of a cliff dive in a neutral and relaxed environment sees the heart rate and the body tension rise to the same high level experienced before the actual execution, emphasises the mental and physical pressure to which the athletes are exposed.

R

Requirements The main requirements for cliff divers are an extensive technical education, many years of experience in diving or a similar acrobatic sport, as well as courage, selfconfidence, extraordinary physical control, and the ability to make decisions within fractions of a second based on the following impulses: sight, space, time, and experience.

S

Safety Regulations for safety are a maximum height, a minimum water depth, a stable platform: a water spray at the entry area, rescue divers, paramedics as well as an ambulance onsite.

Skill Most athletes reach their maximum technical skill and mental maturity at around 30 years of age. Besides a technical education, the main prerequisite for all cliff divers is at least 10 to 15 years of training in diving or a similar acrobatic sport.

Speed From 27 m, the speed at which you enter the water is approximately 85 kph | 53 mph; an acceleration that compares to a Lamborghini Murciélago.

T

Training A balanced training programme includes springboard diving, flexibility, and power training, as well as mental conditioning.

Triple Quad Gary Hunt’s triple somersault with four twists – the Triple Quad – was the first dive conceived exclusively for cliff diving.

Twist The body twists on axis whilst rotating. The record number of twists is currently 5.

U

Under water As soon as the athletes land, they start their braking process under water. In less than a second the divers’ bodies decelerate from 85 kph | 53 mph to zero.

V

Vertical position It is vital to ensure that the water entry is in a perfectly vertical position to minimise the risk of injuries and water splash.

W

Water Water is the central element in cliff diving. The diver must be aware of key characteristics like temperature, density and colour as they approach the entry point.

Water entry The most precarious part in cliff diving is the water entry.

Even if the divers have a good line and break the water’s surface perfectly vertical, it still hurts. As their bodies are under tremendous pressure, the water feels like a wall.

Web redbullcliffdiving.com is the official website of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

It contains latest news, divers’ profiles, picture galleries, videos and the most recent information about the stops and results.

Wind Probably the most important factor if a competition is safe, is the wind. Getting hit by a gust of wind in mid-air is one of the sports director’s main concerns.

The international weather service Ubimet provides the best weather information everywhere the World Series goes to.

Women’s World Series In 2014, Red Bull Cliff Diving introduced the Women’s World Series and Rachelle Simpson (USA) was crowned the first-ever female champion.

She defended her title in 2015.

Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) has dominated the sport since her wildcard title in 2016.

Over the past ten seasons, 43 divers from 17 countries have participated.

World Aquatics In April 2012 World Aquatics, formerly known as FINA, included high diving as a professional sport.

Z

Zero protection Cliff divers rely solely on their experience for protection.

Their diving ability is their only protection against injuries.

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The 2024 season marked a milestone in Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series history, celebrating its 15th season for the men and 10th season for the women.

The second stop in Boston hosted the 100th event, a testament to how a passionate vision grew into a global spectacle that captivates fans worldwide.

Since the first event in La Rochelle in 2009— where over 30,000 spectators watched 12 daring men leap from a daunting 27-metre platform— the World Series has expanded to over 100 stops across 30 countries. More than 100 athletes from 27 nations have taken the plunge, pushing boundaries, breaking records, and redefining what’s possible from nearly three times the Olympic diving height.

RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES MAGAZINE 2025

Design, Layout & Graphics Zwupp – Design & Film zwupp.com

Publisher Red Bull Media House GmbH, Oberst-Lepperdinger-Straße 11-15, 5071 Wals bei Salzburg

Photography Red Bull Content Pool (Romina Amato, Vincent Curuchet, Balazs Gardi, Alex Grymanis, Andy Green, Jörg Mitter, Ricardo Nascimento, Christian Pondella, Mauro Puccini, Graeme Murray, Dean Treml, Andreas Vigl, Samo Vidic, Stefan Voitl), MIDO Inc.

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