Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series - St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL, United States
June 5 – 6, 2026
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Red Bull Cliff Diving – USA livestream
Sat, June 6 2026
The 2026 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series swapped the clifftops of Bali for the shimmering harbour waters of the Gulf Coast as Stop 2 touched down in St. Petersburg, Florida – the 14th US stop in series history and the first ever in the Sunshine State. Just two weeks on from the season opener, the world's best cliff divers were back on the platform, stepping into a brand new arena and raising the stakes as the battle for the King Kahekili trophy heated up.
The World Series touched down in Florida for the first time
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool
01
Location
Florida welcomed the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series for the first time as St. Petersburg hosted a thrilling three-day contest on the Gulf Coast. Against a backdrop of swaying palms, sparkling bay waters and a packed waterfront crowd of more than 50,000 spectators, the world's best cliff divers gathered at the iconic St. Pete Pier for Stop 2 of the season.
From towering heights above the North Yacht Basin, athletes hurled themselves towards the water at speeds nearing 85kph, balancing precision and courage in the hunt for valuable championship points. After a windswept opening day and a calmer second round, perfect diving conditions arrived for the finale, setting the scene for a dramatic conclusion in the Sunshine City.
Americans in the hunt for a home win
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02
Who won?
Florida delivered a landmark moment in Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series history as, for the first time ever, an event saw both the men's and women's competitions won by American athletes. In front of a passionate home crowd at the St. Pete Pier, Kaylea Arnett and James Lichtenstein rose to the occasion to claim memorable victories on US soil.
Historic double home triumph
The women's competition produced one of the closest finishes the World Series has ever seen. Having delivered personal bests on all four dives, Arnett secured her maiden World Series victory by the narrowest of margins, edging out reigning champion Rhiannan Iffland from the win by just 0.10 points. The result not only ended Iffland's remarkable winning streak but also marked the first victory by an American woman since 2017. Fellow US diver Lisa Faulkner completed a memorable day for the home team by taking third place and joining Arnett on the podium.
"I still haven't wrapped my head around the whole concept of it. I'm just having an adrenaline crash right now. I can't believe it. The turnout here was great today, and the Floridian people - everybody that came out to see us - they're super loud, I love their energy, so of course that helps feed into me,” Arnett exclaimed after taking the first place finish.
Double dream: Lichtenstein and Arnett celebrate Red Bull Cliff Diving wins
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“I don't want to let the Floridians down, so I went out there, and I used every ounce of energy left that I had for this one last dive… you try not to think about the pressure, but it's there,” she explained. “ … At the end of the day, you’ve got to get on the end of the platform, and it's just you and your dive. So that's all that really matters – it's you against yourself at the end of the day. I'm proud that I beat myself today,” she added.
The men's contest also served up plenty of adrenaline-fuelled moments, none more so than when James Lichtenstein made the final dive of the day. With the title fight hanging in the balance, Lichtenstein delivered when it mattered most, producing a spectacular final-round performance to ignite the St. Pete crowd. His trademark Back 5 Somersaults Tuck earned three 9.0 scores in the Final, securing a breakthrough home victory ahead of Stop 1 winner Aidan Heslop, while Constantin Popovici rounded out the podium in third.
St. Pete was treated to a stellar result for the home crowd
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"It feels good to defend home turf. From winning Boston to winning here, it's just an amazing feeling. The crowd felt like it was on my side. I couldn't even hear the announcer with all the cheering. I had my family and friends here. I made them proud, made myself proud and dived like I know how to dive. I am stressed for the longest amount of time out of anyone. I really feel that. It's super nerve wracking... I knew what I needed to do, and I knew I could do it. And I did it!" he commented after securing the win.
The historic double home triumph ensured Florida's debut on the World Series calendar will be remembered long after the final dive, adding another twist to the championship race heading into the next stop.
03
What went down on Day 3 in Florida?
With perfect diving conditions settling over the St. Pete Pier, the first-ever Florida podiums were there for the taking. One round of high-stakes Optional Dives stood between the athletes and history, and with margins tight across the field, execution under pressure was the order of the day.
American dream for Arnett, ending Iffland’s winning streak
The women’s Final unfolded in calm, glassy harbour waters, and it was Germany’s Maike Halbisch who struck first, throwing down the highest DD of the round. Her Armstand Back 3½ Somersaults (4.6 DD) was delivered with control and intent, earning an impressive 96.60 points on her World Series debut.
Wildcard and World Series rookie Maike Halbisch kicks off Day 3 in Florida
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With diving conditions on their side, the women were pushing the limits as the Final round heated up. Molly Carlson signed off her second World Series competition of 2026 with a solid, confident dive and a beautiful entry into the landing zone, picking up three 8.5s, but as the pressure built, Lisa Faulkner was ready to serve up a huge dive and deliver on home soil. Her Back 3 Somersaults 2 Twists combined a strong jump, clean twisting and a controlled entry, earning her three 9.0s and 118.80 points — the highest individual dive score of the entire competition, and a solid shot at a Floridian podium finish.
Simone Leathead was on point, tearing into the water after nailing her Inward 3 Somersaults 1/2 Twist, but couldn’t match Faulkner’s form, her three 8.0s leaving her trailing the American.
With the battle at the top coming down to the final two divers, Rhiannan Iffland stepped up to the 21m platform with the calm, confident poise of a 9-time World Series champion. The Australian’s Inward 3 Somersaults ½ Twist Tuck was executed with trademark precision, earning 105.45 points and three 9.5 scores – a standout performance that ultimately earned her the Best Dive award for a statement finish under pressure.
Rhiannan Iffland pulled out all the stops in Round 4
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Having set a sky-high benchmark, Iffland left the last women’s diver of the day, Arnett, with one task: hold her nerve, and deliver.
With everything now resting on a single dive, Arnett found her focus and committed to her Reverse 3 Somersaults. The US diver held her line through her Reverse 3 Somersaults rotations, retaining control in the air and on entry. Three 8.5s and 104.55 points capped off three incredible days of intense battle with Iffland to hold back the GOAT by 0.10 points and complete the job, marking Arnett’s inaugural World Series victory – a milestone made all the sweeter on home soil.
One dive, one shot: it all came down to this
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
The Florida results sees Iffland retain her place at the top of the World Series overall rankings on 37 points, with Arnett in second and Canada’s Molly Carlson in third at 25 points apiece, and four stops remaining in the season.
Lichtenstein battles to the top with Back Quint
The men’s Final was decided over one round of high-stakes Optional Dives, with the athletes separated by fine margins as the Florida podium began to take shape.
Early on, Gary Hunt set the standard despite an uncharacteristically early draw in the running order, his Back 3 Somersaults 4 Twists Free earning 119.60 points to briefly move into the lead. Jonathan Paredes and Davide Baraldi followed with near-identical Back 3 Somersaults 3 Twists Pike dives, both scoring 117.50 points to keep the leaderboard tightly packed.
Micromoments to master: When you have milliseconds to find your line
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The first real shift came from Constantin Popovici, who produced the opening armstand dive of the Final. His Armstand Back 3½ Somersaults 3 Twists was clean and controlled, disappearing into the water with barely a trace and earning 124.70 points to move firmly into podium contention after a difficult Round 3. Oleksiy Prygorov then pushed the pace again, launching high on his Forward 4 Somersaults 2½ Twists and delivering a strong entry. “Finally, finally, this year I did it,” he said on exit, but his total points tally wasn’t enough to break into the top three.
Catalin Preda followed with the highest Degree of Difficulty of the competition at 6.0, his Armstand Back 4½ Somersaults carrying huge ambition, but a slight over-rotation on entry left the Romanian lingering below his compatriot in the scoresheets, leaving Popovici’s earlier consistency intact in the podium fight.
Preda was locked into battle with Prygorov and Popovici for a podium place
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But it was Popovici who secured the top three finish in the Sunshine State
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
As the round reached its closing stages, Aidan Heslop was the penultimate diver out on the men’s 27m platform, and the Brit was primed to deliver one of the dives of the competition. His Forward 4 Somersaults 3½ Twists was sharp from take-off to entry, no hesitation in the air and a clean finish to score 135.70 points and move into first place, immediately putting pressure on the final diver.
That final diver was home favourite James Lichtenstein. With the St. Pete crowd behind him, he took his time on the platform before committing to his Back 5 Somersaults, matching the same level of execution he had shown earlier in the competition. The rotation was tight, the rhythm controlled, and the entry landed clean with barely a splash. Three 9.0s from the judges confirmed 140.40 points, enough to claim first place and secure victory at his home stop, as well as the Best Dive bonus.
The Back Quint did the job as Lichtenstein powered his way to victory
© Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
Lichtenstein’s home win places him in second overall in the World Series rankings on 34 points, just two behind overall leader Heslop on 36, tightening the fight at the top of the World Series standings heading into Stop 3 in Denmark later this month.
The St Pete men's podium: Heslop (2nd), Lichtenstein (1st) & Popovici (3rd)
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Nothing quite pike it: Kaylea Arnett scores her first World Series win
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool
The women's St Pete top three: Iffland (2nd), Arnett (1st) & Faulkner (3rd)
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
On the edge
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool
04
What went down on Day 2 in Florida?
The second day of diving in Florida took place in calm, sunny conditions, with Round 2 and Round 3 bringing the first real separation in the standings. As the Intermediate and Optional Dives unfolded, the battle for victory tightened across both the women’s and men’s fields heading into the Final.
Arnett answers back in tight battle at the top
The Intermediate Dives raised the Degree of Difficulty ceiling to 3.4 for the women, as the leading contenders began to establish themselves.
The Sunshine State delivered calmer conditions on Day 2
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Lisa Faulkner carried the momentum from her strong start with a powerful Forward 3 Somersaults ½ Twist into the harbour, the judges’ three 8.0s underlining the quality of her execution and keeping the American diver firmly in the mix. Fellow US diver Arnett then raised the benchmark, feeding off the energy of the St. Petersburg crowd as she launched a standout Forward 3 Somersaults ½ Twist. Three 9.0s lit up the scoreboard and moved her into the overall lead on 155.50 points, laying down a marker that awaited Rhiannan Iffland’s reply.
Matching Arnett’s 3.4 Degree of Difficulty with a Forward 3 Somersaults ½ Twist of her own, the Australian produced another composed performance, earning two 8.5s and a 9.0. Despite the quality of the dive, it wasn’t quite enough to reclaim top spot, leaving Iffland in unfamiliar territory in second, just 0.80 points adrift of Arnett heading into the final two rounds.
A focused Arnett pushed Iffland off the top spot on Day 2
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Behind them, Canada’s Molly Carlson and Simone Leathead remained in the mix on 132.40 points apiece, still within reach heading into the Optional Dives.
In Round 3, the first uncapped Optional Dives of the second stop brought another shift in momentum, as the women threw down some of the biggest dives of the competition.
Carlson opted for one of the newer additions to her repertoire and delivered it with control, staying within touching distance of the top scorers heading into the closing stages. Faulkner couldn’t quite find the execution she was looking for on her first Optional Dive, a pair of 6.0s and 6.5s limiting her progress, although she held on to fourth and remained in the hunt on home waters.
Simone Leathead levelled up on the second day in Florida
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The battle for the top three tightened when Simone Leathead produced one of the standout dives of the round. Scores of 8.5, 8.5 and 9.0 earned the Canadian 101.40 points and lifted her into podium contention.
Iffland headed into her dive under a touch more pressure than usual. Diving in calm conditions, the Australian drilled her Back 3 Somersaults 2 Twists Pike into the harbour, her dive’s DD working for her as she collected two 7.5s and an 8.0 from the judges for 101.20 points, a solid performance that set the benchmark for Arnett.
Iffland's Florida campaign leaves her chasing Arnett's lead by just 1 point
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
The American Chickasaw diver was the last out on the platform in the women’s category, and didn’t miss an opportunity to hype the crowd before committing to her approach. Following a confident launch, Arnett delivered a powerful Forward 3 Somersaults ½ Twist, combining her strong take-off with a near-flawless rip entry to earn two 8.5s and a 9.0 from the judges. The resulting 101.40 points – a new PB for Arnett – extended her overall lead to just one point heading into the Final.
"I'm definitely getting a boost of some kind but it's manifesting itself in nerves," Arnett said after Day 2. "I actually feel way more nervous for this competition, way more than Bali. But every time I'm not nervous I end up messing up somehow!"
Lichtenstein leads home charge into Final
In the men’s competition, the Round 2 Intermediate Dives raised the maximum Degree of Difficulty to 3.6, and with it the first significant reshuffle of the leaderboard. Guzman was first to make his move, maxing out the available DD with an Inward 3 Somersaults ½ Twist. Three 8.0s helped him add 86.40 points to the pot, momentarily giving the Mexican the lead.
The men's competition has been packed with power... and unpredictability
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Popovici responded immediately after with an Inward 3 Somersaults ½ Twist of his own, earning two 8.5s and a 9.0 for 93.60 points to earn the Romanian a top score of 160.80. Lichtenstein continued his climb in front of a home crowd, producing a controlled Reverse 3 Somersaults Tuck that brought him 90.00 points and lifted the US diver to third overall, keeping him firmly in the fight for first heading into the Optional Dives.
Jonathan “Stylemaster” Paredes matched Lichtenstein’s scoring with a polished Inward 3 Somersaults ½ Twist for his Intermediate Dive. But despite the quality of execution in Round 2, an earlier lower-scoring round left him lingering in the bottom half of the scoreboard. Likewise, Brit diver Heslop sat seventh on 136.40 points after two rounds, still within striking distance but with significant ground to make up, heading into the uncapped dives.
Popovici's struggles with consistency opened the door on Day 2
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In Round 3, a turbocharged Optional Dive round for the men brought a major shift as the Florida event’s leaders came to light.
Heslop was first to make a major move for the podium. The 2024 World Series champion is no stranger to performing under pressure, and his Back 4 Somersaults 3 Twists delivered one of the highest DDs of the round, at 5.7. A slightly untidy entry was recovered cleanly through the water, bringing him 131.10 points, shooting the Brit up the rankings to hold the lead temporarily.
Aidan Heslop's comeback campaign continues
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Lichtenstein also made an early push for the podium top spot, pulling out an outstanding Armstand Back 4 ½ Somersaults Tuck from the 27m platform, completing four and a half rotations in under three seconds before nailing a powerful, clean entry. The 5.4 DD dive produced 140.40 points – the highest individual round score of the competition so far – lifting Lichtenstein’s points tally to 289.20 overall and into the lead.
Mexico’s Guzman stayed in the mix with a solid Back 4 Somersaults Tuck, but a slightly loose entry cost him ground and he slipped to fourth. Just ahead of him, Preda delivered a controlled Back 4 Somersaults 2 Twists Pike, producing one of his more composed dives of the competition to climb to third with 257.25 points, giving the Romanian a fighting chance of a podium finish.
Wildcard Guzman has been mixing it up in Florida
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Last out on Day 2 for the men’s competition was Popovici, still within striking distance of a podium, but needing a compelling response. A powerful take-off and strong air position were undone by a heavy landing on his Back 4 Somersaults 3 Twists Pike, limiting him to 94.05 points. His Round 3 result dropped the Romanian down into sixth, leaving him with plenty of ground to make up with his final dive.
Current Florida leader Lichtenstein wrapped Day 2 leading the charge by a sizable margin, followed by a determined Heslop in second. But with Preda’s epic 6.0 DD dive still up his sleeve, Heslop carrying a 5.9 DD final dive and Popovici holding a 5.8 in reserve for Round 4 against Lichtenstein’s 5.2 DD Back Quint, the focus on Day 3’s high-stakes Finals will come down to a perfect balance of incredible power and precision diving.
Lichtenstein lined up to become a home hero ahead of a day of big dives
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“We’ve got some big dives happening, and nothing’s guaranteed in this sport so I’ll need to stay locked in and focus on the goal. And hopefully tomorrow I’ll also be able to feed off the crowd,” Lichtenstein said after finishing his second day in the Sunshine State.
05
What went down on Day 1 in Florida?
Iffland sets the pace with Americans in pursuit
St. Petersburg launched with a double debut – wildcard Maike Halbisch (GER) first into the water on her World Series debut, as Florida hosted the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series for the very first time.
Halbisch set the tone for the day, launching the women’s Round 1 Required Dives, capped at a 2.6 Degree of Difficulty, with her Forward 2 Somersaults ½ Twist Pike into the Gulf waters. A slight over-rotation on entry didn’t take away from the significance of the moment, marking a confident start on the sport’s biggest stage.
Rookie Halbisch was followed by defending World Series champion Rhiannan Iffland, who picked up exactly where she left off after the 2026 opener. The Australian delivered a trademark zero-splash entry, her Reverse 2 Somersaults Tuck setting the early benchmark at 66.30 points, immediately establishing control of the round.
Iffland could turn Florida into another record-breaking location
© Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
As Day 1 wraps in Florida, the Americans are keeping the Aussie close
© Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
Early momentum and plenty of noise from the shoreline came from the homegrown contenders, with Florida-based athletes rising to the occasion in front of the St. Petersburg crowd.
Kaylea Arnett led the charge for the home favourites, producing a confident Back 2 Somersaults 1 Twist to move into second on 63.70 points, feeding off the harbourfront energy in style. Lisa Faulkner followed with a strong showing of her own, her clean execution earning a wall of 8s, placing her in third after Round 1 on 62.40 points.
Home hero Lisa Faulkner threw her hat into the ring on Day 1
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Already on an early track to a winning result, success for Iffland in Florida could mark another record-breaking success – aside from her promising start to chalk up a tenth title win this season, the 34-year-old is also just one more win away from equalling GOAT Gary Hunt’s record of 47 World Series victories.
Popovici strikes first in Florida
With the degree of difficulty capped at 2.8 in the men’s Required Dives, Round 1 was all about precision, control and razor-sharp entries. Constantin Popovici set the early pace with a perfectly executed Forward 3 Somersaults ½ Twist Pike, the Romanian striking first with 67.20 points to lead the field. It was a statement opening after a challenging Bali campaign, a clear signal that Popovici has arrived in St. Petersburg with intent.
Defending World Series champion Gary Hunt responded in composed fashion, delivering a clean, controlled effort to finish Day 1 in second on 65.80 points. Wildcard Sergio Guzman rounded out the early top three on 64.40 points following a tidy Forward 3 Somersaults ½ Twist.
Wildcard Sergio Guzman flipped his way in the top three in Round 1
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool
Just behind the leading group, Catalin Preda sits fourth on 63.00, consistent and a clear podium threat. The Romanian, who finished fourth in Bali, remains firmly in contention and building momentum as the competition develops.
Bali winner Aidan Heslop showed strong form on take-off with his Reverse 2 Somersaults, but over-rotated on entry to drop to eighth on 51.80 after Round 1. With three rounds still to come and higher-difficulty dives on the horizon, the Brit remains well within striking distance and very much in the mix as he chases the podium to spot.
Battle for St. Pete podium: Popovici is already challenging Heslop
© Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
06
How to watch the action
Rewatch the replays from the Final Round 4 from Saturday, June 6 at 1:00 PM EDT / 5:00 PM GMT, live on YouTube @redbullcliffdiving and Red Bull TV in English, German and Spanish.
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