Lake Macquarie cliff diver Rhiannan Iffland has became one of the first people to dive into Japan’s most sacred place.
Ahead of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series stop at Takachiho in Japan, Iffland was given the privilege of being one of the first people to ever be permitted to dive into the gorge at the Takachiho Shrine.
Japan’s only cliff diver Kyohei Arata dived with Iffland as well as David Culturi from the US.
The fourth stop on the cliff diving world tour will take all of the divers on the Red Bull circuit to the untouched gorge where they will all dive into Japan’s mythical origins on Thursday. The athletes will be granted unprecedented access to Takachiho – the Valley of the Gods – in the Miyazaki prefecture. The athletes, as always, will embrace this honour with style, respect and grace as they compete for crucial championship points.
“This place is incredible. It’s such a natural wonder. I can’t wait to come back for the competition and for all the other divers from around the world to come here and see this beautiful piece of Japan,” said Iffland.
When the cliff diving elite travel to the Land of the Rising Sun for the fourth stop of the 2023 season, it will mark even years since the World Series made its one and only visit to Japan in Shirahama, Wakayama at the Sandanbeki cliffs.
Novocastrian Iffland has a 100% record so far this season winning the first three rounds, but Canadian Molly Carlson’s consistency is keeping the title fight very much alive.