The dominant champions now have 20 King Kahekili Trophies between them.
Frenchman Gary Hunt secured an 11th Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series title in dramatic style at the season’s final stop in Boston on Saturday, while Australia’s Rhiannan Iffland, who had already sealed a ninth women’s title in a row in Mostar, celebrated with another dominant victory to secure a third perfect season.
– With a condensed four-stop calendar reaching its climax at The Institute of Contemporary Art, it was fitting that home favourite James Lichtenstein took the victory, becoming the first ever American male to win an event on home soil.
– Cheered on by 30,000 fans across the weekend, Lichtenstein nailed the best dive of the event in the third round with a beautifully crafted Reverse 3 Somersaults Tuck. His final dive then secured the victory as he finished just 0.75 points clear of Romanian Catalin Preda, while American wildcard David Colturi took third place.
– While Lichtenstein celebrated an event win, it was Hunt who claimed the title, despite finishing in eighth place. The Frenchman arrived in Boston with a seven-point lead but two below par dives on the final day opened the door for his title rivals.
– Hunt watched on anxiously from below as first, Romania’s Constantin Popovici missed his opportunity, before Spaniard Carlos Gimeno overcooked his final effort from the 27m platform under immense pressure, with the pair finishing second and third respectively in the overall standings.
– For 41-year-old Hunt, title number 11 marks a spectacular comeback for the most experienced diver on the circuit, having missed the bulk of last season to chase his Olympic dream and returned only as a wildcard this season.
– Hunt said: “I can’t believe it, what a season. I really thought it was going to be my last time when I did this in Sydney. It’s been a struggle towards the end and a shame to finish with not such great dives, but I did enough.
It’s a lesson to everyone that sometimes you need to take a step back before going forwards. That’s exactly what I did, I took a break and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I needed to step back, watch a couple of these events and remember how much I love doing it, and I think you saw that this year.”
– On the 21m platform, Molly Carlson returned from a competition break to relight her rivalry with Iffland, having finished overall runner-up to the Australian in the past three seasons. The Canadian was back to her best, scoring no lower than 8 from any judge across four rounds, including a brilliant final round effort which cranked up the pressure on the champion.
– However, Iffland showed no signs of tension as she stepped up and effortlessly delivered the best dive of the competition, an Inward 3 Somersaults ½ Twist Tuck, which drew 9s from the panel and catapulted her to a third flawless season after similar 100% campaigns in 2019 and 2021.
– Iffland, 34, said: “I wanted to go for the clean sweep and then I heard the cheers for Molly’s dive and I was like ‘uh oh, game on, let’s go’. It was super nice to be fighting in Boston again with the same dive and I came out on top this time. I’m so proud of myself and my coach, family and friends for supporting me all the way and giving me that boost of energy to be able to pull it off.”
– Rounding out the women’s podium in Boston was Canada’s Simone Leathead, who progressed from third place overall last season to runner-up behind Iffland in 2025. Kaylea Arnett, meanwhile, despite looking set to become the first American woman to finish in second place overall, dropped down to third on the year-end podium after taking a disappointing 11th place in the US.
– Following this stop, the divers who have qualified for a permanent place on the 2026 World Series have now been confirmed. The top four men and women in the World Series standings receive an automatic place, while the remaining four are based on World Ranking, which also takes into account World Aquatics competitions.
– In the men’s, joining the top three are Lichtenstein, Preda and Oleksiy Prygorov (UKR), with Jonathan Paredes (MEX) and Colturi both returning to full-time duties. The injury-stricken 2024 champion Aidan Heslop (GBR) will return as a wildcard next season as he attempts to reclaim the crown.
– In the women’s, Ginni van Katwijk (NED) Nelli Chukanivska (UKR) and Carlson retain their permanent places, with Xantheia Pennisi (AUS) returning to the roster. They’ll be joined by impressive newcomer Lisa Faulkner (USA), who makes an immediate step up following three top-five finishes this season.
Results Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Boston
MEN
1- James Lichtenstein USA – 419.10pts.
2- Catalin Preda (W) ROU – 418.35
3- David Colturi (W) USA – 377.00
4- Carlos Gimeno ESP – 374.70
5- Oleksiy Prygorov UKR – 372.40
6- Andrea Barnaba ITA – 370.25
7- Constantin Popovici ROU – 363.80
8- Gary Hunt (W) FRA – 358.55
9- Jonathan Paredes (W) MEX – 335.05
10- Miguel Garcia (W) COL – 332.45
Final standings
1- Gary Hunt (W) FRA – 54pts.
2- Constantin Popovici ROU – 48
3- Carlos Gimeno ESP – 46
4- James Lichtenstein USA – 45
5- Jonathan Paredes (W) MEX – 41
WOMEN
1- Rhiannan Iffland AUS – 358.90pts.
2- Molly Carlson CAN – 342.90
3- Simone Leathead CAN – 311.60
4- Xantheia Pennisi (W) AUS – 305.90
5- Lisa Faulkner (W) USA – 303.70
6- Ginni van Katwijk NED – 298.25
7- Meili Carpenter USA – 298.15
8- Nelli Chukanivska UKR – 276.65
9- Maya Kelly (W) USA – 270.60
10- Elisa Cosetti ITA – 261.20
Final standings
1- Rhiannan Iffland AUS – 83pts.
2- Simone Leathead CAN – 42
3- Kaylea Arnett USA – 38
4- Xantheia Pennisi (W) AUS – 31
5- Lisa Faulkner (W) USA – 31
