Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series
Antalya, Türkiye
29 September 2024
Watch Replay on Red Bull TV
Finals – Antalya
Sun, 29 September 2024
01
Location
Does it get much better than this? The World Series finally made its long-awaited return to Antalya after 15 years since the last outing at the popular Turkish tourist destination.
Sunshine, blue skies, beautiful crystal clear water - the vacation-worthy temperatures at the Antalya stop were a welcome break from the challenging cooler conditions endured by the divers at the previous three stops of the 2024 World Series calendar.
Daring cliff dive in Antalya, Turkiye
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
The seventh and penultimate stop of the season kicked off under picture perfect blue skies, with the first round of action taking place directly off the cliff. With ideal conditions setting the scene, the diving in Türkiye was all about each contender’s athleticism, technical ability, and power… and plenty of adrenaline. In Round 1, both the men and women leapt directly from the rugged cliffs, with all remaining rounds performed off the women's 21m and men's 27m platforms.
02
Who won?
Having pulled out the perfect setup, finishing first in the first three rounds of diving, on Day 3 of the penultimate stop of the 2024 season, all Rhiannan Iffland had to do was deliver one more stellar dive. The Australian headed into Round 4 with the knowledge that a win at the Antalya stop would earn the 33-year-old a history-making eighth King Kahekili win… no pressure!
But Iffland has a knack of rising to the challenge, and carried that winning momentum through to the final dive, soaring with her signature grace, and powerful, long flowing lines and rip into the sea below. Iffland’s 40th career event win secured her record-breaking eighth straight King Kahekili trophy in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
“Yesterday I actually didn’t have any idea that I could take the title… I knew I had to put down a solid dive,” Iffland said after taking the monumental victory. “Somehow I held it together… I was a lot more nervous than usual – and we did it! And now I’m coming to Sydney to have a bloody good time!”
“If you’d asked me eight years if I’d still be here eight seasons later, the answer would have been ‘no’,” Iffland remarked. “So I guess I’ve proven to myself... it’s a lot of hard work and determination, and enjoying the journey has really paid off.”
In the men’s competition, Aidan Heslop took one step closer to holding his first ever King Kahekili trophy after a decisive win at the pivotal stop in Antalya. His fourth victory of the season means the British diver has extended his lead up to 113 points overall, with nothing now left to do but for Heslop to bring his A-game to the big finale in Sydney in November.
“Watching these guys [Prygorov and Barnaba] doing some amazing dives was really an honour,” Heslop said. “Hopefully in Sydney I’ll be doing the same thing I just did – standing on the top of the podium and taking home that trophy at the end of the year,” he finished.
Aidan heslop and Rhiannan Iffland show off their winners trophies
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Content Pool
03
What went down on Day 1 in Antalya?
Rhiannan Iffland drew the short straw as the first diver out on the cliff to commence the women’s diving. The Australian is gaining momentum in her defence of her World Series champion title, and as the season powers ahead towards the final Antalya could prove a make or break stop as Iffland looks to put a comfortable margin between herself and fellow King Kahekili trophy contender Molly Carlson.
The women's first official competition dives in Antalya
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
Iffland good to go in Antalya with comfortable lead after Round 1
Iffland seemed intent on making the seventh stop a collection of firsts - first out on the platform, the first woman to dive in a World Series competition in Türkiye, and ultimately, first in the standings so far after Day 1. Despite being the opening act for the women, her inaugural dive in Türkiye was on the shy side of incredible as the 33-year-old picked up a total of 71.50 points and three 9.0 scores for her Reverse Flying 1 Somersault.
Xantheia Pennisi soars off Antalya cliffs
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
Fellow Aussie Xantheia Pennisi made a triumphant return after a brief hiatus at stop 6, nailing her Required dive of Forward 3 Somersaults 1/2 Twist to land a second place on the scoresheets with 66.30 points. It was also a stellar start for Ellie Smart, as the US diver began her bid for the podium with a third place finish after Round 1, with 61.10 points awarded for her Forward 2 Somersaults 1/2 Twist.
Canada’s Molly Carlson finished her first outing in Türkiye in joint 5th place with wildcard Zita Bernatsky on 57.20 points. The Canadian currently sits in second place overall in the rankings and is the only credible threat for the World Series champion title as Iffland pushes ever closer to her 8th title. The next two days of jaw-dropping diving could prove a watershed moment in the women’s competition - watch this space!
Heslop gains the advantage on Day 1
Britain’s Aidan Heslop remains hot on the heels of defending King Kahekili trophy winner Constantin Popovici, with the British diver now holding onto a precarious lead in the overall standings. With just six points separating the top three World Series champion contenders – Heslop, Lichtenstein and Popovici - the stakes are supremely high and every point counts in Antalya at this crucial penultimate stop.
The good news for Heslop is that his battle for the top step of the podium - and the points that go with it - is right on track, as he finished Day 1 in first place with three 9.0 scores and 70.20 points, with some daylight between the Brit and second place Oleksiy Prygorov who put in a strong showing with his Forward 2 Somersaults 1/2 Twist. The Ukrainian is chasing down his first podium of 2024, and his 66.30 points has proven to be a promising start.
Oleksiy Prygorov leaps from the cliffs in Antalya
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
James “Mr Consistent” Lichtenstein – the third contender in the men’s 2024 King Kahekili contender triad - also finished in the top three after Day 1, after the US diver picked up 65 points for a solid Forward 1 Somersault 1/2 Twist dive.
04
What went down on Day 2 in Antalya?
Day 2 of the seventh stop launched under super sunny skies at the Mediterranean cliffside location. The heat was on as the athletes completed two adrenaline-laced rounds of diving, with the men competing from 27m and the women launching from the 21m platform.
Iffland surges toward ultimate victory after stellar Round 2 and 3
Canada’s Molly Carlson wrapped Round 2’s Intermediate Dive in third place, clinging onto her King Kahekili trophy hopes by a thread as Iffland surged ahead by almost 22 points after clinching another first place on the scoresheets.
Carlson’s 7.0, 7.5 and 8.0 put extra pressure on the Montreal winner to capture maximum points in the remaining rounds, as the possibility of Iffland sealing her eighth King Kahekili trophy win at the penultimate stop hung in the air – even more so as the Australian diving legend extended her lead at the close of the second round.
Rhiannan Iffland is currently in first place after Day 2
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Content Pool
The defending World Series champion’s Intermediate Dive hit the mark, as Iffland picked up three more 9.0 scores from the judges for her Inward 3 Somersaults 1/2 Twist dive. Meanwhile, Simone Leathead finished Round 2 wedged between the two rivals, her three 8.0 scores propelling her into possible contention for a podium in Antalya.
In Round 3 and the first of the uncapped Optional Dives, Carlson upped the ante and unleashed her competitive spirit, stomping her Forward 4 Somersaults 1/2 Twist dive on take-off and ripping into the Mediterranean waters at full tilt. With an impressive 4.4 DD, the Canadian competitor earned two 8.5s and an 8.0 to pick up 107.80 points.
An unruffled Iffland answered with her own spectacular first Optional Dive in Round 3, finishing 18 points ahead of Carlson, as Simone Leathead continued her fight for the podium by finishing in third, with one round remaining.
Heslop locks sights on fourth victory of the season after three rounds
Having floated in the mid-section of the scoreboard in Round 1, wildcard Andrea Barnaba threw down a truly epic dive in Round 2, his impeccable form earning him a 10 from one of the judges. With the highest and lowest scores discarded, he took forward three 9.5s to the scoreboard, keeping the giants of the sport at arm’s length as the Italian rising star finished Round 2 in the top spot.
US diver James Lichtenstein continued to chip away, picking up 97.20 points for his Reverse 3 Somersaults, ultimately finishing the second round in second place, as Aidan Heslop dropped into third, unable to outperform Barnaba’s incredible score. The Brit looked relaxed, seemingly confident that his remaining high-DD Required left the 22-year-old with plenty of room to take his fourth event win of the season.
In Round 3, the first outing for the men’s Optional Dives, Heslop regained the advantage with a huge 5.7 DD Back 4 Somersaults 3 Twists ultimately earning him 136.50 points, allowing the Brit to wrap Day 2 in first.
Oleksiy Prygorov is in the hunt for a podium finish
© Romina Amato / Red Bull Content Pool
And with Heslop bringing the power and complexity to the diving platform, Barnaba’s style and precision shone brightest as he picked up two more 10 scores from the judges. The Italian wildcard took a 10 score along with two 9.5s to the scoresheets, keeping him in strong contention for a podium finish if he nails his final round of diving tomorrow.
Meanwhile James Lichtenstein just slipped out of the top three, replaced by Ukraine’s Oleksiy Prygorov, with just over 2 points separating the two rivals for the Antalya podium.
05
What went down on Day 3 in Antalya?
With the women first out on the diving platform to wrap the three days of epic competition, it was all to play for as ideal conditions blessed the athletes at the stunning Turkish location.
GOAT Iffland scores epic record-breaking eighth King Kahekili title in a row
As the women’s competition ramped up, a relaxed looking Meili Carpenter ripped her final dive, picking up 99.00 points to earn a total 298.70, temporarily hovering in contention for the podium. But despite finishing her dive just short of vertical, Simone Leathead’s Back 3 Somersaults 1 Twist was otherwise on point, with the Canadian squeezing enough points to ultimately bump Carpenter down into fourth.
Having already stomped her biggest DD dive on day 2, podium chaser Carlson opted for a 3.7DD Inward 3 Somersaults 1/2 Twist dive for her second optional dive, meaning the Canadian had to pull out maximum points from the judges to have any chance of keeping Iffland off the top step of the Antalya podium.
The King Kahekili contender crushed her final dive to pick up three 7.5 scores and 83.25 points, but despite her best efforts could only stand watch as her Australian rival launched into a career-defining winning performance.
Simone Leathead last dive placed her third in Antalya
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Content Pool
Iffland slayed from start to finish in Antalya, and despite the added pressure her final dive was a supreme showcase of skill, power and precision. The GOAT of women’s cliff diving went all-in from the platform, and after just three seconds of pure artistry, emerged from the water as the new King Kahekili champion, with one stop remaining on home turf in Sydney.
With Molly Carlson a sure bet for the second place overall finish in the overall World Series standings, the fight still remains for the celebrated third place podium finish. A fired up Kaylea Arnett currently leads the charge, followed closely by Simone Leathead and Meili Carpenter.
The smile says it all as Rhiannan Iffland claims her eighth title
© Romina Amato / Red Bull Content Pool
Heslop one step closer to first champion title
The men’s competition also featured its own record-breaking performance – Gary Hunt performed a Back 3 Somersaults 4 Twists dive with an impressive 5.2DD, marking his iconic 100th start in the World Series, the most of any diver in the sport’s history. His ambitious dive demonstrated that even after a mind-blowing centennial appearance across 15 seasons , the Frenchman is ready to get back in the game.
Italian Wildcard Andrea Barnaba finishes an impressive third
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Content Pool
Meanwhile, the adrenaline was flowing in the hunt for the Türkiye podium. With the big hitters Constantin Popovici and James Lichtenstein unable to find their pace at the penultimate stop, it was Prygorov, Barnaba and Heslop who took the fight for first place down to the wire.
Prygorov was riding high on a solid Round 3 performance, and carried the same dominating energy into his final dive. The towering Ukrainian aced his Forward 4 Somersaults 2 1/2 Twists, his seamless blend of power and finesse allowing Prygorov to manoeuvre into top spot on the scoresheets, even after Italian wildcard Andreas Barnaba threw down one of the most stylish dives of the competition.
With Prygorov temporarily in first and Barnaba in second, both divers were guaranteed a podium finish, but the final placing would all be decided by World Series leader Aidan Heslop. Armed with a DD of 5.9, the British diver only needed to secure a handful of 6.0 scores to take the event win.
Oleksiy Prygorov takes an impressive second place in Antalya
© Romina Amato / Red Bull Content Pool
Heslop sprung into action in his running take-off, switching into beast mode as he crushed his Forward 4 Somersaults 3 1/2 Twists Pike. Picking up 141.60 points from the judges, Heslop sealed the deal as the first place finisher in Antalya. The event win at the seventh stop takes the Brit one step closer to ultimate victory and his first ever King Kahekili trophy.
Maria Paula Quintero spins from the 21m platform
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Content Pool
Wildcard Kaylea Arnett watches on after her final dive
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Content Pool
Aidan Heslop adds another win to his tally
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Content Pool
The male winners lift their trophies aloft in Antalya
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Content Pool
Partners