Pierrick Schafer of Switzerland dives from the 26.5 metre cliff during the second competition day of the fourth stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Kinbane Castle, Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland on July 19, 2024.
A week on from the Red Bull Cliff Diving event in Ballycastle, the iconic World Series is still the talk of the Causeway Coast.
Over three days, 24 of the world’s best treated spectators to an unforgettable display of cliff diving. On Saturday, Aidan Heslop (Great Britain) and Rhiannan Iffland (Australia) topped the podium, clinching victory in Round Four after impeccable performances off the platform in Ballycastle Harbour.
The action kicked off on Thursday evening from the Lord’s Prayer, near Dunluce Castle. Famous on the North Coast since the 13thcentury, the Castle shot to world prominence when it featured in blockbuster series Game of Thrones. The Red Bull Cliff Divers put on just as epic a showing, cascading from heights of 27metres and 21metres to start the event off with a bang.
Oleksiy Prygorov of the Ukraine dives from the 25 metre cliff during the first competition day of the fourth stop of the 2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Dunluce Castle, Causeway Coast.
Early on Friday morning, eyes turned closer to Ballycastle as the divers descended on Kinbane Castle for Round Two. With the early morning sun shining on Rathlin Island on the distance, Iffland and Mexican Jonathan Paredes put in steely displays to edge out in front.
It was in Ballycastle, however, that British diver Aidan Heslop really came in to his own. The Plymouth man found his form for Round Three on Friday evening, racing into the lead alongside seven-time World Champion Iffland, with his parents watching on.
Aidan Heslop of the UK acknowledges the crowd from the 27 metre platform during the final competition day of the fourth stop of the 2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Ballycastle Harbour
Rhiannan Iffland of Australia dives from the 20.5 metre cliff during the first competition day of the fourth stop of the 2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Dunluce Castle
Equally impressive displays on the Saturday, in front of thousands of spectators watching on from the town, meant Heslop and Iffland topped the standings after the final round.
Women (Top 3) // RBCDWS Causeway Coast
1- Rhiannan Iffland AUS – 371.90pts.
2- Ginni Van Katwijk (W) NED – 325.30
3- Molly Carlson CAN – 322.30
(L-R) Ginni van Katwijk of the Netherlands, Rhiannan Iffland of Australia and Molly Carlson of Canada celebrate during the final competition day of the fourth stop of the 2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Ballycastle Harbour
Men (Top 3) // RBCDWS Causeway Coast
1- Aidan Heslop GBR – 441.65pts.
2- Constantin Popovici ROU – 395.55
3- James Lichtenstein USA – 381.35
(L-R) Constantin Popovici of Romania, Aidan Heslop of the UK and James Lichtenstein of the USA celebrate during the final competition day of the fourth stop of the 2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Ballycastle Harbour
And just like that, the curtain came down on the first ever Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series event in Northern Ireland. The series now moves to Oslo, Norway, in just under three weeks’ time for Round #5 out of a total of 8.
James Lichtenstein of the USA prepares to dive from the 25 metre cliff during the first competition day of the fourth stop of the 2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Dunluce Castle
Pierrick Schafer of Switzerland dives from the 25 metre cliff during the first competition day of the fourth stop of the 2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Dunluce Castle
First competition day of the fourth stop of the 2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Dunluce Castle, Causeway Coast
(1) Eleanor Smart of the USA dives from the 20.5 metre cliff
(2) Diving at Dunluce
(3) Oleksiy Prygorov of the Ukraine dives from the 25 metre cliff
To keep up to date with that and all the action from the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, follow @RedBullIre and @RedBullCliffDiving on socials, keep an eye on Red Bull TV, or visit www.redbull.ie/cliffdiving.