Ahead of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series' 10th stop at Stari Most, we look back at the moments, records and milestones that shaped Mostar into one of cliff diving's true classics
Eleven years on from its Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series debut, find out why one famous bridge has become one of the defining stages in the sport of cliff diving.
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Why is Mostar one of the world's most iconic cliff diving locations?
Mostar is one of the world's most iconic cliff diving locations, where centuries-old diving tradition meets the biggest moments in modern Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series history.
Located deep in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, the city is home to Stari Most, a 16th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site where locals have long launched from the bridge into the emerald waters of the Neretva as a rite of passage. Since the World Series first arrived in 2015, the bridge has witnessed title-clinching performances, perfect scores and pioneering dives that have cemented its place in the sport.
Mostar: where tradition meets the biggest moments in modern cliff diving
10 moments that made Red Bull Cliff Diving history in Mostar
1. Jonathan Paredes claims his first World Series victory – 2015
When the World Series arrived in Mostar in 2015, Mexico's Jonathan Paredes claimed the win – his maiden World Series victory – just one day after his 26th birthday.
The event also produced an early wildcard milestone, with fellow Mexican Sergio Guzman finishing second to become the first male wildcard to reach the podium.
Mostar's debut saw Mexico's Jonathan Paredes take his maiden win
2. Lysanne Richard wins the first women's competition at Stari Most – 2016
Canada's Lysanne Richard won the women's first-ever event from Stari Most in 2016. It marked the mother of three’s second World Series victory, coming just four weeks after her maiden win in Italy.
Lysanne Richard setting the benchmark in the women's competition in 2016
3. Wildcard debut podiums make Mostar a breakthrough venue – 2017–2018
Mostar quickly earned a reputation for wildcard breakthroughs. In 2017, Nikita Fedotov became the first male wildcard to reach the podium in their debut appearance at a World Series event, finishing third on his arrival.
A year later, Romania's Cătălin Preda repeated the feat, also taking third place in his debut World Series competition.
The Mostar podium has hosted a number of podiums for debuting wildcards
4. Constantin Popovici earns five perfect 10s – 2019
Constantin Popovici claimed his inaugural Mostar win in 2019 with a perfect dive, scoring 10 across the board from every judge. The Romanian became only the second diver in World Series history to achieve top marks, following Gary Hunt's perfect dive in Beirut earlier that season.
Dream scenario: Perfect 10s from the Red Bull Cliff Diving judges
5. Rhiannan Iffland wins in Mostar for the first time – 2019
Rhiannan Iffland finally conquered Mostar in 2019, delivering an almost flawless performance with four perfect 10s and a 9.5 from the judges.
The Australian had been chasing victory at Stari Most since her World Series debut there in 2016, when she finished third, before injury ruled her out in 2017 and a second-place finish followed in 2018. After three attempts, victory in Mostar in 2019 was finally hers.
Chasing victory: The GOAT Rhiannan Iffland finally gets the win in Mostar
6. The World Series competes directly from Stari Most – 2021
In 2021, the World Series gave a nod to Mostar's centuries-old diving tradition by staging the opening round directly from Stari Most itself at 21m, the same height for both men and women.
In testing conditions, Rhiannan Iffland and Gary Hunt rose to the occasion, with Hunt claiming his third victory from the old bridge – his last Mostar victory to date, and his first-ever win as a competitor under the French flag.
2021: Honouring local diving tradition, Round 1 is held off the bridge
7. Mostar produces a record 13 scores of 10 – 2022
The 2022 edition produced the highest number of perfect scores ever awarded at a Mostar competition, with 13 10s across the event – 11 from the men's field and two from the women's.
Colombian wildcard Miguel Garcia earned his one and only career 10 from his Round 1 dive directly off the bridge, while Gary Hunt added three more 10s for his Round 2 performance.
Hunt picked up three 10s to add to the 2022 tally of 13 top scores awarded
8. Carlos Gimeno delivers his first-career wildcard victory – 2023
Spain's Carlos Gimeno added another chapter to Mostar's wildcard story in 2023, turning his wildcard invitation into his inaugural World Series victory, finishing ahead of title contenders Constantin Popovici and Aidan Heslop.
Raw talent, raw emotion: Gimeno celebrates his inaugural victory in 2023
9. Annika Bornebusch performs the first handstand dive from Stari Most – 2023
Annika Bornebusch wasted no time making her mark in Mostar in 2023, becoming the first diver to perform a handstand dive from Stari Most on her opening attempt from the bridge.
The Danish newcomer turned her World Series arrival into a piece of Mostar history, as the event also delivered Molly Carlson's second career win and a spectacular 16-athlete mass dive from the bridge.
Onlookers rush in to see Annika Bornebusch make World Series history
10. Rhiannan Iffland seals her ninth World Series title – 2025
Rhiannan Iffland locked in her record-extending ninth consecutive King Kahekili Trophy in Mostar in 2025, sealing the title with a stop still to spare and claiming her first victory at Stari Most since 2022.
Locking in: Iffland makes history, sealing her ninth consecutive title
The event also saw nine of the world's best divers take flight from Stari Most alongside the Red Bull Skydive team.
A decade of competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina has produced unforgettable dives, landmark victories and some seriously impressive numbers. These are the athletes who have written their names into Mostar's record books.
Who has the best Red Bull Cliff Diving record in Mostar?
Gary Hunt and Constantin Popovici share the record for most men's wins in Mostar with three victories apiece, while Rhiannan Iffland leads the women's field by a distance with four wins and a Mostar-best seven podium finishes.
Men's Mostar records
Category
Leader(s)
Most starts
Gary Hunt – 9
Jonathan Paredes – 8
Blake Aldridge – 7
Most wins
Constantin Popovici – 3 (2025, 2022, 2019)
Gary Hunt – 3 (2021, 2018, 2017)
Most podiums
Gary Hunt – 6
Constantin Popovici – 4
Catalin Preda – 3
Five different men have won in Mostar: Constantin Popovici, Carlos Gimeno, Gary Hunt, Michal Navratil and Jonathan Paredes.
Why has Mostar become such an important stop for wildcard divers?
Mostar has become an important stop for wildcard divers because it has repeatedly given them opportunities to make immediate Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series history. Wildcards have reached the podium on debut, claimed victories and delivered some of the competition's biggest breakthrough performances at Stari Most.
Key wildcard milestones in Mostar:
Mostar produced the first-ever male wildcard to reach a Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series podium, when Sergio Guzman finished second in 2015.
Mostar is the only Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series venue where two wildcards have reached the podium on their World Series debut: Nikita Fedotov in 2017 and Catalin Preda in 2018.
Mostar recorded the largest wildcard field in Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series history in 2025, with 12 wildcards – half of the complete athlete line-up – competing at the event.
Mostar produced the highest number of first-time wildcard competitors at a single Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series event, with five in 2018: Celia Fernandez, Katy Etterman, Xantheia Pennisi, Catalin Preda and Nate Jimerson.
Mostar has historically featured more male than female wildcard divers, with male wildcards outnumbering female wildcards across the event's World Series appearances.
The 2026 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series stop in Mostar will feature 11 wildcard divers: seven men and four women.
11 wildcards will start in this year's line-up in Bosnia and Herzegovina
As the World Series returns to Stari Most for a 10th time on 31 July - 1 August 2026, Mostar's reputation continues to grow. Few locations can match its combination of centuries-old diving tradition, a passionate local community and the intensity of elite competition.
Across 10 editions, the bridge has produced records, breakthroughs and unforgettable moments, and the next piece of its history is waiting to be made.
Watch and comment on the Round 1-3 diving action via the @redbullcliffdiving YouTube channel on Friday 31 July from 14:10 CEST/12:10 GMT. The Final Round of diving in Bosnia and Herzegovina will also be shown live on YouTube on Saturday 1 August from 16:30 CEST/14:30 GMT and Red Bull TV, with broadcasts in English, Spanish and German.
