European Aquatics Athlete of the Year Awards 2025: men’s high diving nominees
European Aquatics has announced the nominees for the men’s high diving athlete of the year, recognising a group of divers who defined a landmark season for the discipline and underlined Europe’s position at the forefront of the sport.
With depth increasing and pathways expanding ahead of the European Aquatics Championships 2026 in Paris, the shortlist captures a year that confirmed European high diving as a genuine global force.
The 2025 campaign was one of the most competitive and visible in recent memory, with European athletes shaping the narrative across the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, the World Aquatics High Diving World Cup stop at Porto Flavia and the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Against that backdrop, the shortlisted athletes each produced performances that stood out for their quality, consistency and impact.
Spain’s Carlos Gimeno is nominated following a one of his best years to date. At the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, he delivered a series of composed, high-difficulty dives to secure a superb silver medal in a fiercely contested men’s event, leading the competition at several stages. Gimeno carried that form into the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, where multiple podium finishes earned him third place overall. That, coupled with a third-place finish at the World Cup, rounded off a season that firmly established him among the world’s elite and sets up a tantalising run for 2026.
Romania’s Constantin Popovici once again demonstrated his reputation as one of high diving’s most reliable performers. At the World Championships, he recovered from a shaky start and put in a series of world-class dives as the event came to a close to claim bronze, emerging on top of a tightly fought three-way battle for the podium. His consistency continued throughout the year, culminating in second place overall in the Red Bull series, where he remained in contention until the final round. He also took a podium finish in the World Cup stop, as he finished in second.
Gary Hunt features on yet another shortlist following a year that saw him once again finish amongst the world’s best. Although he finished sixth at the World Aquatics Championships, the French diver was a constant presence near the top of the field throughout the year. His consistency across varying venues and conditions proved decisive in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, where a sequence of podium finishes secured him the overall title, which is seen by many high divers as the most desirable accolade.
Another Romanian nominee, Catalin Preda, impressed with his performances on the sport’s biggest stage. He finished fifth at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, continuing a trend of strong championship results and contributing to the country’s growing depth and influence in men’s high diving. More top-eight finishes at both of the other competitions continued his good showing throughout 2025, and 2026 will almost certainly see him as a force to be reckoned with.
Italy’s Andrea Barnaba completes the shortlist after finishing joint sixth with Hunt at the World Championships. Competing in one of the most competitive men’s fields seen in recent years, Barnaba’s performance placed him firmly among the leading European divers and highlighted the growing strength of the discipline across the continent. An impressive showing at the Red Bull series further showed the clear upward trajectory for the young athlete.
Click here to see the nominees for all categories and to vote for your winner.
Stephen Stanley for European Aquatics
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