Rhiannan Iffland

Rhiannan Iffland (born 9 September 1991) is an Australian high diver. She is a six-time consecutive Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion (2016–2019, 2021–2022).[1] She won her first championship in 2016 as a wildcard entrant in her debut year, the first-ever rookie to do so.[2][3]

Rhiannan Iffland
Iffland after winning the gold medal at the 2017 World Aquatic Championships, Budapest
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (1991-09-09) 9 September 1991
Newcastle, New South Wales
Height1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportHigh diving, cliff diving
Medal record
Women's high diving
Representing  Australia
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2017 BudapestWomen
Gold medal – first place2019 GwangjuWomen
Gold medal – first place2023 FukuokaWomen

Early life

Rhiannan Iffland was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, on 9 September 1991.[4][5][6] She grew up in Nords Wharf[7] and trained at Belmont High School in trampolining with former world champion Brett Austine. After using her skills in a move to diving, from 2001 to 2006 she trained at the Hunter United Diving Academy,[8] then joined the NSW Institute of Sport, training with future Olympic medallists Melissa Wu and Matthew Mitcham.[9]

Iffland was a medallist in 2007 at the CAMO International Canadian Championships, in 2008 at the Elite Junior Diving Championships in Melbourne and at the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival.[8][10]

Professional career

Before joining the cliff diving circuit, Iffland worked as an acrobatic trampolining and diving entertainer on cruise ships in the Mediterranean and Caribbean and trained at a theme park in Lyon, France, where she eventually attained dive heights of 20 metres (66 feet).[9]

Cliff diving

In 2015, Iffland was granted a wildcard entry to compete in the opening event of the 2016 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.[9]

Competitors dive from heights of 20 metres and reach speeds of 85 km/h.[11]

2016 world series

The 2016 Championship was held over a circuit of seven events at various venues. The first event of the 2016 series was held at Possum Kingdom Lake in Texas. After her final dive, a back triple somersault with twist, she was over 10 points ahead and won the round one event.[9][12] In round two of the championship, held in July at Vila Franca do Campo, Portugal, Iffland again placed first.[13]

In the third round held at Polignano a Mare, Italy in August, she finished second.[14] The fourth round was held in September at Abereiddy's Blue Lagoon in Pembrokeshire, Wales and saw Iffland again awarded first place.[15] Round five, also in September, was held at Mostar where divers leapt from the historic Stari Most bridge; Iffland placed third.[16]

Shirahama in Japan was the location for the sixth round and again Iffland was placed first.[17] By the seventh and final event she had won four rounds and been placed second and third in the other two events. Iffland only needed one dive to be unbeatable by points.

The final event was held at the Dubai Marina in October and, for the first time, saw competitors diving at night under lights. Iffland took her fifth event victory and was named the 2016 champion.[18][7] As winner of the 2016 championship, Iffland will have automatic entry to the 2017 world series.[19]

2017 world series

The opening event of the 2017 world series was held on 24 June at Serpent's Lair Inis Mór in Ireland. Iffland won this first round, finishing 50 points ahead of the second place-getter.[20]

References
  1. Mitchell, Brittany (31 October 2016). "Australian Rhiannan Iffland claims Red Bull Cliff Diving title". ESPN. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  2. Gair, Kieran (30 October 2016). "Rhiannan Iffland dives to glory to become Australia's newest world champion". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  3. "Iffland wraps up title with victory in Dubai". Red Bull. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  4. "Rhiannan Iffland". Athlete profile. Red Bull. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  5. "Rhiannan Iffland Athlete info". Red Bull. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  6. "Rhiannan Iffland Fast Facts". Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  7. "Australian Rhiannan Iffland goes from unknown wildcard to Red Bull cliff diving champion". Sydney: ABC News. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  8. "Country girl dives with Olympic hero". Australian Olympic Committee. 25 November 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  9. Dillon, Robert (24 June 2016). "Red Bull Cliff Diving 2016 winner Rhiannan Iffland talks about the highs of victory". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  10. "Australian Youth Olympics Festival 2009 Results" (PDF). Australian Olympic Committee. 2009. pp. 59–61. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  11. "Australian debutante and Mexican Paredes win in Texas thriller". 4 June 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  12. "Texas, 4 Jun 2016". Red Bull. June 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  13. "Vila Franca do Campo, 9 Jul 2016". Red Bull. July 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  14. "Polignano a Mare, 28 Aug 2016". Red Bull. August 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  15. "Pembrokeshire, 10 Sep 2016". Red Bull. September 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  16. "Mostar, 24 Sep 2016". Red Bull. September 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  17. "Shirahama, 16 Oct 2016". Red Bull. October 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  18. "Dubai, 28 Oct 2016". Red Bull. October 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  19. "The fight for a ticket to dive in 2017". Red Bull. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  20. Callinan, Josh (25 June 2017). "Red Bull Cliff Diving: Lake Macquarie's Rhiannan Iffland starts world title defence with win in Ireland". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
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