The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series lands in Florida for the first time on June 5–6, when St. Petersburg hosts the second stop of the 2026 season. The event features an impressive international line-up, up-and-coming local talent, and growing excitement following the dramatic opening event in Bali.
Following a spectacular start to the season on the ocean cliffs of Bali, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series continues its 2026 campaign with another new destination, as St. Petersburg, Florida, joins the calendar for the first time. The June 5–6 event marks the 14th stop in World Series history on US soil – but the first ever in the Sunshine State.
Renowned for its waterfront lifestyle and seemingly endless blue skies, ‘St. Pete’ provides a fitting backdrop for the world’s best cliff divers. With an average of 361 days of sunshine per year – including a world-record streak of 768 consecutive sunny days between 1967 and 1969 – the Florida city has built a reputation for outdoor sports and coastal culture.
St. Petersburg will host one of the strongest athlete lineups this season, headlined by local favourites Lisa Faulkner, Kaylea Arnett and James Lichtenstein. The event will feature a particularly strong home presence, with fellow Florida-based athletes Ginni van Katwijk from the Netherlands and wildcard Braden Rumpit representing New Zealand.
Lichtenstein returns to competition in the United States with significant momentum, having become the first US male athlete to win a World Series event on home soil at last year’s finale in Boston. The 31-year-old Chicago native continued his form in 2026 with a podium finish from 27 m at the season opener in Bali, and he now arrives in Florida as an early contender for the King Kahekili Trophy.
Aidan Heslop, who made an immediate impact on his return from a year-long injury absence, arrives in St. Petersburg riding the wave of his Bali victory. The 2024 overall champion from Great Britain now faces another major test in Florida, competing against reigning champion Gary Hunt and a highly competitive men’s field. Also joining the line-up as a wildcard diver is Italy’s Davide Baraldi, who secured second place at the recent World Cup and will be looking to build on this success.
In the women’s competition, defending champion and Bali winner Rhiannan Iffland touches down in Florida looking to extend her impressive run of seven consecutive event victories from 21 m. However, the Australian will face strong competition from a wildcard roster led by Germany’s Iris Schmidbauer, winner of the 2026 World Aquatics High Diving World Cup in Fort Lauderdale, and Switzerland’s Morgane Herculano, who opened the season with a breakthrough podium finish in Bali.
As the second of six stops in 2026 – and the second brand-new location in a row – St. Petersburg continues the World Series’ expansion into brand new territory. With Florida sunshine, a strong American presence, and momentum building after Bali, another intense battle for the King Kahekili Trophy awaits.
Wildcards in St. Petersburg (women, men): Madeleine Bayon (FRA), Maike Halbisch (GER), Morgane Herculano (SUI), Iris Schmidbauer (GER); Davide Baraldi (ITA), Andrea Barnaba (ITA), Sergio Guzman (MEX), Aidan Heslop (GBR), Braden Rumpit (NZL).
