SOUTHAMPTON cliff diver Gary Hunt put on a master class to win the American leg of the Red Bull World Cliff Diving Championships with a record high score.

Hunt, who was Red Bull Cliff Diving World Champion in 2010, 2011 and 2012, chose an unbelievably difficult diving programme for the 28 metre leap at Hell’s Gate, Texas.

And the 29-year-old pulled it off in spectacular fashion, finishing with 526.40 points – the highest ever recorded in the history of the competition and enough to give him an overall lead in the series after two events so far this season.

Hunt beat reigning champion Artem Silchenko into second, with American Steven LoBue finishing third on home soil.

And despite clocking a personal best, the Southampton diver believes there is still more to come.

“I did four good dives and got a new personal best score, so I couldn’t ask for much more,” he said.

“It was slightly disappointing not to use my new big dive, but I had to play this one tactically and I knew that keeping my programme was the best chance of taking the win.

“There was so much pressure on the last dive. There were so many amazing dives in the final round.

“It just pumps you up so much when you’re hearing the scores come through, and you just want to keep that streak going.”

The next stop for Hunt is closer to home, when the Red Bull World Cliff Diving Championships comes to Inis Mor, Ireland, on June 29.