EL NIDO, Palawan - Kaylea Arnett and Constantin Popovici gained a head start in their respective divisions after topping Round One of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2025 on Friday at Cove 3 Lagen Island.
The American Arnett scored 90.1 points after executing a forward flying 1 somersault off a pike position with precision to finish ahead of 2019 El Nido leg winner Rhiannan Iffland, who tallied 88.4 points.
READ Fil-Aussie Pennisi looking to stand out in Red Bull cliff diving
Popovici, on the other hand, saved the best for last in the men’s side as the Romanian emerged first among 12 competitors thanks to his Forward 2 somersaults half twist off a pike position that the judges scored 94.5 points. He finished ahead of James Lichtenstein of USA with 89.25 points.
Filipino-Australian Xantheia Pennisi wound up eighth in the women’s side after compiling 55.9 points from her Forward 3 somersaults half twist.
“I’m very satisfied with my dive,” Arnett said. “I woke up this morning super anxious and super nervous, but I know that just means that I care. When I turned up to this location, I just started crying because of how beautiful it is — and I didn’t feel nervous at all after that.”
Nelli Chukanivska of Ukraine rounded out the Top 3 in the women’s side with 79.05 points, followed by Gianni Van Katwijk (63.55), Molly Carlson (62.9), Meili Carpenter (62), Iris Schmidbauer (60.45), Pennisi, Simone Leathead (51), Eleanor Smart (49.6), Elisa Cosetti (49), and Maria Paula Quintero (45.9).
Carlos Gimeno ranked third in the men’s division with 84, ahead of Jonathan Paredes and Nikita Fedotov who were tied at fourth with 75.6 points, ahead of Gary Hunt and Oleksiy Prygorov (67.2), Yolotl Martinez (63), Catalin Preda (54), Braden Rumpit (45), Miguel Garcia (33.6), and Andrea Barnaba who went scoreless after landing illegally with his head first.
The divers resume action in Round Two on Saturday at the Small Lagoon in Miniloc Island.
Rounds Three and Four are on Sunday at the Big Lagoon also in the same island, with the most points at the end ruling the first of the four stops of this year’s World Series.
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