LAKE Macquarie's Rhiannan Iffland continued her perfect start to the cliff-diving season with a third successive victory in the Red Bull World Series event held in Polignano a Mare, Italy.
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Just a week after winning the FINA high-diving World Cup in China, the 27-year-old from Nord's Wharf reminded her rivals why she is the reigning three-time Red Bull champion.
With an estimated crowd of 60,000 cheering her on, Iffland posted a collective score of 324.00 points from her four dives, finishing well ahead of runner-up Maria Paula Quintero, of Colombia, (278.95) and Belarussian Yana Nestsiarava (278.15).
In winning the 14th Red Bull event of her career, she moved to 400 points in the title race, a dominant lead over second-placed Nestsiarava (290) and Canada's former world champion Lysanne Richard (240). It was her third win at the scenic Italian location, which she described as her favourite stop on the Red Bull circuit.
"It sounds a little bit unbelievable to have three wins here in Italy and three wins this season already," Iffland said. "I'm super stoked and ready for more.
"To be honest, I'm actually really enjoying the competitions this season.
"Look at this place. It's like a paradise for cliff diving.
"The weather is always great, the fans as well. You step upon the platform and there's so much energy, which is a really amazing feeling.
"All of the divers that come here are capable to be on the podium. It's just consistency that really makes the difference. All the girls are diving strong and the DDs [degree of difficulty] are going up.
"We're raising the bar, so it's a really nice feeling."
England's Gary Hunt won the men's event.
The next stop on the Red Bull tour is Portugal's Azores island in three weeks.
