35th AIDA Freediving World Championship

The world’s best freediving athletes have gathered in Limassol, Cyprus, to battle it out in the depths.

Sports Columnist: Asya Kleshchevnikova
Editor: Kristina Zvaritch

1. Preview of the World Championship
2. Day 1 (September 23): CNF Women
3. Day 2 (September 24): CNF Men
4. Day 3 (September 25): CWTB Women
5. Day 4 (September 26): CWTB Men
5.1. AIDA New World Record in CWTB
6. Day 5 (September 28): FIM Women
7. Day 6 (September 29): FIM Men
8. Day 7 (October 1): CWT Men
9. Day 8 (October 2): CWT Women

Preview Of The World Championship

Background

On September 20th, the 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship commenced with an opening ceremony in Limassol, Cyprus. This marks the final top-tier freediving event in the 2025 season. The location can already be considered "legendary" among all other venues for depth championships. Even over the past five years, Limassol hosted two depth World Championships: the 27th AIDA World Championship in 2021 and the 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship in 2023, not to mention the illustrious and challenging events that took place here even further in the past. We’ve covered them in previous articles:

• The First International Competition Of Natalia Molchanova
• The First Official CWT Dive That Broke The 100m Barrier
• The Line

Put simply, Limassol, Cyprus, is just as well-known among freedivers as Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, which hosted the first AIDA Depth World Championship in 2005. Limassol was where Natalia Molchanova competed in her first international freediving event (2003, Sony Freediver Open Classic—an international pool and depth freediving competition) and matched a long-standing world record by swimming 150m (492ft) in a pool with monofin. It was also where, in 2015, the newly created Natalia Molchanova Memorial Award was presented to athletes in Limassol for the first time during the AIDA World Depth Championship. The athletes who were honored were Sayuri Kinoshita of Japan and Goran Čolak of Croatia.

In 2004, it was also in Limassol that the 100m (328ft) depth barrier was broken with a monofin during an official competition for the first time. The legendary rivalry for the honor of being the first was between Martin Štěpánek (CZE), Carlos Coste (VEN), and Herbert Nitsch (AUT) during the BIOS Freeology Open Classic competition. Unlike his competitors, Carlos successfully dived to 102m (335ft) and became the first man to complete an official CWT dive beyond the 100m barrier.

Furthermore, in 2015, a dramatic event happened. Guillaume Néry (FRA) attempted to set a new CWT World Record diving with a monofin to a depth of 129m (423ft). However, due to a dreadful mistake, his line was set to 139m (456ft). Guillaume didn't realize the line was set incorrectly on his descent, and he reached the dangerous depth successfully. This depth significantly exceeded his limits—he blacked out 10m (33ft) away from the surface. It was only discovered afterward that a piece of tape (a depth marker) had fallen off the dive line without anyone noticing, causing the dive line to be incorrectly marked at 139m. Such an extreme increase in depth (Guillaume's previous dive was 126m /413ft deep) could have cost him his life, but fortunately, the athlete was in excellent shape and survived with only a minor injury. However, Guillaume stopped competing at the top level after that accident and hasn't set any new records.

Diving Conditions and Competition Schedule

We hoped that the accident (and several similar ones) had forever changed the approach to safety during freediving competitions, making them as safe as possible. However, recent safety incidents at the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth, raise concerns about whether competition organizers have truly learned their lessons about proper dive management and medical safety at freediving world championship events.

Additionally, the weather doesn't seem favorable to athletes right now. The first official training day for women was cancelled due to strong currents; the dive lines were positioned at such an angle that a depth dive would look more like a dynamic performance, making it nearly impossible to reach the target depth. The second training day wasn't cancelled; however, some athletes preferred to have the training in nearby Larnaca, where the current was a bit milder.

The current diving conditions are as follows:

• Air temperature: 25 - 28°C (77 - 82°F)
• Water temperature: From 25 - 27°C (77 - 81°F) on the surface to 17 - 19°C (63 - 66°F) at 70m (230ft)
• Visibility: 30 - 40m (98 - 131ft)
• Strong current
• No waves
• Maximum depth: 170m (525ft)
• The dive site is located 1.6km (1mi) away from the beach
• The competition boat has two competition lines and four warm-up lines

Fortunately, the organizers are not entirely dismissive of the risk of bad weather and have scheduled two days off, so the competition timetable appears as follows:

• September 20 - Registration and Opening Ceremony
• September 21 - Registration and Official Training for Women
• September 22 - Official Training for Men
• September 23 - Competition Day 1: CNF - Women
• September 24 - Competition Day 2: CNF - Men
• September 25 - Competition Day 3: CWTB - Women
• September 26 - Competition Day 4: CWTB - Men
• September 27 - Rest / Backup Day 1
• September 28 - Competition Day 5: FIM - Women
• September 29 - Competition Day 6: FIM - Men
• September 30 - Competition Day 7: CWT - Women
• October 1 - Competition Day 8: CWT - Men
• October 2 - Backup Day 2: Closing Ceremony

Competing Athletes

The start lists for the official training days were unconventionally published with the announced performances, disclosing athletes' plans for upcoming competition days. Unfortunately for the athletes, the training days didn't go on as planned, but it makes our prediction of the potential winner much easier. So, let's place our bets!

CNF
To predict the main leaders in CNF among the men and women is equally easy, as both the absolute world record holders are present at the Championship: Petar Klovar (HRV) with a result of 103m (338ft) and Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) with a result of 84m (276ft).

Petar's closest competitor is Alexey Molchanov (INT), with a personal best (PB) of 100m (328ft). At the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth, Alexey secured gold with a dive to 90m (295ft). In Limassol, he planned a training dive to 96m (315ft), but due to underwater current, he decided to go 85m (279ft), instead. We'd also mention Abdelatif Alouach (FRA) as a possible contender for a medal, with an official personal best (PB) of 85m. However, given the current conditions, some mistakes made by the top three are inevitable, and we have no idea who might reach the podium if one of the three favorites slips.

Kateryna's competitors are even further behind her (13m+ / 43ft+) but have close results to each other with 1 - 3m (3 - 10ft) difference: Sanda Delija (HRV; PB - 71m / 233ft), Lauren Matevish (USA; PB - 71m), and talented debutante Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN; PB - 70m / 230ft). Also, there are two athletes with 68m (223ft) PBs: Maria Bobela (POL) and Enchante Gallardo (USA). We won't dare to predict which of these strong women will accompany Kateryna on the podium.

CWTB
The situation in this discipline is quite the opposite of CNF. Neither of the current absolute world record holders in CWTB is present at the Championship: Arnaud Jerald (FRA) with 126m (413ft) and Alessia Zecchini (ITA) with 113m (371ft). So, if the weather allows, Arnaud's competitor and a former absolute world record holder in the discipline—Alexey Molchanov (INT; PB - 125m / 410ft)—may have a chance at gaining back the world record, while Abdelatif Alouach (FRA; PB - 119m / 390ft) is close enough to keep Alexey focused. At the Championship, there are no other athletes who have officially dived at a depth of 110m+ (361ft+) with bifins, so Omar Al Ghailani (OMA; PB - 105m / 344ft) might also have a chance to walk to the podium.

Alessia's nearest competitor in CWTB, Alenka Artnik (SVN; PB - 111m / 364ft), as well as a group of athletes who dive with bifins as deep as 100m+ (328ft+), also aren't diving in Limassol. So, the most likely winners are Kateryna Sadurska (UKR; PB - 95m / 312ft), Enchante Gallardo (USA; PB - 95m), Fatima Korok (HUN; PB - 92m / 302ft), and Sahika Ercumen (TUR; PB - 92m).

FIM
The competition in FIM is both fierce and representative for a change. Former and current world record holders among men are both here: Petar Klovar (HRV; WR - 135m / 443ft) and Alexey Molchanov (INT; previous WR - 133m / 436ft). Alessia Zecchini (ITA; WR - 104m / 341ft)—the current world record among women—isn’t participating. However, there are two athletes, Sanda Delija (HRV; PB - 103m / 338ft) and Fatima Korok (HUN; PB - 102m / 335ft), who are very close to the current world record and have held one in the past.

Considering how competitive and driven these athletes can be, it won't be surprising if they become carried away by competition fever and make an error. So, Abdel Alouach (FRA; PB - 118m / 387ft), Omar Al Ghailani (OMA; PB - 113m / 371ft), Enchante Gallardo (USA; PB - 100m / 328ft), and Kateryna Sadurska (UKR, PB - 98m / 322ft) are also likely to been seen on the podium.

CWT
Alexey Molchanov (INT) remains the undisputed leader in this discipline and the deepest man in the world with the absolute record of 136m (446ft). As Andrey Matveenko (INT), whose PB and former CMAS World Record in CWT of 134m (440ft), remains in the hospital, Alexey doesn't have another real competitor here. Athletes capable of diving as deep as 120m+ (394ft+) with monofins also aren't participating in the Championship. So, Alexander Vinogradov (INT), with a PB of 120m, seems to be a likely competitor for the silver. Abdelatif Alouach (FRA), usually diving with bifins even in CWT, yet having a PB of 116m (381ft), and Omar Al Ghailani (OMA), with a PB of 111m (364ft), also have great chances for a medal.

Among the women, the top six athletes diving 110m+ (361ft+), including the current world record holders Alenka Artnik (SVN) and Alessia Zecchini (ITA), both with dives to 123m (404ft), aren’t diving in the Championship. Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) has the deepest official PB in the discipline with a result of 107m (351ft). However, at the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth, she had issues with the equalization and turned early, missing the target depth by several meters. Therefore, we would be cautiously optimistic about the chances of Olga Markina (INT) and Enchante Gallardo (USA) not only to walk to the podium but also to win the gold, as their official PBs are 103m (338ft). If Sahika Ercumen (TUR; PB - 100m / 328ft) doesn't forget her recovery breathing, she's also likely to grab a medal.

What’s Next?

We hope we’ve sparked your interest and that you won't miss the broadcast (available on the AIDA Freediving YouTube channel). The show promises to be epic! If you don't have time to watch the broadcast—don't worry! We'll watch for you and write detailed reports on all the notable performances.

Stay tuned and make sure to catch our updates.

To make the Championship even more fun, we’re preparing a special celebration at the end of the competition. Follow our news from the Championship so you don’t miss out!

If you want more information on freediving competitions and how to watch them to get ready for this year’s Championship, make sure to check our competition guides:

• International Freediving Federations You Need to Know: CMAS vs. AIDA
• How to Make Sense of a Freediving Competition Broadcast
• Current CMAS and AIDA Freediving World Records

Day 1 (September 23): CNF - Women

September 23rd marked the first day of competition at the 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship in Limassol, Cyprus. The ladies of the competition opened the event with the challenging Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) discipline. Given the weather conditions of the previous two days of official training, we were concerned about the possibility of many red cards and blackouts. Fortunately, the "current" conditions improved, as the underwater stream nearly ceased to exist. However, most athletes had made conservative announcements. As a result, the day passed almost without incident and with only one blackout.

In short:

• 37 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 15m - 75m (49 - 246ft)
• 4 red cards were given
• 6 yellow cards were issued
• 9 new AIDA National Records (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 2 new AIDA Continental Records (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

The Winners

We won't create intrigue out of nothing, and instead will start with a congratulations to the CNF World Champion, who, unsurprisingly, is Kateryna Sadurska (UKR). The current absolute world record holder, with a result of 85m / 279ft (and we're not tired of reminding you that Kateryna's nearest competitor is huge 11m / 36ft behind), announced a very modest depth of 75m (246ft) and completed the dive gracefully and neatly—white card and celebrations!

But it's time for a twist, as the following four athletes made very close announcements of 72m (236ft), 68m (223ft), and 66m (217ft). Lauren Matevish (USA) began by trying to reach a depth of 72m first, but alas, she turned back at 58m (190ft), missing her chance at a medal.

A debutant of the depth championship and the current absolute world record holder (and this year’s Champion in pool), Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) was the second in line to grab a tag at 72m (236ft) of depth. She did it! Zsófia looked a bit tired at the surface, but completed the protocol confidently, leaving no doubt that it was a white card—congratulations to a phenomenal Vice-Champion! Looking at Zsófia's achievements and improved swimming technique, it's hard to believe that she started to compete only two years ago.

Jade Macdonald-Razvi (AUS) and Sanda Delija (HRV) announced 69m (226ft) and 68m (223ft), respectively. Jade's dive wasn't an easy one, and she had a light samba on the surface, which made the surface protocol a challenging task for her. A reminder: according to the AIDA rules, the surface protocol should be completed within 15 seconds after surfacing. It's also quite strict, doesn't allow any variations, and consists of the following actions in order:

• Remove all equipment covering the eyes and airways (mask, goggles, and/or nose clip)
• Make a visible OK sign to the judge(s) with their pointer finger and thumb touching and the other three fingers in the air
• Say “I’m OK” or “I am OK” in English

First, the judges found Jade's protocol good enough and showed her a white card, which stayed with her until the final results posting. But then, someone filed a protest against Jade and won it due to Jade making a double "OK" sign, resulting in her eventual red card. This was Jade's first-ever performance at a World Championship, and it was a strong one. The medal's yours next time, Jade!

Sanda completed her surface protocol much more neatly and, thanks to the protest outcome, won the bronze. The athlete didn’t seem to be kicking evenly with both legs on her dive, probably due to her knee trauma of last year. This only shows there’s still plenty of potential for her to go deeper.

Special Mentions

Maria Bobela (POL) also performed a strong and deep dive to a depth of 66m (217ft), but struggled with the surface protocol. Unfortunately, she was less fortunate than Jade and was issued a red card. Keep breathing, Maria, and you’ll get it next time! Maria's teammate, Agata Załęcka (POL), also wasn't very lucky today. She reached a depth of 58m (190ft) but became tired on her way back and switched to FIM about 15m (49ft) below the surface. The safety team immediately rushed to assist her and gently brought her to the surface. Agata was safe and sound but received a red card.

Our very subjective Audience Choice Award goes to Amanda Tran (AUS) and Deena Lynch (AUS)—irreplaceable members of the Molchanovs marketing team. Amanda and Deena, being fully engaged in their work, performed beautiful and clean dives to depths of 46m (151ft) and 40m (131ft), respectively. Congratulations, girls, on your first performances at the World Championship!

What’s Next?

On September 24th, it will be the men's turn to compete in CNF. As the start list is already published, we can assure you that deep dives were announced, and the day is expected to be thrilling. Don't miss it! Check for the broadcast link and stay tuned for our report!

Day 2 (September 24): CNF - Men

September 24th was the second competition day of the 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship in Limassol, Cyprus. The weather conditions have significantly improved compared to the previous competition day and official training days: the current ceased and the water was calm. The men added some spice to the competition mix, performing in Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) discipline. On the first day, the women had six red cards, with only one given for a blackout. The men, however, decided to up the stats and earned 13 red cards, with 6 of them given for blackouts.

In short:

• 51 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 25m - 88m (49 - 246ft)
• 13 red cards were given
• 4 yellow cards were issued
• 7 new AIDA National Records (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

The Gold in Style

The current absolute world record holder in CNF among men is Petar Klovar (HRV) with a result of 103m (338ft) achieved during the AIDA Freediving World Cup 2025. However, surprisingly, the deepest announcement of the day was made by Alexey Molchanov (INT). He was on his way to reach 97m (318ft), having an official personal best (PB) and the current CMAS World Record of 100m (328ft). Alexey missed the target depth by one 1m (3ft), but achieved his descent with a faster pace than on his previous dives. Several days earlier, at the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth, it took Alexey 2:07 minutes to reach 90m (295ft). Today, the way to 96m took him 2:02 seconds. So, with a more active descent, the athlete spent extra energy and ended up having a brief blackout on the surface after showing the protocol. Ah, the gold was so close!

Alexey also surprised attentive fans by appearing on the line wearing the One-Piece PRO Wetsuit 0.8mm Inside-Lined (coming soon!) and a CORE Swim Cap in Molchanovs Blue, whereas he usually dives in a two-piece wetsuit with a hood and a flashlight attached. We can't resist offering a little style advice: a black cap would match a gold wetsuit much better, Alexey!

Petar's announcement was 13m (43ft) shallower than his world record. Yet the athlete decided not to push more than necessary and turned back at a depth of 88m (289ft). He surfaced with a smile and showed a clean protocol, earning 85 points - enough to win the gold! Congratulations, Champion!

And yes, Petar's black swim cap matches his black wetsuit. Could it be the key ingredient to success in CNF?

Complicated Fate of the Silver and Bronze

Abdelatif Alouach (FRA) was diving next with an announcement of 82m (269ft). Abdel, an experienced athlete and spearfisher, has an official PB of 85m (279ft). Last year, at the CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Kalamata, Greece, he reached a depth of 87m (285ft) but received a red card for dipping his airways during the surface protocol. Therefore, today's announcement looked quite conservative for Abdel; nevertheless, on the surface, he also lost his consciousness for a short while and received a red card.

The chance to win silver passed on to Michael Sadowicz (DEU), who announced a 79m (259ft) dive. Michael has been freediving for two years, and this is his first World Championship in depth. During the broadcast, the commentators said that 1 - 2 months ago, the athlete's PB in CNF was 60m (197ft). So, probably, such quick progress, multiplied by competition stress and cold water, disrupted his dive. Michael reached the target depth, but the way he began his ascent after the turn cast some doubt that he was capable of reaching the surface. At a depth of 35m (115ft), the athlete tried to switch to FIM but lost his consciousness anyway and was rescued back to the surface by safety divers. The competition was paused after such a deep blackout, but once the stream resumed, we saw Michael had recovered and was looking quite well.

Omar Al Ghailani (OMA) had to perform right after this series of incidents with a dive of 76m (249ft), only 1m (3ft) shallower than his PB. Fortunately, Omar is an experienced athlete (at the recent 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth, he earned white cards in all the disciplines and won silver in FIM) and has a strong mind, which helps him avoid distractions. The athlete managed his dive successfully and received a white card. This was the moment we finally welcomed the Vice-Champion in CNF - congratulations, Omar, on a well-deserved silver!

Laurence Paik (USA), diving next to a depth of 75m (246ft), also completed his performance successfully and will bring home a bronze medal and a new official PB that’s 2m (7ft) deeper than his previous one.

To sum up, the winners among the men are as follows:

Petar Klovar (HRV) - 90m (295ft) - World Champion
Omar Al Ghailani (OMA) - 76m (249ft) - Vice-Champion
Laurence Paik (USA) - 75m (246ft) - Bronze medal

What’s Next?

On September 25th, the women will unlock a new discipline - Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB). We’re missing several top athletes, yet the rest of the participants have very close results, so the competition for medals promises to be intense; be sure to watch the broadcast. Check for the link and stay tuned for our report!

Day 3 (September 25): CWTB - Women

September 25th marked the third competition day of the 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship in Limassol, Cyprus, where the women competed in Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB). The day began with a calm sea, but in the second half, waves appeared. Fortunately, they had no negative impact on the athletes, and overall, the day could be described as “uneventful.” By the time all the athletes had completed their dives, only one red card had been issued. However, after judges reviewed the performance recordings, the number of red cards increased, as two more were given for dolphin kicks. Unlike CMAS rules, which stipulate a one-point penalty for each dolphin kick, under AIDA rules a dolphin kick in CWTB results in disqualification.

In short:

• 51 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 27m - 97m (89 - 318ft)
• 3 red cards were given
• 18 yellow cards were issued
• 10 new AIDA National Records (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 2 new AIDA Continental Records (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

The Winners

The current absolute world record holder in CWTB among women - Alessia Zecchini (ITA) - with her 113m (371ft) record reached at the CMAS World Cup Philippines 2025, isn’t participating in the Championship. Alessia's nearest competitor in CWTB, Alenka Artnik (SVN; PB - 111m / 364ft), as well as the other athletes who dive 100m+ (328ft+) with bifins, also aren't diving in Limassol.

We predicted that the podium would have Kateryna Sadurska (UKR; PB - 95m / 312ft) in first place, with Enchante Gallardo (USA; PB - 95m) following in second, and Fatima Korok (HUN; PB - 92m / 302ft) placing third.

And would you belive - we guessed two out of three correctly!

Kateryna Sadurska made the deepest bid of the day, announcing a 97m (318ft) dive. Several days earlier, at the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth, Kateryna had attempted to reach a 96m (315ft) depth but turned back at a depth of 90m (295ft). This time, she successfully managed her target depth and won her second gold medal at the Championship. Congratulations, Kateryna!

Enchante Gallardo also slightly improved her competition personal best (PB), completing a 96m (315ft) dive gracefully and with a white card. Congratulations, Vice-Champion!

We only incorrectly guessed our third-place prediction. Fatima didn't perform in this discipline; instead, a freediving prodigy - Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) - brought the tag from a depth of 92m (302ft) and won the bronze medal. This was Zsófia's second performance at her first Depth World Championship and her second medal. On the first competition day, the athlete won silver in CNF.

Congratulations to the amazing ladies who set new PBs and added another medal to their collections!

Special Mentions

After the top three, four athletes simultaneously attempted to dive to a depth of 91m (299ft), competing for fourth place in the ranking by discipline: Mojca Haberman (SVN), Marine Simonis (BEL), Sanda Delija (HRV), and Leena Oijala (FIN). However, only two of them - Marine and Sanda - completed their dives with white cards and set new AIDA National Records for their countries. Mojca and Leena turned early at depths of 66m (217ft) and 78m (256ft), respectively, receiving yellow cards at the surface.

We also can't skip mentioning the only red card given for a surface blackout today. Olga Markina (INT) reached a depth of 88m (289ft), which was 6m (20ft) deeper than her official PB of 82m (269ft). Several meters below the surface, the athlete removed her nose clip, preparing to show the surfacing protocol. Alas, she only managed a few recovery breaths and had a light blackout. Olga quickly returned to her senses, but it was too late - red card. Have a good rest, you'll nail your next dive, Olga!

What’s Next?

We hope that after such a calm competition day, the men won't try to impress us with any overdramatic performances. If you're as curious as we are to see what performances await, check the broadcast and stay tuned for our reports! We strongly recommend that you pay attention to our channel tomorrow - something special is coming!

Day 4 (September 26): CWTB - Men

The fourth day of the 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship in Limassol, Cyprus, on September 26th, proved to be as challenging as anticipated. The men, competing in Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB), made up for the lack of drama on the previous competition day, even though most of the dives weren't particularly deep for a World Championship level. Only seven dives surpassed 100m (328ft), with just four finishing with a white card.

In short:

• 59 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 18m - 126m (59 - 413ft)
• 9 red cards were given
• 11 yellow cards were issued
• 6 new AIDA National Records (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 1 new AIDA World Record (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

The Gold

The day started peacefully, with only one yellow card out of the first seven dives. The seventh performance was completed by Alexey Molchanov (INT), who took off his intensely blue swim cap and returned to his usual two-piece wetsuit with a hood and a flashlight on it. In style, he dived with bifins to 126m (413ft) and set a new AIDA World Record, matching the CMAS World Record set by Arnaud Jerald (FRA) during Vertical Blue 2025 CMAS. The dive seemed to be an easy one for Alexey, and his swimming technique was more even and smooth along the way than it was several days ago during his CWTB dive to 121m (397ft) at the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth. The whole dive took him 4 minutes and 15 seconds.

Interesting fact: this dive with bifins was 1m (3ft) deeper than his first world record in CWT, when he dived with a monofin to 125m (410ft) in 2012.

Interesting fact #2: this record marked Alexey's 40th world record in his career.

Congratulations, Champion!

Complicated Fate of the Silver and Bronze

Unfortunately, from then on, the moments were not all positive. Abdelatif Alouach (FRA), who reached 111m (364ft), surfaced very relaxed, with his signature unique technique. He came up heavily, and quickly performed the protocol, with a mistake according to the judge’s opinion. A red card was issued, and the famously emotional Abdel wept on the dive line - unfortunately, this time not from joy.

But the story didn't end on that. At the end of the day, judges revised the video footage of all the performances and decided that Abdel's protocol is good enough for a white card and a silver medal. Congratulations, Vice-Champion!

Next was Petar Klovar (HRV) with an announcement of a 107m (351ft) dive. CWTB is not his main discipline, but perhaps to keep his chances to win overall, Petar decided to dive. Visually, the dive looked easy, and after the protocol, he said, “No lung squeeze, maybe next time.” Congratulations, Petar, on your bronze! We hope next time you’ll also surface without a lung squeeze!

After Petar came Omar Al Ghailani (OMA), a very consistent athlete this year. At the recent 2025 CMAS Freediving Depth World Championship, he earned white cards in all disciplines and won silver in FIM. Additionally, he won silver CNF at this championship. His this dive with bifins at a depth of 106m (348ft) also looked confident, with a clear protocol and a white card in the end! Eventually, Omar finished fourth in the discipline ranking.

Special Mentions

Then came a string of four red cards in a row. Jihoon Jang (KOR), surfacing from 102m (335ft), had legs that were so tired that the pain was visible on his face. After surfacing, he simply didn’t show the protocol at all. To make the red card even more sure, he dipped his airways back into the water.

Alexander Vinogradov (INT) made a confident and beautiful dive to 101m (331ft), surfacing easily, but quite rushed. He removed his mask and showed the OK sign, then remembered he hadn’t taken off his nose clip. He removed it and showed the sign again—unfortunately, it didn’t save him. Red card.

Laurence Paik (USA) had the most nerve-wracking dive of the day. For most of the dive, we couldn’t see anything due to Diveye issues. The underwater feed resumed at 60m (197ft) on ascent, and it was immediately clear that Laurence had problems. He seemed to be turning around the rope and started slowing down drastically. At about 45m (148ft), he almost stopped finning, and a deep safety on a scooter picked him up right away. Near the surface, it became visible that Laurence was unconscious. While doctors were attending to him, the competition was paused. In the end, the athlete was fine.

The next 100m (329ft) attempt was made by Vootipong Limpanitivat (THA). Alas, 100m was too much for the athlete today. On ascent, his technique collapsed at a certain point, and 14m (46ft) before the surface, Vootipong lost consciousness.

Two dives to 91m (299ft) also drew attention. First, Fabio Tunno (DEU) was joking around with the safeties on ascent, gesturing or counting something to them. But on the surface, he nearly blacked out. This is yet another example that a dive should be performed with focus and respect, and isn’t a place for light-hearted games. However, this time Fabio was lucky—white card. The next freediver heading to a depth of 91m was Gonzalo Cortes Tavara (PER). The dive was good, but the surface protocol was dramatic: the athlete was breathing, shaking, grimacing, and waving his hand. But miraculously, he managed to complete the protocol according to the strict AIDA rules—white card.

What’s Next?

According to the competition schedule, September 27th is a day off. Everyone needs to restore their nervous system after today's intense show and get some rest. The Championship will resume on September 28th, when the women will compete in the FIM discipline. In the meantime, please enjoy our special offer on molchanovs.com - a storewide 10% discount until September 29th!

New AIDA World Record in CWTB

On September 26th, in Limassol, Cyprus, Alexey Molchanov (INT) dived to a depth of 126m (413ft) with bifins and set a new AIDA World Record in CWTB during the 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship.

His result is equal to the CMAS World Record in CWTB set by Arnaud Jerald (FRA) during Vertical Blue 2025 CMAS. It’s exciting to have Arnaud as an equal competitor to Alexey in this discipline, motivating him to push his limits and to go ever deeper. This marked Alexey's 40th World Record in his 20-year-long freediving career, and he used to set several world records within a competition year. However, the pace of record-setting has slowed down, and the last world record Alexey set was a year ago, on September 10th, during the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship in Ajaccio, France. It was also a CWTB World Record of 125m (410ft).

Since 2018, Alexey and Arnaud have chased each other’s records with bifins, improving their results meter by meter. Arnaud isn't present at the Championship, and Alexey's nearest competitor is at least 15m (49ft) away from him. Therefore, Alexey had perfect conditions to get an easy gold medal for a much shallower dive. Yet he keeps pushing limits and manages to improve the world's top result, not only in the warm waters of Dean's Blue Hole but also in the refreshingly cool waters of the Mediterranean.

Who knows, if Alexey had a real competitor in CWT, we’d probably already be seeing Alexey dive to 140m (459ft) with a monofin!

Congratulations, Mr. World Record!

We’re celebrating Alexey's achievement with a store-wide sale on the molchanovs.com website! Don't miss it out, the offer is valid only until September 29th!

Day 5 (September 28): FIM - Women

The fifth competition day of the 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship in Limassol, Cyprus, on September 28th, could probably be considered as the most interesting day yet - the top three athletes were defined only AFTER the eight deepest attempts.

In fact, we were so mesmerized by the competition excitement that we forgot to mention that this time, it was the women competing in Free Immersion (FIM) that were responsible for the intriguing day.

In short:

• 51 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 25m - 98m (82 - 322ft)
• 3 red cards were given
• 9 yellow cards were issued
• 7 new AIDA National Records (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

100m+ Dives

Alessia Zecchini (ITA; WR - 104m / 341ft) - the current absolute world record among women - isn’t participating in the competition. This led us to originally forecast that the deepest announcements would be made by Sanda Delija (HRV) and Fatima Korok (HUN), who are very close to the current absolute world record and have held world records of their own with official personal bests (PBs) of 103m (338ft) and 102m (335ft), respectively. However, the announcements for 100m+ (328ft+) dives and bids for the gold were made by Enchante Gallardo (USA) and Kateryna Sadurska (UKR).

Enchante headed to a depth of 102m (335ft), even bringing the tag back to the surface. But unfortunately, the athlete’s energy didn’t hold out and she blacked out - red card.

Right after, Kateryna was on her way to attempting a 101m (331ft) dive. A successful performance would have made Kateryna the most probable overall winner (which would also mean receiving some prize money and the Natalia Molchanova award). But alas, the athlete was caught in the rope attached to her neck pillow and couldn't dive deeper than 2m (7ft). Very unfortunate!

90m+ Dives

Then, four dives to depths of 90m+ (295ft+) followed. However, only one was successful, ultimately deciding the winner - Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN), who reached a depth of 98m (322ft). On the surface, the athlete looked tired, but it appeared to be more like exhaustion after an intense jogging sprint rather than the drain of hypoxia. She confidently showed the protocol with a smile and celebrated her victory!

However, this is not only Zsófia's first gold medal at her very first World Championship in depth. This medal means that within one competition year, Zsófia became a World Champion in both pool and depth disciplines, placing her alongside athletes such as Natalia Molchanova and Matteusz Malina. Besides these athletes, we can’t recall any other freediver who has achieved such a feat. Congratulations, superstar!

Sanda Delija (HRV), Maria Bobela (POL), and Talya Davidoff (RSA), with announcements of 96m (315ft), 90m (295ft), and 90m, respectively, had a chance to become Vice-Champion... but missed it.

Sanda and Talya turned back at depths of 72m (236ft) and 76m (249ft). While Maria reached the announced depth of 90m (295ft) and made it back to the surface, she didn’t manage to complete the entire sequence within 15 seconds.

80m+ Dives

This is how athletes with 80m+ (262ft+) announcements got their opportunity at medals. They immediately used their chances. Lauren Matevish (USA) smoothly reached a depth of 86m (282ft), returned to the surface, completed the protocol and received the white card, fully aware that she was winning the silver. Congratulations, Vice-Champion!

Fatima Korok (HUN), with quite a modest announcement of 84m / 276ft (reminder: her official PB is 102m / 335ft), easily reached the target depth and celebrated winning the bronze at the surface. Congratulations, Fatima!

The four athletes attempted to reach a depth of 80m (262ft): Evgeniia Kuzina (INT), Marine Simonis (BEL), Anne-Sophie Passalboni (FRA), and Tatiana Zemskikh (INT). Three athletes reached the target depth, and only two of them received white cards, becoming the fourth in overall ranking: Evgeniia Kuzina (INT) and Tatiana Zemskikh (INT).

Marine turned early at a depth of 64m (210ft) and received a yellow card with 17-point penalty. Anne-Sophie's dive looked more unusual. On her way down, in the freefall zone, the athlete seemed to be caught by current and drifted far away from the dive line, stretching out her lanyard to its max. Fortunately, right before the bottom plate, Anne-Sophie returned to the line, grabbed the tag and headed to the surface. At first, it seemed that the tag was stuck to the athlete's leg, but somehow, after the surface protocol, Anne-Sophie was unable to find it and received a yellow card with a 1-point penalty.

To sum up, the winners are as follows:

Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) - 98m (322ft) - World Champion
Lauren Matevish (USA) - 86m (282ft) - Vice-Champion
Fatima Korok (HUN) - 84m (276ft) - Bronze medal

What a day for the women, with so many unexpected twists and turns! This goes to show that world championships are never decided based solely on the deepest depth announcements - anything can happen at this level of competition.

What’s Next?

On September 29th, it will be the men's turn to compete in FIM. We wish for them to stay focused and hope for practical announcements (remember, they still have CWT on their final competition day). Check the broadcast link and stay tuned for our reports!

Day 6 (September 29): FIM - Men

September 25th was the sixth competition day at the 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship in Limassol, Cyprus. Men performed in the Free Immersion discipline and finally decided to be merciful to our nerves - only 3 red cards were given for the entire day!

In short:

• 56 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 35m - 130m (82 - 322ft)
• 3 red cards were given
• 19 yellow cards were issued
• 7 new AIDA National Records (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

Lucky Yellow

The current absolute world record holder in this discipline is Petar Klovar (HRV), with an incredible result of 135m (443ft), reached during the 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship in 2023. But similarly to the CNF competition day, the deepest announcement was made instead by Alexey Molchanov (INT), whose official personal best (PB) and former world record in the discipline is 133m (436ft). As you may recall from the CNF day, this strategy didn't end well for him; Alexey received a red card for a brief blackout.

So, we were reasonably worried with the two deepest announced performances: Alexey - 130m (427ft) and Petar - 128m (420ft).

Alexey reached the announced depth, touched the plate, and immediately headed back. Nonetheless, on the surface, he appeared a full 5 minutes and 8 seconds after the start of his performance - an incredibly long dive time! Alexey looked a bit sad, tired, and distracted. But, thanks to his coach, the athlete managed to show the surface protocol in the correct order - just in time! Since Alexey didn't grab the tag, he received a yellow card and a one-point penalty, yet 129 points was enough to win the gold! Congratulations, Champion!

Petar's nearest competitor was 18m (59ft) behind, so he had enough wiggle room for a few mistakes; his main task was to complete the dive without a blackout. Therefore, Petar decided not to push it to the bottom plate and turned at a depth of 126m (413ft), showing a clean surface protocol at the end of his dive. With a yellow card and a 3-point penalty, he scored 123 points, which was still 13 more points than the winner of the bronze medal. Congratulations, Vice-Champion!

By the way, even though Petar's dive was only 4m (13ft) shallower than Alexey's, his dive time of 3:56 was more than a minute shorter!

Double Bronze

After Petar’s performance followed six dives for depths of 100m+ (328ft+), and all of them ended in white cards!

Omar Al Ghailani (OMA) and Abdelatif Alouach (FRA) both announced 110m (361ft) dives, and both completed them neatly and without a single mistake. Abdel tried not to weep after receiving a white card, but was not entirely successful. Both athletes won the bronze!

For Omar, this is his third medal during this season’s depth championships and 7th white card. At the recent 2025 CMAS Freediving Depth World Championship, he earned white cards in all disciplines and won silver in FIM. Additionally, he won silver in CNF at this championship. Incredible sustainability! Abdel didn't participate in the previous Championship but managed to win a silver in CWTB at this Championship.

Special Mentions

The special mention on this day was deserved by Jihoon Jang (KOR), whose dive gave us some anxiety. He announced a 102m (335ft) dive, reached the target depth, and headed back. However, several times during the ascent, the athlete lost the dive line, and covered the last meters with breaststrokes. Even after surfacing, Jihoon didn't immediately find the line, yet managed not keep his airways from dipping and showed the protocol - white card, new AIDA Korea National Record, and 6th place in the overal ranking by discipline!

Budimir Buda Šobat (HRV) and Bux Khurana (IND) each had a blackout during their dives. Buda is an experienced athlete who participates successfully both in pool and depth competitions, but his dive wasn't very lucky. He attempted to reach 81m (266ft) and did so as planned. But, on the way back, about 5m (16ft) before the surface, the athlete blacked out and was delivered back to the surface by the safety team.

Bux, on the contrary, is debuting at the depth World Championship. He announced a 71m (233ft) dive, attempting to set a new AIDA National Record for India. He almost made it, but unfortunately ended his performance with a blackout at the surface. You'll get it next time, Bux!

What’s Next?

Now we’re ready for the final discipline of the Championship - the deepest and most beautiful Constant Weight (CWT). On September 30th, the women will dare to go deep with their monofins. Check the broadcast link and stay tuned for our reports!