Alexey Molchanov Reclaims the Constant Weight Bifins World Record With a 129m Dive

Alexey Molchanov has opened his 2026 depth season with a new freediving world record, descending to 129m (423ft) in Constant Weight Bifins, proving that extraordinary performances aren’t just limited to carbon blades. 

By Zowie Palliaer

A decisive final-day performance saw Alexey Molchanov reclaim the CWTB world record. Photo credit © @fed.under.water

On July 22, 2026, Alexey Molchanov successfully completed a 129m (423ft) Constant Weight Bifins (CWTB) dive at the AIDA Asian Freediving Cup in Panglao, Bohol, Philippines.

The dive established a new absolute world record and marked the 43rd world record of Alexey’s career.

It also returned the CWTB title to a diver who has helped push the discipline forward for much of its competitive history.

For followers of the sport, the biggest surprise might not come from the dive itself, but that Alexey wore fiberglass fins.

While carbon blades are the most common choice among elite competitive freedivers, Alexey deliberately chose soft fiberglass for his world record attempt. The decision demonstrated that high-performance fiberglass bifins are capable of far more than training and recreational diving — they can also carry a freediver to the very highest level of the sport.

At 129m, the dive became a powerful display of the efficiency, responsiveness, and performance potential of the Pro Hyper Bifins X Fiberglass.

Alexey’s complete competition set-up also included:

• Pro Men's Wetsuit Inside-Lined
• A6063x Nose Clip
• 1.5mm Freediving Lanyard - Coming Soon

Alexey Molchanov proved the performance potential of fiberglass with a 129m freediving world record in PRO Hyper Bifins X Fiberglass. Photo credit © @fed.under.water

An Unexpected Record Attempt

The world record was not necessarily the performance many expected Alexey to pursue when the competition began.

After spending much of the beginning of the year focused on pool training, Alexey had only recently turned his attention back to depth. During the first three competition days in Panglao, his focus was solely on Free Immersion (FIM).

He announced increasingly deep FIM performances of 131m, followed by two 134m attempts. Each dive ended with a yellow card after an early turn, with Alexey reaching 129m, 121m, and 119m respectively.

Then, on the fourth and final day of competition, he changed disciplines.

Alexey surprised the freediving community by announcing a 129m CWTB world record attempt, a bold decision for a man who hadn’t completed a bifins dive in nine days.

Despite that gap, he reached the bottom plate, collected the tag, and returned to the surface with apparent ease.

The performance appeared controlled from beginning to end, a reflection not only of Alexey’s dedication to training, but of his ability to adapt when a competition doesn’t unfold according to plan.

"My preparation never stops, it’s always dry training, pool training, depth training… year after year. It’s not like I’m stopping for a few months. I never stop.”

A record-breaking performance showcasing control, adaptability, and years of preparation. Photo credit © @fed.under.water

Reclaiming the Record by One Meter

Alexey has held the men’s AIDA CWTB world record on and off for a number of years, playing a central role in the rapid progression of the discipline.

Before this year’s Asian Freediving Cup, the AIDA record stood at 128m. Croatian freediver Petar Klovar had claimed it on April 24, 2026, at the AIDA Mabini Depth Quest in Batangas, Philippines, surpassing Alexey’s previous record of 127m.

Less than three months later – and once again in the Philippines – Alexey descended one meter deeper.

With his successful 129m performance, he reclaimed the absolute CWTB world record and added another milestone to a career that continues to redefine what’s possible underwater.

The Asian Freediving Cup also marked Diveye’s long-anticipated debut in Asia, making it possible to watch Alexey’s complete 129m performance.

The world record in Panglao is only the beginning of Alexey’s 2026 depth season.

Next, he turns his attention to two of the year’s biggest depth competitions: the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Roatán, Honduras, in August, followed by the AIDA World Apnea 2026 Depth Championships in Limassol, Cyprus, in September.

After opening his season with a world record, the performances still to come promise to be worth watching. Subscribe to the Molchanovs Magazine for more athlete stories, world record performances, and competition coverage throughout the 2026 depth season.