Rhiannan Iffland
{{Short description|Australian high diver (born 1991)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Rhiannan Iffland
| image = Rhiannan Iffland.jpg
| caption = Iffland after winning the gold medal at the 2017 World Aquatic Championships, Budapest
| nationality = Australian
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|9|9|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| height = 1.67 m
| weight =
| country = Australia
| sport = High diving, cliff diving
| club =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Women's high diving}}
{{MedalCountry|{{AUS}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}
{{MedalGold|2017 Budapest|Women}}
{{MedalGold|2019 Gwangju|Women}}
{{MedalGold|2023 Fukuoka|Women}}
}}
Rhiannan Iffland (born 9 September 1991) is an Australian high diver. She is a seven-time consecutive Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion (2016–2019, 2021–2023).{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.com.au/espnw/story/_/id/17933623/australian-rhiannan-iffland-claims-red-bull-cliff-diving-title |title=Australian Rhiannan Iffland claims Red Bull Cliff Diving title |first=Brittany |last=Mitchell |publisher=ESPN |date=31 October 2016 |accessdate=18 December 2016}}{{Cite news |first=Madeline|last=Lewis|date=2024-05-24 |title=Australian cliff diver will set fear aside for 21m plunge to defend world title |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-24/world-champion-cliff-diver-rhiannan-iffland-red-bull-world-title/103844820 |access-date=2024-05-24 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} She won her first championship in 2016 as a wildcard entrant in her debut year, the first-ever rookie to do so.{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/rhiannan-iffland-dives-to-glory-to-become-australias-newest-world-champion-20161029-gsdqxb.html |title=Rhiannan Iffland dives to glory to become Australia's newest world champion |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |first=Kieran |last=Gair |date=30 October 2016 |accessdate=14 December 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com/en_INT/article/iffland-wraps-title-victory-dubai |title=Iffland wraps up title with victory in Dubai |work=Red Bull |date=29 October 2016 |accessdate=20 December 2016}}
Early life
Rhiannan Iffland was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, on 9 September 1991.{{cite web|title=Rhiannan Iffland|url=https://www.redbull.com/au-en/athlete/rhiannan-iffland|work=Athlete profile|publisher=Red Bull|accessdate=23 July 2019}}{{cite web |url=http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com/en_US/athlete/rhiannan-iffland |title=Rhiannan Iffland Athlete info |work=Red Bull |accessdate=18 December 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://corporate.olympics.com.au/athlete/rhiannan-iffland-34311 |title=Rhiannan Iffland Fast Facts |publisher=Australian Olympic Committee |accessdate=14 December 2016}}
She grew up in Nords Wharf{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-29/aussie-rhiannan-iffland-goes-from-wildcard-to-world-champ/7977366 |title=Australian Rhiannan Iffland goes from unknown wildcard to Red Bull cliff diving champion |publisher=ABC News |location=Sydney |date=29 October 2016 |accessdate=14 December 2016}} and trained at Belmont High School in trampolining with former world champion Brett Austine. After using her skills in a move to diving, from 2001 to 2006 she trained at the Hunter United Diving Academy, then joined the NSW Institute of Sport, training with future Olympic medallists Melissa Wu and Matthew Mitcham.{{cite web |url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/3986225/a-high-nobody-can-buy/ |title=Red Bull Cliff Diving 2016 winner Rhiannan Iffland talks about the highs of victory |work=Newcastle Herald |last=Dillon |first=Robert |date=24 June 2016 |access-date=14 December 2016}}
Iffland was a medallist in 2007 at the CAMO International Canadian Championships, in 2008 at the Elite Junior Diving Championships in Melbourne and at the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival.{{cite web |url=http://corporate.olympics.com.au/dmNews/F50A55AE-5056-B031-6A0395BD61E86A2E |title=Country girl dives with Olympic hero |publisher=Australian Olympic Committee |date=25 November 2008 |accessdate=16 December 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://aoc-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/corporate/live/files/dmfile/AYOF09_Results.pdf |title=Australian Youth Olympics Festival 2009 Results|pages=59–61 |publisher=Australian Olympic Committee |year=2009 |accessdate=18 December 2016}}
Professional career
Cliff diving
In 2015, Iffland was granted a wildcard entry to compete in the opening event of the 2016 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
Competitors dive from heights of 20 metres and reach speeds of 85 km/h.{{cite web |url=http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com/en_INT/article/wildcard-iffland-scores-sensational-usa-victory |title=Australian debutante and Mexican Paredes win in Texas thriller |date=4 June 2016 |accessdate=18 December 2016}}
=2016 world series=
The 2016 Championship was held over a circuit of seven events at various venues. The first event of the 2016 series was held at Possum Kingdom Lake in Texas. After her final dive, a back triple somersault with twist, she was over 10 points ahead and won the round one event.{{cite web |url=http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com/en_INT/event/texas-2016 |title=Texas, 4 Jun 2016 |work=Red Bull |date=June 2016 |accessdate=18 December 2016}} In round two of the championship, held in July at Vila Franca do Campo, Portugal, Iffland again placed first.{{cite web |url=http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com/en_INT/event/azores-2016 |title=Vila Franca do Campo, 9 Jul 2016 |work=Red Bull |date=July 2016 |accessdate=18 December 2016}}
In the third round held at Polignano a Mare, Italy in August, she finished second.{{cite web |url=http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com/en_INT/event/polignano-mare-2016 |title=Polignano a Mare, 28 Aug 2016 |work=Red Bull |date=August 2016 |accessdate=18 December 2016}} The fourth round was held in September at Abereiddy's Blue Lagoon in Pembrokeshire, Wales and saw Iffland again awarded first place.{{cite web |url=http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com/en_INT/event/wales-2016 |title=Pembrokeshire, 10 Sep 2016 |work=Red Bull |date=September 2016 |accessdate=18 December 2016}} Round five, also in September, was held at Mostar where divers leapt from the historic Stari Most bridge; Iffland placed third.{{cite web |url=http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com/en_INT/event/mostar-2016 |title=Mostar, 24 Sep 2016 |work=Red Bull |date=September 2016 |accessdate=18 December 2016}}
Shirahama in Japan was the location for the sixth round and again Iffland was placed first.{{cite web |url=http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com/en_INT/event/shirahama-2016 |title=Shirahama, 16 Oct 2016 |work=Red Bull |date=October 2016 |accessdate=18 December 2016}} By the seventh and final event she had won four rounds and been placed second and third in the other two events. Iffland only needed one dive to be unbeatable by points.
The final event was held at the Dubai Marina in October and, for the first time, saw competitors diving at night under lights. Iffland took her fifth event victory and was named the 2016 champion.{{cite web |url=http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com/en_INT/event/dubai-2016 |title=Dubai, 28 Oct 2016 |work=Red Bull |date=October 2016 |accessdate=18 December 2016}} As winner of the 2016 championship, Iffland will have automatic entry to the 2017 world series.{{cite web |url=http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com/en_INT/article/fight-ticket-dive-2017 |title=The fight for a ticket to dive in 2017 |work=Red Bull |date=29 October 2016 |accessdate=18 December 2016}}
=2017 world series=
The opening event of the 2017 world series was held on 24 June at Serpent's Lair Inis Mór in Ireland. Iffland won this first round, finishing 50 points ahead of the second place-getter.{{cite web |url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/4750997/iffland-starts-defence-on-high/ |title=Red Bull Cliff Diving: Lake Macquarie's Rhiannan Iffland starts world title defence with win in Ireland |first=Josh |last=Callinan |work=Newcastle Herald |date=25 June 2017|access-date=26 June 2017}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Sports links}}
- [http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/sport/aussie-wildcard-rhiannan-iffland-is-red-bulls-cliff-diving-champion-20161029-gsdrqp.html Sydney Morning Herald Photo Gallery]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iffland, Rhiannan}}
Category:Australian female divers
Category:Sportswomen from New South Wales
Category:World Aquatics Championships medalists in high diving