At the spectacularly photogenic Porto Flavia mine in Sardinia, Italy, harsh winds toyed with the high divers competing in the World Cup on Saturday as they tried to launch from 27m and 20m platforms built on scaffolding over a cliff.

Ultimately, experience prevailed as Carlos Gimeno of Spain and the 2023 world champion Constantin Popovici of Romania tied for the lead after the first two (of four) dives. Two-time world Gary Hunt, at age 41, was only 2.45 points behind them, in third. The 2025 world champion James Lichtenstein of the US was 12.60 points behind Hunt.    

On the women’s side, five-time world champion Rhiannan Iffland posted the highest scores on both of her dives and held a 19.55-point advantage over American Lisa Faulkner going into Sunday’s final two rounds.

Faulkner’s fellow American, Kaylea Arnett, was in third place, just 0.60 points behind her teammate but 20.15 points behind Iffland.

Molly Carlson of Canada, who was back in Italy for the first time after a terrifying slip from the 20m platform in June, was in fourth. Carlson, a two-time world championship silver medalist (behind Iffland) opted for a relatively less difficult dive in round two (a back 3 ½ with one twist, with 3.8DD), and scored only 6s, which was a bit uncharacteristic.

Notably, Simone Leathead of Canada, the 2025 world championship silver medallist opted not to start after making a bad landing on one of her dives in training.

The 2025 world championship bronze medalist, 18-year-old Maya Kelly of the US, ranked ninth in the 16-woman field.

Afterwards, the top divers shared their thoughts.

Men|Popovici and Gimeno Tied to Day 1 Lead; Hunt, Other Contenders in the Podium Hunt

Popovici, tied for the lead with Gimeno, with 189.00 points – thanks in part to his 5.8 DD back quad with three twists that earned 121.80 points], said, “It’s nice to be here in the wild. I have a lot of experience with [the wind]. For me, it wasn’t a big adjustment. But I hadn’t done any high dives since [earning bronze at the 2025 world championships in Singapore], so I’m still a little sore from the impacts. Normally, I’d go somewhere like China, Florida, or Austria to train before a big event, but with only four weeks off, I didn’t feel it was necessary. Tomorrow should be a nicer day with less wind. Some divers saved their harder dives for then, so I think it’s going to be a battle right to the last dive. It’ll be intense.”

Hunt, in third place (a mere 2.45 points behind the tied leaders) was competing for the first time in Porto Flavia. “When you arrive here, you put on your safety helmet and walk through almost pitch-black darkness in the mine. That already sets a tone. It’s not easy to switch that off and feel completely relaxed. You carry that with you out onto the platform. Then you add the wind and the waves. We’ve already seen a few divers take hard hits in training and even pull out,” Hunt said.

“To get through the first day in good shape and still in podium contention – I couldn’t be happier,” said Hunt, 41. “I’m keeping my training here to a minimum because I’m carrying a few bumps and bruises and we have two more competitions in the next three weeks. I’ve been careful to conserve energy. I trained only my most difficult dive. That decision kept me feeling fresh, and it worked. My second-round dive [a forward triple with 3 ½ twists with 4.9DD] wasn’t perfect, but it was solid and kept me in the medal mix.

“No one’s been flawless so far…so it could come down to stability and consistency. Tomorrow, I expect divers to come with their biggest dives and full confidence. I plan to do the same,” Hunt said.

Lichtenstein, the 2025 world champion in fourth, with 176.40 points (and 10.15 points behind Hunt) acknowledged that expectations were high, now that he’s the reigning world champion. He was a bit disappointed with his armstand back 4 ½ with 5.6 DD but took it in stride, explaining, “I kicked out at the right spot, was looking at the water. I super-excited because it was going to be a good dive. Then I just sat on it a little bit [too long]. It was disappointing to be in a spot to nail it and not finish that five percent of the dive. It was my body position. I was not totally in a straight line. I don’t think it was the wave. I think it was me.”

Women|Iffland Leads "On A Tricky Day on the Platform"

Iffland, the women’s leader with 167.35 points, said, “It was a tricky day on the platform. The wind picked up during my second dive, but I’m super stoked. Those were the best dives I’ve done here, even compared to training. Tomorrow, I’ll be looking for 9s, 9.5s. I know I can do it. It’s just a battle with myself.

Faulkner, in second position with 147.80 points, said, “I feel great. Having my coach, Steven LoBue, here has been a huge advantage, and an extra two training days really helped. Diving off the cliffs here is so different from where I normally train in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The rock formations, the views. I love this! Honestly, sometimes I have to pinch myself [to believe] that we actually get to do this.”

Third-place Arnett, lurking in third 147.20 points, said, “It felt like a dream here in Sardinia. When I got here, I had tears in my eyes. It was such an extravagant experience. The weather, the food, the cliffs – they’re so grand. It doesn’t feel like a competition. It feels like an adventure, and I’m soaking it all up. It’s just stunning. Tomorrow is my big dive: a triple gainer pike. I’m the only woman in the world doing this dive right now. It’s big, it’s scary…so I’m aiming to come in relaxed, enjoy the party atmosphere, and feed off the crowd, just like today.”

The Day's Parting Shot

Contributing: Torin Koos