PREVIEW

Great Britain’s Aidan Heslop secured his fourth victory of the 2024 season at the spectacular Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Antalya, Turkiye.

The dominant win means the 22-year-old leaves him 16 points clear in the overall standings, putting him on course to claim his first King Kahekili trophy.

Heslop was in fine form on the Mediterranean coast, finishing almost 40 points ahead of runner-up Oleksiy Prygorov of Ukraine. His standout moment came in the final round with a stunning Forward 4 Somersaults 3½ Twists Pike.
Reflecting on his victory, Heslop said: “I’m feeling good. It was just an incredible event today – the crowd, the sun, the location, everything just worked out. To stand on top of the podium here is a real honour.”

Lichtenstein and Popovici, Heslop’s main title challengers, faltered in Antalya, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively. While they still have a mathematical chance going into the final event, the Brit has one hand firmly on the trophy. Italy's Andrea Barnaba completed the men's podium, earning three 10.0 scores from the judges, including two for his exceptional Back 3 Somersaults 2 Twists Pike, which earned him the championship point for the best dive of the weekend.

In the women’s competition, Australian Rhiannan Iffland secured her eighth consecutive King Kahekili trophy with another dominant display, claiming her fifth victory of the season – and her 40th career win – in Antalya. Iffland led from start to finish and capped her performance with a near-perfect Reverse Flying 1 Somersault Tuck in the first round, executed directly off the cliff face.

A tearful Iffland said after the event: “It’s been a long season, a tough season, and I’ve been training really hard. To see it all pay off is quite emotional. I can’t wait to put on a good show in front of my friends and family at home in Sydney.”

Canada’s Molly Carlson, who needed to win in Türkiye to keep the title fight alive, finished second, 43 points behind Iffland. Her compatriot, Simone Leathead, took third place, marking her second podium finish of the season. The 21-year-old rising star moves up to fourth in the overall standings, just two points behind American Kaylea Arnett.

The divers now have a six-week break before the season finale in Sydney on 10 November, where the champions will be crowned and spots for the 2025 tour will be finalised.