Australia’s Rhiannan Iffland, who stunned the cliff diving world last year to claim the World Cliff Diving Title, has won silver at the FINA High Diving World Cup in Abu Dhabi on the weekend.

25-year-old Iffland finished less than four points behind Mexico’s Rita Jimenez Trejo in the 20-metre event, with fellow Australian, Helena Merten, finishing eighth.

Iffland finished tenth in last year’s FINA event, while Merten finished with the silver.

Newcastle’s Iffland took the cliff diving world by storm last year in her debut season, finishing on the podium at all seven World Series events despite starting the season as a wildcard entry.

She won five of the seven meets, and at 24 entered the record books as the youngest female diver to win an event.

The new cliff diving season begins in June, with Iffland showing on the weekend she is in good form.

Like many divers, Iffland came from a trampolining background, taking up diving at age nine.

"It's definitely frightening being up there and every single time I go up there I am a little bit scared," Iffland told ESPN last year.

"That little devil inside is saying 'jump, jump' and then on the other shoulder there's the angel saying 'no, don't jump’, but I think with time and as you do more dives it gets a bit easier to control the thoughts and emotions while standing up there as well as the adrenaline.

"I often find myself standing up on the platform and taking a deep breath, opening my eyes and having a look around at where I am, trying to block everything out, forgetting what I am about to do, taking in the scenery and really taking in the moment.

"Standing up there, it's an absolutely amazing feeling; hitting the water and the feeling of accomplishment that I have overcome my fears and achieved something just makes me want to get back up there and do it again.”

FINA is hoping to have high diving added to the Olympic program for Tokyo 2020, while the event has been part of the World Championships since 2013.