The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series made its way to Boston, MA on June 8th for its 100th stop in its history! This was the 3rd year since 2011 that the series has made its way to the historic Seaport district and the weather was more than ideal for spectators but the wind at platform heights was an added obstacle for the the athletes. Although the series stops along iconic cliffs across the world, Boston’s event was a modern take on the elite sport. With views of Boston Harbor and skyline, divers took their marks at heights of 21m to 27m off platforms connected to the Institute of Contemporary Art. The challenge doesn’t end there, as Boston’s unique marina location led to shifts in the tide, meaning divers could lose or gain height between the water and platform when it was their turn to compete.
This sport takes bravery, skill, and adaptability as their competition atmospheres are ever changing. Ladies were competing at the 21m height and men were diving at 27m heights. Every competitor within both men’s and women’s rounds gave it their all and cheered on each opponent. Within the 100th stop of the series, there were a few wildcards that made their mark in Boston. One being Kaylea Arnett from the USA who not only made their debut in this Red Bull Series, but also placed 2nd in the Women’s division. Kaylea started diving when she was 8 years old and while she has years of diving experience, she has been vocal about mental and physical burnout but was overjoyed to be a part of this journey with Red Bull, which has clearly paid off!
After the 11 women completed their final dives, the men took the platform to round off the event. Yolotl Martinez , another wildcard, gave it his all and placed 4th in the men’s division. Martinez was born in Mexico and has communicated his idol being a fellow competitor in the series, Jonathan Paredes, who inspired the start of his professional high diving career. Martinez also placed 5th in the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, so there is no doubt we will see more accomplishments from Yolotl.
Those taking 1st place for the 2024 Red Bull Cliff Diving Series in Boston, MA, were Aidan Heslop (USA) and Rhiannan Iffland (Australia). The remaining results within the men’s divers were James Lichtenstein (USA) taking 2nd place and Nikita Fedotov (IAT) taking 3rd. Within the women divers, 2nd place went to Kaylea Arnett (USA) and Molly Carlson (Canada) took 3rd. The next stop in the Red Bull Diving World Series is Polignano a Mare, Italy, so be sure to keep an eye who takes the win across the seas.
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