Australia’s Rhiannan Iffland cemented her dominance in high diving with a fifth straight world title at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025, scoring 359.25 points in a weather-delayed final.

Iffland was composed from start to finish, leading after each round and finishing ahead of Canada’s Simone Leathead (314.50) and 18-year-old American Maya Kelly (310.00). “Yeah, this one’s crazy,” said Iffland. “I’ve already achieved four in the past, and I was wondering about the possibility of winning a fifth… It’s insane, I’m blown away, I’m kinda speechless right now.”

The final, originally scheduled earlier in the afternoon, was delayed for over two hours due to lightning. But the six-time world medallist took it in stride. “I just sat back and relaxed, and made jokes. I had something to eat, and I was pretty confident in [the organisers] making the decision to continue,” she said.

Iffland also reflected on the sport’s evolution since she made her debut. “There’s a lot of younger athletes coming in, and the field is very strong right now,” she said. “We are seeing the difficulties growing… and so does the pressure.”

Known for her calm exterior, the 33-year-old admitted it was harder than it looked. “It’s kind of impossible to stay 100% calm when you have those nerves, that adrenaline… But I have really worked a lot over the past years to try and calm myself down,” she said.

She added that being consistent at the top isn’t as easy as people think. “A lot of people see it as easy, but it’s definitely not,” said Iffland. “I think it’s a lot harder to stay at the top compared to chasing it.”