GARY Hunt admitted “the best man won on the day” after finishing second in the opening round of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2013 in La Rochelle, France.

The Southampton star, who is bidding for his fourth successive title, was bettered by Russia’s Artem Silchenko who totalled 487.05 points, Hunt finishing on the second step of the podium with 469.30.

Blake Aldridge, who used to train at the Quays Swimming and Diving Complex in Southampton, finished third (448.20).

Hunt, 28, said: “I made no major mistakes but threw up a bit of splash on my first and second dives.

“It’s a world of difference between the start I had last year and here I just felt much more comfortable – not too scared, just the right amount of scared! – but got pipped by Artem who dived incredibly and the win went to the best man on the day.”

More than 70,000 spectators watched the event the second stop of which takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark in four weeks’ time.

Click here for video from this weekend's Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series event.