Lake Macquarie's Rhiannan Iffland clinches sixth Red Bull cliff-diving world title

Lake Macquarie's Rhiannan Iffland is overcome with emotion after clinching her sixth successive Red Bull cliff-diving world title, at Polignano a Mare in Italy. Picture by Dean Treml, red Bull Content Pool

LAKE Macquarie's Rhiannan Iffland has overcome injury to clinch her sixth consecutive Red Bull cliff-diving world title with a spectacular victory at Polignano a Mare in Italy on the weekend.

The 31-year-old from Nords Wharf, who spent her formative years training at Lambton pool under the guidance of Hunter United Diving Academy coach Eric Brooker, secured the championship in the penultimate round.

She will now return in triumph for the series finale in Sydney Harbour on October 15 - the first-ever Red Bull cliff-diving event to be held in Australia.

"This one really means a lot," she said.

"Still sinking in to be honest. I've done the math and I knew that I could go into Sydney into my home event with the title already wrapped up.

"So it's an amazing feeling. I can't wait to compete in Sydney and just have as much fun as I can and to really live in that moment."

Hampered by a minor shoulder problem, Iffland was below her best but still finished 18 points ahead of Canadian rival Molly Carlson to claim her 29^th victory from 36 world-series events.

"Conditions were definitely challenging, to be honest," she said.

"This morning I was a bit iffy, just a little bit concerned because it's kind of a competition of luck in a way.

"You really have to be switched on and you could get lucky with the wave, or you couldn't.

"When you hit the water, you don't actually know how the dive has gone completely.

"But it feels really rewarding to have to push through those challenging conditions and taking out the title - it's insane."

Rhiannan Iffland launches herself.

In the men's competition, nine-time world champion Gary Hunt scored a win that gives him a narrow 34-point lead heading into the final event, to be staged Fleet Steps in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney Harbour.

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