Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series finale in Auckland postponed due to rāhui

The Red Bull Cliff Diving event in Sydney, 2022.

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series finale set to take place in Auckland next week has been forced to move to next year due to a rāhui placed across Waitematā Harbour.

Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter was to host the event for the first time originally set for November 19 but it has been rescheduled for Sunday, January 28.

Local iwi Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei placed a rāhui across the Waitematā Harbour in September after a 13-metre sinkhole appeared in Parnell that allowed raw wastewater to flow directly into the harbour.

The event has been moved to the last Sunday in January to ensure the best and safest conditions for the public and divers.

It leaves a gap of four months between the penultimate event in Mostar and the title-deciding finale.

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has made it a priority to give athletes the opportunity to compete for the overall title, permanent spots for season 15 and the remaining qualifying spots for the wildcard positions, so cancelling the event was never an option.

“It’s a fair way to close the season”, sports director Orlando Duque said.

“As unusual as this situation is from a sports point of view, the decision for this date was also made considering the athletes’ preparation and rest periods. The postponement to the end of January means they now have a few weeks to recover physically and mentally before they start building up again for the crowning of the 2023 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series overall champions and then focus on a strong 2024 season.”

The final event of the current calendar 20 weeks after the previous stop will certainly go down in the Red Bull Cliff Diving history books as the longest break between two competitions in the same season.

There will be two title fights still to be settled in Auckland, as well as a battle for permanent places on next season’s tour.

For the first time since 2017, a brand new men’s World Series champion will be crowned. Romanian diver Constantin Popovici has a 133-point lead over British prodigy Aidan Heslop ahead of the final. However, given wildcard Carlos Gimeno’s spectacular victory in Mostar, placing the Spaniard third in the current world rankings, and Heslop’s ability to master enormous Degree of Difficulty in his dives, it will not be an easy task for Popovici in his last bid of 2023 for the King Kahekili trophy.

In the women’s competition, Canada’s Molly Carlson and Rhiannan Iffland from Australia are the top two divers in contention for the overall win. Carlson has been the only female diver to shake the six-time champion’s dominating consistency in the World Series this season, snatching the win at the last stop in September in Mostar, and breaking Iffland’s dominating streak that spanned unbeatable performances across two seasons. Iffland’s consistent powerful and precise performances could secure her 7th King Kahekili trophy. Carlson has also demonstrated courage, calm, and consistency under pressure, with one last chance remaining.

Standings (after 5 of 6 stops)

Women

1- Rhiannan Iffland AUS – 990pts.

2- Molly Carlson CAN – 860

3- Xantheia Pennisi AUS – 440

4- Eleanor Smart USA – 437

5- Meili Carpenter USA – 436

Men

1- Constantin Popovici ROU – 832pts.

2- Aidan Heslop GBR – 699

3- Carlos Gimeno (W) ESP – 573

4- Catalin Preda ROU – 528

5- Gary Hunt FRA – 442