Since winning her first-ever competition as a wildcard entry into the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in 2016, Lake Macquarie’s Rhiannan Iffland has been waiting for today.
For the first time in the cliff diving series the final event is being held in the current champion’s home country, Australia.
Rhiannan has already won the 2022 series which will be her sixth Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Championship win.
The 31-year-old grew up in Lake Macquarie and learnt to dive at Lambton Pool.
She told the 2HD Newsroom she always had big goals when she was learning conventional diving.
“So I began in 3-metre and 10-metre conventional-style diving and then later on I needed a new challenge and a fresh start so I climbed the ladder a bit higher and took up cliff diving,” she said.
“I had big aspirations as a youngster and especially as a diver. But there was never a thought that ran through my mind that I would end up where I am today but I’m certainly glad that I took the path that I took.”
Rhiannan has dived in some spectacular locations including Polignano e Mare in Italy, Oslo in Norway, Bilbao in Spain as well as Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, but she said diving in Sydney will top all of them.
“That’s a difficult question, there’s been some pretty magnificent dives that I’ve done in he past but I would say at the moment this is going straight to the top of the list to be diving in Sydney Harbour in front of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera house. It’s just spectacular!
“It’s a really special feeling, it’s been years that I’ve been waiting for this moment to come.
“I’m really excited to live in this moment.”
The divers competing today were able to do some practice yesterday which Rhiannan said was spectacular on its own too.
“Today was definitely one of the highlights of my career and I think this will be the pinnacle event. This is very special.”
Ahead of the final today Rhiannan said there hasn’t been too much preparation.
“It’s been a long season so far. We started the season in June so the preparation looks a little different and by the time the eighth competition comes around the preparation is a little less. I’m more just trying to maintain and update those small changes that need to happen.
“I came home and went to Lambton Pool and went back to training in the gym at the high performance centre and making sure that my body was in the best shape it could be to compete this weekend,” she said.
After today the 2022 series is finished so Rhiannan said she’ll take the opportunity for some down time.
“I think after the event I’m looking forward to spending some time in Lake Macquarie and Newcastle and have some down time and then re access and go from there and I guess a few months down the track get ready for next years season.”
If you can’t make it to Sydney, you can watch the Cliff Diving event in Sydney online: https://www.redbull.com/au-en/events/red-bull-cliff-diving-world-series-sydney-australia
Images: Red Bull Content Pool