EL NIDO, Palawan - Gary Hunt saved his best for last while a consistent Rhiannan Iffland didn’t have to, as both ruled the first leg of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2025 on Sunday.
Lurking behind the top three divers after the first two rounds, the French Hunt brought the entire trick package in back-to-back final rounds at the Big Lagoon in Miniloc Island to emerge atop the men’s division and reprise his 2019 El Nido leg conquest.
Iffland, on the other hand, displayed the same degree of difficulty and execution that gave her the lead after Rounds One and Two to claim enough points in the final two rounds and maintain her status as the queen of world cliff diving.
By winning the first of four stops of this year’s World Series, Hunt and Iffland put themselves in a great position for the overall crown.
Demoted to wildcard status coming into the season opener after coming off a momentary break last year, Hunt proved he deserves a return among the permanent divers.
“I had a mission to impress the judges and fight my way back to the season as a wildcard,” said the 10-time World Series champion Hunt, who hasn’t won a crown in three years.
Iffland even gave herself a shot at a ninth straight overall championship.
Jonathan Paredes bagged men’s runner-up honors. After gaining the men’s lead in the first two rounds, Constantin Popovici had poor execution in Round Four to drop to third overall and settle for the bronze medal.
Kaylea Arnett and Nelli Chukanivska rounded out the Top Three female divers, while Filipino-Australian Xantheia Pennisi finished in the middle of the pack at eighth spot among 12 participants.
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