![Six-time world champion Rhiannan Iffland during her training session on Sydney Harbour yesterday, before the Red Bull world-series event today. Picture by Dean Treml, Red Bull Content Six-time world champion Rhiannan Iffland during her training session on Sydney Harbour yesterday, before the Red Bull world-series event today. Picture by Dean Treml, Red Bull Content](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AFKkRPHwQbXhqFfb42nFTx/8d2cea1b-80ad-4402-a328-ed92e07b0e6e.jpg/r0_0_7434_4956_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
SHE has won multiple high-diving world titles, and Rhiannan Iffland has not given up hope of one day adding an Olympic gold medal to her extensive trophy cabinet.
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Iffland, the six-time Red Bull cliff-diving world series winner, will compete in the final event of the 2022 season on Sydney Harbour today, her first-ever competition in Australia.
The 31-year from Lake Macquarie has also won two world championships and a World Cup run by FINA, the governing body that oversees aquatic sports in conjunction with the International Olympic Committeee.
She believes it is only a matter of time before high diving, from a 20-metre platform, is added to platform (10m) and springboard diving (3m and 1m) as an Olympic sport.
"The world championships are usually a really successful event, and a lot of spectators love to watch it," Iffland told the Newcastle Herald.
"At this stage, the high-diving community are pushing full gas towards the Olympic direction. Hopefully within the next 10 years, it'll be there. Everything is moving in the right direction, and it's a big goal for the high-diving community."
Asked if she would still be competing in a decade, Iffland replied: "I'm not getting any younger, but I really think longevity in this sport depends on how you treat your body.
"If I can stay passionate about the sport and keen, I guess that's a 10-year goal.
"If not, I'd love to stay involved in the sport, whether it's coaching or some other sort of role."
In the meantime, she is focused solely on putting on a show for family and friends to enjoy with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House as a spectacular backdrop.
Having dominated the circuit over the past six years, she goes into the event with an unassailable lead in the world-title race.
"It's phenomenal," she said of diving into Sydney Harbour.
"I was down there the other day thinking: 'Is this even real? Is it really happening?'
"It's going to be a great location. And it's only a a bit of a drive away from Lake Macquarie, so I think there'll be quite a few people coming down to cheer us on and enjoy the event."
In the lead-up to the competition, she contacted her original coach, Eric Brooker, to organise some sessions at Lambton Pool, where she first learned to dive as a 10-year-old.
"I called Eric and did some training with him for a couple of weeks," she said.
"That was really nice. He was my original diving coach, along with Brett Austine, who was my trampoline coach at Belmont. So to have Eric coaching me in the lead-up to what it probably the pinnacle event of my career feels really cool."