Great Britain’s Aidan Heslop celebrates his first win at the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Boston

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2022, the circuit that brings high diving around the world, has been inaugurated in Boston. On 4 June, twenty-four professional divers, twelve women and twelve men, opened the thirteenth season from the high diving platforms (27 metres high for the men's event, 21m for the women's event) that have been built above the port of the US city, located in front of the Institute of Contemporary Art.

It was a big success for the European divers taking part in the men's event. Great Britain's Aidan Heslop took the first victory of his career in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. The 20-year-old athlete, who made his first appearance on the circuit, not only won over reigning world champion Gary Hunt, but his dives set the event’s record, with the highest score (462.50) in history. "It was a crazy day," Heslop said. "To be able to compete with the best in the world is a dream. I have been following this sport for so long, now I am diving together with my idols. It is hard work, but it is worth it'’.

Romanian Catalin Preda, also competing for the first time as permanent athlete in the circuit, put up a spectacular comeback to finish third. Compatriot and 2021 runner-up Constantin Popovici, who was leading with his first two dives, dropped down in the rankings on his last attempts and finished in tenth place. Italian Alessandro De Rose ranked fourth.

In the women's international contingent there are only two Europeans, Germany's Iris Schmidbauer and Ukraine's Antonina Vyshyvanova, who placed eighth and tenth respectively.

The next stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will be on 18 June in Paris which will kick off the tour of European capitals. Before the high diving competition at the European Championships in Rome 2022, scheduled from 18 to 20 August, there will be the leg in Copenhagen (16 July) and in Oslo (13 August).

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