#CulturePH - Hunt and Iffland Begin Red Bull Cliff Diving Season with Victories in the Philippines

If you're a fan of thrilling sports and breathtaking locations, you'll be excited to hear about the latest Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series event. The 2025 season kicked off in the stunning setting of El Nido, Philippines, with record champions Gary Hunt and Rhiannan Iffland starting the season in style with dominant performances.

A Spectacular Start

The new season brought the sport back to its purest form with three days of competition on the cliffs surrounding the ethereal Lagen Island. Competitors showcased their most daring dives from man-made platforms into the picturesque Blue Lagoon.

Men's Competition Highlights

In the men's competition, 10-time champion Gary Hunt returned to the top of the podium for the first time in three years. Appearing as a wildcard after vacating his permanent place on the tour last season to fulfill his Olympic dream, Hunt claimed victory with a brilliant Back 3 Somersaults 4 Twists Free in the final round. Hunt, 40, expressed his excitement, saying, “I feel great, I can’t wait to tell my wife. We’ve been traveling the last six months and I’ve only had maybe eight or nine sessions in the pool since the Olympics. My head was on the chopping block and if I didn’t do well here it was goodbye to the season. They’re going to have to invite me back now.”

Mexico’s Jonathan Paredes secured his best result since 2019 with a surprise second-place finish, while Romanian Constantin Popovici completed the top three. This marked the first time in history that two wildcards posted a 1-2 finish, and the combined ages of the top three made it the ‘oldest’ podium ever.

Women's Competition Highlights

There were no such twists on the 21m platform as Rhiannan Iffland, the dominant force in the women’s competition since 2016, once again showcased her quality by finishing on top of the podium to claim her 42nd victory in 52 starts. Iffland, 33, shared her relief and happiness, saying, “I’m super, super happy, and I feel relieved to be honest. I came in not so confident, I didn’t know if I could do it and I’ve done it. It’s a beautiful but challenging location, and it shows those who have experience are going to have the upper hand.”

The reigning champion was joined on the podium by two rising stars in the sport, both competing for the first time as permanent athletes following their well-earned upgrades at the end of last season. American Kaylea Arnett, who briefly led the standings after round one, claimed the runner-up spot, making it four podiums in six career starts. She edged the young up-and-comer Nelli Chukanivska into third place, a repeat of last year’s finale performance for the 18-year-old Ukrainian.

Bonus Points and Next Stop

As well as the points earned for their final positions, Popovici and Iffland both pocketed a bonus championship point for laying down the best dives of the competition. Following three intense days, the cliff diving elite will take a two-month break before returning to Polignano a Mare – the home of European cliff diving – for the season’s second stop at the end of June in Italy.

Results

Women:

1. Rhiannan Iffland AUS – 352.95pts.
2. Kaylea Arnett USA – 320.65
3. Nelli Chukanivska UKR – 313.80
4. Meili Carpenter USA – 280.20
5. Molly Carlson CAN – 279.65
6. Simone Leathead CAN – 275.90
7. Iris Schmidbauer (W) GER – 265.95
8. Xantheia Pennisi (W) AUS – 261.40
9. Maria Paula Quintero (W) COL – 260.60
10. Elisa Cosetti ITA – 255.55
11. Ginni van Katwijk NED – 231.00
12. Eleanor Smart (W) USA – 223.60

Men:

1. Gary Hunt (W) FRA – 422.10pts.
2. Jonathan Paredes (W) MEX – 381.90
3. Constantin Popovici ROU – 381.15
4. Oleksiy Prygorov UKR – 353.35
5. Carlos Gimeno ESP – 339.10
6. Nikita Fedotov (W) ARM – 328.10
7. Yolotl Martinez MEX – 313.85
8. Miguel Garcia (W) COL – 270.60
9. Braden Rumpit (W) NZL – 247.35
10. Catalin Preda (W) ROU – 238.30
11. James Lichtenstein USA – 219.65
12. Andrea Barnaba ITA – DNF

Standings (after 1 of 4 rounds)

Women:

1. Rhiannan Iffland AUS – 21pts.
2. Kaylea Arnett USA – 16
3. Nelli Chukanivska UKR – 13
4. Meili Carpenter USA – 10
5. Molly Carlson CAN – 8

Men:

1. Gary Hunt (W) FRA – 20pts.
2. Jonathan Paredes (W) MEX – 16
3. Constantin Popovici ROU – 14
4. Oleksiy Prygorov UKR – 10
5. Carlos Gimeno ESP – 8

Explore more Red Bull Cliff Diving content on their official website and social media pages.

For MORE UPDATES, 

You can follow me on X, Instagram,

Threads, Tiktok  & Facebook!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, SHARE & COMMENT. 

Thank you!

DISCLAIMER: All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The pictures or videos posted here doesn't necessarily mean that it's the owner's property. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.