Aidan Heslop claimed his second King Kahekili Trophy on 27 September 2026, securing the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series men’s overall title at the Polignano a Mare finale.
The championship was not decided by a stage victory. Heslop finished fourth on the day, while Ukraine’s Oleksiy Prygorov won the closing round from platforms fixed to the rooftops of Casa L'Abbate. The Briton’s own dive fell short of his standard, and he was forced to watch his closest rival’s attempt before the title was confirmed.
A title held on the narrowest margin
Entering the last four dives of the season, only 13 points separated Heslop, American James Lichtenstein and Romania’s Constantin Popovici. The three men had stood on the same podium months earlier at the World Aquatics High Diving World Cup in Porto Flavia.
When the water settled, Heslop’s total of 78 points proved enough to hold off Lichtenstein on 73 and Popovici on 68. “I expected it might happen,” he told reporters afterwards. “I knew the odds were good, but watching the other athlete's dive after I hadn't done a great dive myself was one of the hardest things I've ever had to face.”
From the operating table to the top step
The triumph completed a comeback that had looked improbable twelve months earlier. A herniated disc required back surgery and forced Heslop to miss the entire 2025 season, a rehabilitation journey documented in his film 444 Days. He returned in 2026 as a wildcard for the Bali opener, winning immediately.
By taking the title again, the Welshman became the second man in history, after Gary Hunt, to hold the King Kahekili Trophy more than once.
Heslop left the Adriatic coast without the stage win, but with his name engraved on the series for a second time.
