BEIRUT, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people attended on Sunday the 2019 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series which was held for the first time in Lebanon with the participation of professional divers of 18 different nationalities.
British Diver Gary Hunt ranked first in the male category and the Australian Rhiannan Iffland won the female category by jumping from up to 27 meters into the water.
Hunt told Xinhua he feels a big relief that he got great scores despite the competition's tough conditions because of the unstable weather.
"We had to do a short competition because the weather is bad but I loved it here. I believe I have an experience now in dealing with tough conditions when diving," he said.
Meanwhile, Iffland said she is feeling confident about her diving skills.
She added that it is strange to go through this experience in the city while she usually dives in remote areas.
"This makes the competition even more special," she said.
A total of 24 athletes, 10 women and 14 men, dived from 21 to 27 meters high at a speed of 85 km/h. The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series includes seven stops across the globe and Lebanon is the 5th.
Lebanese Tourism Minister Avedis Guidanian expressed his happiness for hosting this event in Lebanon which reflects the stable and secure situation prevailing in the country.
"If the security situation was bad, this event would not take place in Beirut in the first place," he said.
