23 hours Ago By Delfin Dioquino
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rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-1" );MANILA, Philippines – The opening leg of the 2025 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will be a homecoming for Filipina-Australian diver Xantheia Pennisi.Pennisi will get another chance to showcase her wares in El Nido as the Cliff Diving World Series returns to the majestic Palawan town for the first time in six years for its season opener set from April 11 to 13.
And it will be extra special for the 26-year-old, whose mother hails from Tarlac, as she hopes to make a splash before her loved ones. “My family, a lot of them are coming to watch me in El Nido. I’m a big family person.
Just having them around for support is such an advantage,” said Pennisi. “They’re the reason why I dive and I’m doing it for them. It’s really special.
It’s going to push me even more to do well.” Pennisi, then only 20 years old, placed seventh out of nine female competitors when Red Bull opened the 2019 season in El Nido, marking the first-ever cliff diving event in the country.She has made great strides since, finishing fourth overall in 2021 and 2022, then third overall in 2023, ranking only behind perennial top two divers Rhiannan Iffland of Australia and Molly Carlson of Canada.
“I’ve gotten better as an athlete and I’ve learned new dives. I’m really excited to show my family my new skills and do it for them,” said Pennisi. Alongside Ukrainian diver Oleksiy Prygorov, Pennisi visited the New Clark City Aquatic Center in Capas, Tarlac, on Tuesday, April 1.
The two gave young members of the Philippine diving team valuable tips on their techniques. “Hopefully, the sport here in the Philippines can grow a lot more because it is still very small but this is just the start,” said Pennisi.In cliff diving, male participants jump from a height of 27 meters, while female competitors take off from a height of 21 meters.
– Rappler.com.
