Vertical Blue 2023

Asya Kleshchevnikova
Sports Columnist and Head of Customer Service & International Sales
asya@molchanovs.com
molchanovs.com

Kristina Zvaritch
Editor

1. Preview and Pre-competition Forecast by Discipline
2. Day 1 of competition (20 Jul)
2.1 Start list
2.2 New World Record in CWTB (male)
2.3 Overall official results
3 Day 2 of competition (21 Jul)
3.1 Start list
3.2 New World Record in FIM (male)
3.3 Overall official results
4. Day 3 of competition (22 Jul)
4.1 Start list
4.2 Overall official results
5. Day 4 of competition (24 Jul)
5.1 Start list
5.2 Overall official results
6. Day 5 of competition (25 Jul)
6.1 Start list
6.2 New World Record in FIM (female)
6.3 Overall official results
7. Day 6 of competition (26 Jul)
7.1 Start list
7.2 New World Record in CNF (female)
7.3 Overall official results
8. Day 7 of competition (28 Jul)
8.1 Start list
8.2 Overal official results
9. Day 8 of competition (29 Jul)
9.1 Start list
9.2 New World Record in CNF (female)
9.3 Overall official results
10. Day 9 of competition (30 Jul)
10.1 Start list
10.2 New World Record in CWTB (female)
10.3 Overall official results

Preview and Pre-competition Forecast by Discipline

Background

Vertical Blue 2023 will be held for the 14th time on July 20 - 30. It's been the biggest private competition in freediving since 2008 and is organized by 18x World Record Holder William Trubridge. This year, the primary sponsor of the event is Garmin. All the athletes will wear the company’s Descent Mk2 dive computer during their official performances. Thanks to the sponsors, the Diveye broadcast will be accessible for free on the Vertical Blue YouTube channel.

Location and diving conditions

Unlike the freediving World Championships, where organizers choose different locations every year, Vertical Blue is always held at Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas. The place is as legendary as the event because of the countless world records set there. Dean's Blue Hole is a vertical underwater cave located several meters from the beach. It's usually called a natural vertical pool with the following diving conditions:

• Maximum depth of 150m (492ft)
• Water temperature of 28 - 29°C (82 - 84°F)
• No thermocline
• No currents or waves
• Perfect visibility

The only downside of Dean's Blue Hole is the darkness. Athletes diving deeper than 60m (197ft) usually use headlamps to light up the rope; otherwise, they can become disoriented.

Schedule and rules

The event schedule is also favorable for athletes. With nine competition days and two days off on July 23 and July 27, athletes can choose any six days to perform. They can also choose any discipline from the available four disciplines of competitive depth freediving: CWT, CWTB, FIM, and CNF. The only thing the athletes cannot choose is which freediving governing body’s rules their dives will be judged by. This year, Vertical Blue is held according to AIDA rules and will have world-record status.

In addition, organizers have also developed their own rules and procedures for doping control, which covers the time from the event registration, through to the moment of arrival to the island, and ending after the last competition day on July 30.

Participants and forecast by discipline

Registering for Vertical Blue is usually not possible for everyone who wants to participate. The number of competitors is often limited to around 42. First, organizers send invitations to the top-ranked athletes in each discipline within the previous 12 months, and then to those who have previously competed at Vertical Blue. Then, if some spots are still free, general registration will open. The entry fee this year is 1,045USD.

CNF and FIM

When the dates of Vertical Blue were announced to the broader audience, Alessia Zecchini (ITA) and Mirela Kardašević (HRV) were the only current world record holders who didn't confirm their participation in the competition. But we were initially excited to see the world's deepest men on the list: Alexey Molchanov (INT), Petar Klovar (HRV), and William Trubridge (NZL). With these freedivers on the diving line, we anticipated exceptionally intense competition in the no-fins discipline and possibly a fight for a new world record in CNF. It's high time for the world's best performance in CNF of 102m (335ft), reached by William Trubridge in 2016, to be updated.

However, sometime later, William Trubridge disappeared from the list of participants. Additionally, two weeks before the competition start date, another incident occurred. Two Croatian athletes - Petar Klovar and Vitomir Maričić - were searched upon arrival to Long Island by a member of the Royal Bahamas Police Force accompanied by William Trubridge. During the luggage search, performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) forbidden by WADA were allegedly found in the bags of athletes. On this basis, all three athletes were banned from this year’s Vertical Blue 2023 and future Vertical Blue competitions according to Vertical Blue’s official Instagram account.

Petar Klovar and Vitomir Maričić are currently part of the Anti-Doping Administration & Management System (ADAMS), a centralized platform managed by WADA that facilitates paperless doping control. Presently, there haven’t been any previously reported violations of the anti-doping policy by these athletes. CMAS has confirmed via Facebook that they are following up on the information given to them by Vertical Blue’s organizers, but there has not yet been official word from AIDA or WADA.

So, with two competitors eliminated, Alexey Molchanov is now unchallenged and is the most probable winner in CNF and FIM. His official personal bests (PBs) in these disciplines are 96m (315ft) and 126m (413ft), respectively. The question is if he will attempt to gain back the absolute world records in these disciplines, which now belong to William Trubridge (AIDA - CNF 102m / 335ft) and Petar Klovar (CMAS - FIM 132m / 433ft).

In FIM and CNF disciplines, Alexey's nearest competitor is now Walid Boudhiaf (TUN), whose official PBs are 116m (381ft) and 78m (256ft), respectively.

Among the women, the absolute world record in FIM (101m / 331ft) belongs to Alessia Zecchini (ITA), and in CNF (75m / 246ft) to Mirela Kardašević (HRV). Both athletes are absent from the event. Therefore, we don't doubt that Fatima Korok (HUN), who dived 100m (328ft) at Vertical Blue 2022, will once again attempt to set a new world record in FIM. Fatima is followed by Enchante Gallardo (USA) and Şahika Ercümen (TUR), whose official PBs are 91m (299ft) and 90m (295ft), respectively.

In CNF, the main leader is Kateryna Sadurska (UKR). Her official PB is 70m (230ft), which she reached at the CMAS 6th Freediving Outdoor World Championship 2022. It was there that Kateryna won a gold medal and became the World Champion. And similar to that Championship, Kateryna is followed by Amber Bourke (AUS) as a competitor. Amber's official PB is 68m (223ft), and at the Championship, she dived 65m (213ft) and won a silver medal. It'll be very interesting to see how deep these women will manage to go in the perfect conditions of Dean's Blue Hole. Is a new world record coming?

CWT and CWTB

Alexey Molchanov recently set a new world record in CWT diving 133m (436ft) with a monofin in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France. Alexey has held the world record in CWT for 11 years, and so far, we don’t see another athlete capable of challenging him in this discipline. Davide Carrera (ITA) and Arnaud Jerald (FRA) will probably compete for the silver and bronze medals.

In CWTB, Alexey has also set a new world record this year with a dive to 121m (397ft) with bifins. But in this discipline, he can absolutely be challenged by Arnaud. Arnaud is focused on CWTB and is just 1m (3ft) behind Alexey with a previous world record of 120m (394ft). Will the athletes switch places once again?

Among women, the winners in CWT and CWTB also seem to be easily established. The absolute world records now belong to Alessia Zecchini: CWT - 123m (404ft) and CWTB - 109m (358ft). The athlete set both earlier this year in the Philippines, stealing the leading position from former World Record Holder Alenka Artnik (SVN). Alenka's official PBs and previous world records in these disciplines are 122m (400ft) and 106m (348ft), respectively. Most likely, Alenka won't miss her chance to get back on top. In both disciplines, Alenka is followed by experienced athletes Hanako Hirose (JPN) and Alice Modolo (FRA), who will compete for silver and bronze medals.

What’s next?

It's a rare case when potentially both men and women are capable of establishing all world records in all the four disciplines, which means we can expect an exciting rivalry.

We’ll follow the events of each day of Vertical Blue closely and tell you about the most anticipated performances. We'll also post official links to the online broadcasts so you can find them easily. 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.

On July 28-30, we will celebrate the end of the biggest freediving event of the year with a flash sale on all gear in our online store. Follow us on social media and sign up for updates so you don't miss a single world record and your chance at getting world-breaking equipment at a discount.

Let's start the countdown to day X!

Day 1 of competition (20 Jul)

Start list

Ladies and gentlemen, the protocols for the first competition day of Vertical Blue 2023 have arrived from Long Island, Bahamas. Let's dive in!

The setup

At Vertical Blue competitions, athletes compete for a total of nine days with two days off on July 23 and July 27. Each athlete has a maximum of six attempts, and they can choose any of the four depth disciplines of competitive freediving: CWT, CWTB, FIM, and CNF.

Prizes and medals are granted at the end of the event for the three deepest dives among men and women in each discipline, along with the overall winners of each sex. If an athlete came to Vertical Blue for the overall medal, they’ll dive in all disciplines except for CWTB (which isn't included in the overall score) so they can improve their results from session to session.

If an athlete comes for world records, they focus on one or two disciplines and go deeper and deeper each competition day, topping the world's best performances. Cases when athletes win all disciplines and also set new world records are unique. However, this year, Alexey Molchanov (INT) might potentially attempt it - it's still too early to predict that, though.

The deepest dives of the day

On the first competition day, 22 athletes will perform. Their dives are divided into three sessions with two 30-minute breaks in between. Within each session, dives are arranged from deepest to shallowest.

On the first day, six athletes will attempt to set continental records, with one announcement for a world record. But the deepest bid belongs to Davide Carrera (ITA). Davide has competed at Vertical Blue since 2009, focusing on the CWT discipline. Today, at Vertical Blue 2023, Davide is going to dive 130m (427ft) deep with a monofin. It is only 3m (10ft) less than the current world record of 133m (436ft) set by Alexey Molchanov just a month ago. We didn't see this coming and are absolutely in awe - good luck, Davide!

Photo credit - Fred Buyle: Davide Carrera (ITA), Vertical Blue 2009, CWT 91m

The second deepest announcement belongs to Arnaud Jerald (FRA), who will be diving 122m (400ft) with bifins to gain back his world record in CWTB from Alexey Molchanov. Currently, Alexey holds the world record with 121m (397ft), a dive he performed in the Philippines. The perpetual rivalry between Arnaud and Alexey in CWTB continues. Go, Arnaud - we’re rooting for you today!

Three athletes simultaneously will challenge 117m (384ft) of depth with a monofin - Huang Hua Yang (TPE), Tory George (USA), and Walid Boudhiaf (TUN). Who will succeed? We hope each of them will!

The deepest dive among women belongs to Enchante Gallardo (USA). Enchante is going to dive to 100m (328ft) of depth with a monofin and is followed by Şahika Ercümen (TUR) attempting 95m (312ft) with monofin. Fatima Korok (HUN) will compete in FIM and announced a 96m (315ft) attempt. All three women previously participated at Vertical Blue 2022 - Enchante and Şahika will attempt to improve their results from last year, while Fatima will take it slowly with a depth 4m (13ft) less than her PB. Good luck, ladies!

Online broadcast

Make sure that you don't miss the following dives:

9:10 a.m. (GMT-4) - Enchante Gallardo (USA) - 100m (328ft) CWT
9:20 a.m. (GMT-4) - Fatima Korok (HUN) - 96m (315ft) FIM
9:31 a.m. (GMT-4) - Şahika Ercümen (TUR) - 95m (312ft) CWT
10:30 a.m. (GMT-4) - Davide Carrera (ITA) - 130m (427ft) CWT
10:41 a.m. (GMT-4) - Arnaud Jerald (FRA) - 122m (400ft) CWTB
11:04 a.m. (GMT-4) - Huang Hua Yang (TPE) - 117m (384ft) CWT
11:14 a.m. (GMT-4) - Tory George (USA) - 117m CWT
11:25 a.m. (GMT-4) - Walid Boudhiaf (TUN) - 117m CWT

New World Record in CWTB (Male)

On July 20, the first day of Vertical Blue 2023, Arnaud Jerald (FRA) set his 8th world record in CWTB, diving 122m (400ft) deep with bifins.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Exciting rivalry to witness

The new record is just 1m (3ft) deeper than the previous one set by Alexey Molchanov (INT) two months ago in the Philippines. Since 2019, when Arnaud set his first world record in CWTB to 108m (354ft), he and Alexey have been chasing each other and increasing the deepest depth in bifins meter by meter.

At Vertical Blue 2021, Arnaud and Alexey have increased the world's best result in CWTB three times. In Vertical Blue 2022, Arnaud alone set three CWTB World Records.

Stay tuned for more

This year, Alexey is also participating at Vertical Blue 2023, and there is no doubt that he will try to surpass Arnaud's achievement soon. We hope this will motivate Arnaud to continue pushing his limits, too, so that the friendly rivalry continues and we keep enjoying new breathtaking records.

An interesting fact to note: both Arnaud and Alexey are Molchanovs ambassadors, and since the beginning, they have used only Molchanovs bifins for their records. However, they are diving with different models this year: Arnaud stays loyal to our CB2x Bifins Carbon with light foot pockets while Alexey is diving with the more massive PRO Hyper Bifins Carbon.

Congratulations, Arnaud! We are proud of your achievements and look forward to your new impressive dives!

Overall official results for day 1 (20 Jul)

We would say that July 20th, the first competition day at Vertical Blue 2023, was an extraordinary one in freediving history. Twenty-one athletes earned eleven red, four yellow, and six white cards. More than half of all dives were disqualified.

Keep reading for more details.

Lost and found

Fatima Korok (HUN) was the third performance of the day with her dive to 96m (315ft) in FIM. It was a routine dive for Fatima, 4m (13ft) shallower her PB. At Vertical Blue 2022, Fatima successfully dived at a depth of 100m (328ft), but didn't manage to find the tag on the bottom plate and received a yellow card. This time Fatima, lost her flashlight and swimming cap (and nearly lost her dive computer), but calmly delivered the tag to the surface, showed the surface protocol, and received the white card. Congratulations, Fatima! We hope someone will share a flashlight with you for your next dives.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Misuzu Okamoto (JPN) became the second athlete who received a white card. Misuzu has an elegant technique with a monofin (make sure you check her dive if you are working on your monofin technique). She gracefully dived to 90m (295ft) of depth, shoved the tag into the neck cuff of her one-piece wetsuit, and headed to the surface where she successfully completed the surface protocol. Then the judge asked for the tag. Misuzu tried to find it behind her neck cuff but was having trouble. We even started to worry that she lost the tag on ascent, but luckily, she took off her neck weight and asked someone to unzip her wetsuit. Only after was the tag found and met with applause all around. Congratulations, Misuzu, on the beautiful dive and the safest transportation of the tag we’ve seen!

Photo credit - Misuzu Okamoto

Three new records

For the first day, athletes announced twelve record attempts of different kinds - only three of them were successful. We hope you’ve already heard about the spectacular dive of Arnaud Jerald (FRA), who wasn't influenced by the red card trend of the day. Arnaud impeccably completed a 122m (400ft) dive and received a white card. The result became the new World Record in CWTB, 1m (3ft) deeper than the previous World Record set by Alexey Molchanov (INT). Arnaud made the world-record dive look easy!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Talya Davidoff (ZAF) and Vanessa Estol (URY) were the other two athletes who successfully managed their national record attempts. Talya is an experienced athlete and is competing at Vertical Blue for the third time. Last year, she set four new national records for South Africa, including a 70m (230ft) record in FIM. This time, she went 8m (26ft) deeper in this discipline, culminating in a depth of 78m (256ft). On the contrary, Vanessa started competing in freediving just a year ago; this is her first Vertical Blue competition. Nonetheless, she didn't lose her focus and dived smoothly to 53m (174ft) with a monofin. Congratulations, Talya and Vanessa, on successful dives and new national records!

Unfortunate red cards

Sadly, most of the other athletes were not so lucky. Enchante Gallardo (USA) and Yun Chieh Ku (TPE) attempted to dive 100m (328ft) in CWT and 110m (361ft) in FIM, respectively. But both experienced strong underwater blackouts about 10m (33ft) beneath the surface. The athletes were safely rescued by the safety team and will have a mandatory day off for recovery. We hope they get some rest and continue competing in the second part of the event.

Davide Carrera (ITA), Huang Hua Yang (TPE), and Walid Boudhiaf (TUN) all dived CWT and almost managed their performances, but unfortunately, made different mistakes in surface protocols, therefore receiving red cards.

Davide attempted to complete the deepest performance of the day, diving with a monofin to 130m (427ft) of depth. The result would have been just 3m (10ft) shallower than the current world record in this discipline. But Davide seemed to have exceeded his limits a bit, took too long in his recovery breaths, and didn't complete the surface protocol within the allotted 15 seconds. Davide still has five dives left at Vertical Blue 2023, so there is still a chance to conquer the depth. Good luck, Davide!

Hua Yang and Walid were both attempting 117m (384ft). They also successfully reached the depth and surfaced on their own, but like Davide, the athletes didn’t correctly complete surface protocols. Don't give up, Hua Yang and Walid - you've got it next time!

These were the brightest performances of the first competition day at Vertical Blue 2023. The second day is coming - stay tuned for more exciting dives, new records, and hopeful victories.

Day 2 of competition (21 Jul)

Start list

It's July 21nd, and it's time for the second competition day at Vertical Blue 2023! Let's take a closer look at the start list and see if athletes are pushing limits like they did on the first day.

The setup

There are 19 competitors - their performances are divided into three sessions with two 25 - 30-minute breaks in between. Within each session, all dives are arranged from deepest to shallowest. In case you were wondering, the dives are set this way because it's convenient to drop a line to the deepest depth and then drag it up to adjust for shallower dives.

The deepest dives of the day

The deepest dive of the day belongs to Alexey Molchanov (INT). The athlete announced a new world record attempt in FIM to a tremendous 133m (436ft) of depth. Currently, the absolute world record in FIM is 132m (433ft). It was set by Petar Klovar (HRV) at the CMAS 6th Freediving Outdoor World Championship 2022.

In fact, Alexey has already been to 133m. In June, he successfully completed a 133m dive with a monofin during the CMAS 10th Outdoor Freediving French Championship, which became a new world record in CWT. However, in FIM, Alexey's current official PB is 126m (413ft). He'll be attempting to increase that PB by 7m (23ft) - all at once!

According to AIDA rules, athletes cannot announce a competition dive more than 5m (16ft) deeper than dives they’ve already completed during their training sessions within the previous 3 months. So, we must assume that during his training sessions, Alexey had deep dives in this range and is now calm and confident in his announcement.

Since we’re not him, we’re both thrilled and nervous for the performance. We’re rooting for you, Alexey - may the force be with you!

Another impressive announcement was made by Kateryna Sadurska (UKR). The athlete will attempt a depth of 74m (243ft) without fins. Vertical Blue's organizers recognize only absolute world records - records that exceed the deepest dives according to both AIDA and CMAS rules. But this competition is arranged according to AIDA rules. So, if successful, Kateryna's result will become a new AIDA World Record in CNF, 1m (3ft) deeper than the current record of 73m (240ft) set by Alessia Zecchini (ITA) at Vertical Blue 2018.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

The CMAS World Record in CNF is 75m (246ft) and belongs to Mirela Kardašević (HRV). If today's dive goes as planned, there is no doubt that Kateryna will attempt to beat CMAS World Record as well later in this competition. Stay strong, Kateryna, and good luck!

Today, we have fewer announcements for new national records. It seems athletes have learned from yesterday and are playing it safe now. Nonetheless, Tory George (USA), who skipped his performance yesterday, announced a 117m (384ft) dive in CWT. If Tory succeeds, the result will become a new North American Continental Record. Diving after him, Pedro Tapia (MEX) will try to reach 110m (361ft) with a monofin and set a new national record for Mexico. Good luck to both!

Online broadcast

Make sure you don't miss the following dives:

9:30 a.m. (GMT-4) - Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) - 74m (243ft) CNF
10:20 a.m. (GMT-4) - Alexey Molchanov (INT) - 133m (436ft) FIM
10:33 a.m. (GMT-4) - Tory George (USA) - 117m (384ft) CWT
10:43 a.m. (GMT-4) - Pedro Tapia (MEX) - 110m (361ft) CWT

New World Record in FIM (Male)

On July 21st, at Dean's Blue Hole, Long Island, Bahamas, Alexey Molchanov (INT) set a new absolute world record in FIM according to AIDA rules with a depth of 133m (436ft). Congratulations on a breathtaking dive, Alexey - we are in awe!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Alexey’s deepest dives in 2023

This number strikes the imagination. If you have trouble picturing this depth, imagine a 40-story building. It took Alexey 4 minutes and 42 seconds to go down and up that height just by pulling himself on a dive line.

No matter how surreal it sounds, Alexey feels comfortable even at great depths. He started this year with two world records in the non-competitive discipline Variable Weight (VWT), diving to 153m (502ft) and 156m (512ft).

Then Alexey went to this depth of 133m with a monofin during the CMAS 10th Outdoor Freediving French Championship, earning back the title of the deepest competitive freediver. And eventually, after a year break, Alexey gained back his position at the top in the FIM discipline.

Recent history of FIM world records

Free Immersion (FIM) is a very interesting discipline with the status of the most ‘simple’ one. When athletes just started competing in freediving in the 1990s and 2000s (before they eventually switched to diving with modern monofins), FIM was the deepest discipline.

Then in 2006 through the 2010s, an intense rivalry in CWT occurred between Guillaume Néry (FRA), Herbert Nitsch (AUT), and Martin Štěpánek (CZE). These three freedivers pushed the bottom plate (and human limits) to 124m (407ft) of depth. The results in FIM during that time were about 8 - 10m (26 - 33ft) less.

Then came the time of Alexey and William Trubridge (NZL) to push the bottom plate down in FIM. In 2011 - 2016, the world records in FIM belonged to William, and the results have grown from 121m (397ft) to 124m (407ft). In 2018, Alexey took the lead in FIM, and eventually set the mark at 126m (413ft) during Vertical Blue 2021. His CWT performance and world record at that time was 131m (430ft).

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

In August 2022, Mateusz Malina (POL) stepped out into depth freediving and set a FIM World Record of 127m (417ft) during Vertical Blue 2022. At that competition, William Trubridge only managed a 120m (394ft) FIM dive successfully, even though his PB in the discipline was 124m. But then, in September 2022, we noticed a FIM world record attempt in the AIDA calendar announced by William for October 22 - 30 - an exciting piece of news. In 2010, William also had an individual world record attempt in CNF, which concluded with an extraordinary dive to 102m (335ft) - a CNF world record that hasn't been beaten for the past 13 years. So, in 2022, we also hoped to see new unimaginable dives by William.

Another unthinkable dive was performed, but in another part of the world and by another athlete. On October 4, 2022, Petar Klovar (HRV) slightly adjusted the course of freediving history. During the CMAS 6th Freediving Outdoor World Championship, Petar dived 132m (433ft) in FIM. His performance became the new world record and the deepest competition dive, as it exceeded Alexey's CWT World Record by 1m (3ft).

Unfortunately, we didn’t see a new world record in FIM from William that year.

29 world records

Alexey set his first-ever record when he was 3 years old and swimming in a pool. In freediving, Alexey has been actively competing since 2004. His first freediving world record was set swimming 250m (820ft) in a pool with a monofin. Then in 2012, Alexey set his first depth world record by diving 125m (410ft) with a monofin.

If you were only to count Alexey’s world records that were set in AIDA and CMAS competitive disciplines, today’s world record is the 29th of his career. Look at this number again. Take your time to comprehend it.

We believe this number will soon change again!

Overall official results for day 2 (21 Jul)

July 21st was the second competition day of Vertical Blue 2022 at Dean's Blue Hole, Long Island, Bahamas. The day was much less colorful than the previous one in terms of cards. Only 1 out of 18 performances ended with a surface blackout. Other red and yellow cards were given for usual mistakes, such as pulling the line, grabbing the line, and a couple of early turns. But it doesn't mean the day was less thrilling and emotional - here's why!

New AIDA World Record in CNF

During the first session, Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) completed a confident and beautiful CNF dive. With no fins, Kateryna reached a depth of 74m (243ft) and surfaced looking fresh and relaxed.

Her performance is 1m (3ft) deeper than the previous AIDA World Record of Alessia Zecchini (ITA) set at Vertical Blue 2018. However, Katerina's result is still one meter less than the absolute World Record of 75m (246ft), set by Mirela Kardašević (HRV) during the Kaş Baska Freediving World Cup 2022. Vertical Blue recognizes only absolute world records; therefore, in the results protocol, the dive is marked as a national record.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

For Kateryna, this dive was the first world record in her freediving career - but doesn’t seem to be the last one. The athlete still has five other attempts left at Vertical Blue 2023, which is enough time to go for a new absolute world record in CNF.

Congratulations, Kateryna - we look forward to your new dives and records!

New absolute World Record in FIM

As you might have already heard, Alexey Molchanov (INT) has dived to a depth of 133m (436ft) in the FIM discipline. The dive was one meter deeper than the previous epic performance of Petar Klovar (HRV) at the CMAS 6th Freediving Outdoor World Championship 2022. This made Alexey a new absolute World Record Holder in FIM.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Alexey has already been to 133m depth this year, diving with a monofin during the CMAS 10th Outdoor Freediving French Championship. However, this FIM dive didn't look that easy. It took Alexey 4 minutes and 42 seconds to descend to depth and return to the surface. It was difficult to breathe evenly from behind a computer screen while watching how the athlete's hand missed the line several times while he was deep down in the dark abyss. Once Alexey reached the first safety diver at a depth of 35m (115ft) and the surrounding water became lighter, the intense moment passed and fans were left rooting for a clean surface protocol. Thankfully, after recovery breathing on the surface, Alexey fulfilled the protocol smoothly. Applause and congrats on an amazing dive and a 29th world record!

Unfortunate yellow and red cards

Tory George (USA), who skipped his dive on the first competition day, appeared on the line on the second day. His announcement was 117m (384ft) in CWT, what could have been a new continental record for North America. Alas. Tory turned early at a depth of 113m (371ft) and received a yellow card on the surface. However, after watching the video of his dive, the judges changed the card to red for pulling the line. Good luck, Tory - next time! You still have four days to conquer the depth.

Hanako Hirose (JPN) completed a beautiful 100m (328ft) dive. Hanako is an experienced freediver - during Vertical Blue 2017 and 2018, she competed with Alessia Zecchini (ITA) and Alenka Artnik (SVN) for the world record in CWT. One after another, the women set three world records each year, pushing the bottom plate down meter by meter. Unfortunately, during the last several years, Hanako wasn't as successful in her dives. Therefore, it was delightful to see her smiling and confident on the surface after the 100m dive with a monofin. Alas, after revising the video of the dive, the judges changed her white card to yellow for a grab of the line. Good luck next time, Hanako - we look forward to seeing you in the game again!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

That was the second day of Vertical Blue 2023. More exciting dives are to come - stay tuned!

Day 3 of competition (22 Jul)

Start list

The third competition day at Vertical Blue 2023 on Long Island, Bahamas, starts in several hours. Let's check what interesting dives await us today.

The deepest dive of the day

Alexey Molchanov (INT) has planned to repeat his 133m (436ft) dive with a monofin. In June, he dived to this same depth according to CMAS rules during CMAS 10th Outdoor Freediving French Championship. That day, the water temperature was just 24°C (75°F), and there was a thermocline at 15m (49ft). Today, the water temperature in the Bahamas is about 29°C (84°F) and there is no thermocline. We hope Alexey's dive will go smoothly.

The second deepest announcement belongs to Walid Boudhiaf (TUN). The athlete will try to reach a depth of 114m (374ft) by pulling down and up the dive line.

We also look forward to Alenka Artnik's (SVN) CWTB dive. The athlete announced 107m (351ft) dive. It is 1m (3ft) deeper than her CMAS World Record in CWTB set in 2021 during Kaş Baska Freediving World Cup, but 2m (7ft) shallower than the absolute world record in this discipline set by Alessia Zecchini (ITA) this year.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Pepe Salcedo (MEX) has announced a CWTB dive as well, but one meter less than Alenka. If Pepe succeeds, the 106m (348ft) dive will become a new National Record for Mexico.

Good luck to all the athletes, safety divers, judges, and Daan Verhoeven - the unmatched underwater photographer of Vertical Blue 2023!

Online broadcast

Make sure you don't miss the following dives:

10:40 a.m. (GMT-4) - Alexey Molchanov (INT) - 133m (436ft) CWT
10:52 a.m. (GMT-4) - Walid Boudhiaf (TUN) - 114 (374ft) FIM
11:03 a.m. (GMT-4) - Alenka Artnik (SVN) - 107m (351ft) CWTB
11:14 a.m. (GMT-4) - Pepe Salcedo (MEX) - 106m (348ft) CWTB

Overall official results for day 3 (22 Jul)

The third competition day at Vertical Blue 2023 at Long Island, Bahamas, is over. On the third day, 13 out of 23 athletes managed to earn white cards, so more than half of the dives were successful. But unfortunately, among the eleven colored cards, five of the red cards were given for blackouts. Keep reading to learn more.

The deepest were the luckiest

Despite dramatic overall statistics, the third competition day has started successfully. The brightest event was the deepest dive performed by Alexey Molchanov (INT). The athlete reached a depth of 133m (436ft) with a monofin and repeated his absolute world record set less than a month ago in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, during the CMAS 10th Outdoor Freediving French Championship.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

At Dean's Blue Hole, diving conditions are much more favorable in comparison with the Mediterranean Sea. But it was Alexey's second dive to this extreme depth of 133m within two days (on July 21st, Alexey dived 133m in FIM), which almost sounds like it came out of a Marvel movie! Nonetheless, Alexey confidently managed the dive, which took him 4 minutes and 13 seconds (30 seconds less than his FIM dive to the same depth). Only in the middle of the ascent, Alexey (who was affected by narcosis) lost the line momentarily, eventually turning back to it. The athlete surfaced facing away the judges, but after taking some recovery breaths, he showed the surface protocol over his shoulder in the right direction. It's a great example that remembering recovery breathing and doing everything by the book (like in the Molchanovs Wave 1 course manual!) means that you're much more likely to receive a white card. Even the deepest man on Earth doesn't mess with the rules.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

This was the fifth world record for Alexey this year and the 30th in his entire freediving career. Congratulations, Alexey - there’s no limit to our respect and admiration!

Walid Boudhiaf (TUN) performed the second-deepest dive of the day - 114m (374ft) in Free Immersion. It is 2m (7ft) less than Walid's PB in this discipline and the athlete looked exhausted on his way back; however, he completed the surface protocol and earned his white card. Congratulations!

Alenka Artnik (SVN) was diving with bifins only two meters less than the current world record in CWTB set by Alessia Zecchini (ITA) in March 2023. We anticipated Alenka performing this dive on the second competition day, but the athlete was shown as DNS. Fortunately, Alenka showed up in the dive zone on the third day and impeccably performed a 107m (351ft) deep dive. It seemed that it was an easy performance for Alenka and she surfaced with a big reserve. We hope to see deeper dives from Alenka soon!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Deep dancing

The next CWTB dive was just 1m (3ft) less, but it was much less successful. Pepe Salcedo (MEX) is famous for his extravagant performances. For example, he previously grabbed the tag from the bottom plate with his teeth and hung high on the line waiting for a card. This time, on his way back, Pepe decided to dance for the Diveye. Celebrating the dive at a depth of 60m (197ft) ended up being a bit premature, unfortunately. At a depth of 36m (118ft), Pepe lost consciousness. Luckily, the first safety diver was waiting for the athlete at a depth of 40m (131ft), so Pepe was quickly and carefully delivered to the surface. It took a while for Pepe to recover, but it now seems that the athlete feels fine and wasn't seriously injured. However, according to AIDA rules, Pepe won't be allowed to compete until the end of the competition.

We would like to use this moment to celebrate the work of the safety team. They are highly professional and keep all athletes, even very deep and creative athletes, safe - allowing them to relax and perform on the edge of human limits. Thank you, underwater guardian angels!

It seems like Pepe's blackout affected the following athletes. Three performances after his ended with blackouts until athlete Roberto Guzman (MEX), who didn't push himself and turned back early, getting assistance from the safety team back to the surface.

The bad luck eventually stopped at Fatima Korok (HUN), who successfully dived to a depth of 65m (213ft) without fins, earned a white card, and set a new National Record for her country.

Unfortunate surface protocol and nose clip issues

We can't skip mentioning another two dives. During the first session, Şahika Ercümen (TUR) completed a strong FIM dive to a depth of 80m (262ft). It was an effortless performance for Şahika, whose PB in the discipline is 90m (295ft), so she surfaced fresh and fully conscious. However, the athlete made a critical mistake during the surface protocol and showed a double 'OK' sign. We feel for you, Şahika - good luck next time!

Juan Valdivia's (PER) CWT dive to a depth of 65m (213ft) didn't go as planned because of his nose clip. From the start until a depth of 17m (56ft), Juan tried to press the nose clip onto his nose, but it didn't close tightly enough and let some of his air out. Eventually, the athlete had to finish his dive and return to the surface. This was a good reminder to athletes to secure their nose clips thoroughly before essential dives.

And so concludes the first act of Vertical Blue 2023! July 23rd is a day off in the Bahamas. The athletes will rest and return on July 24th with breathtaking new performances. Stay tuned!

Day 4 of competition (24 Jul)

Start list

It's July 24th and time for the second act of Vertical Blue 2023. Freedivers are back after a day off and are ready to dive in Dean's Blue Hole in Long Island, Bahamas. Let's see what great dives await us on the fourth competition day.

The deepest dives of the day

Twenty athletes announced their performances on the fourth competition day. Eight of them will dive in the no-fins discipline, including Alexey Molchanov (INT), who announced a 95m (312ft) dive. CNF isn't Alexey's speciality, and he hasn't increased his PB in this discipline since 2014 when he dived to 96m (315ft) of depth. The announced dive is just 1m (3ft) less than Alexey's PB; let's see how the athlete manages the dive.

Amber Bourke (AUS), the second-strongest female athlete in CNF at the competition after Kateryna Sadurska (UKR), has announced a 68m (223ft) dive. This is the depth of Amber's PB from the 2017 Caribbean Cup.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Six athletes will dive with monofins, which will be the day's deepest dives. Two French freedivers, Arnaud Jerald and Eddy Laffin, will dive to 120m (394ft) and 110m (361ft), respectively.

Five athletes will perform in the free immersion discipline, including Tory George (USA), who, after an unsuccessful attempt to set a continental record for North America in CWT, will now attempt a new FIM Continental Record diving at a depth of 107m (351ft).

Good luck to all the athletes, safety team, and judges - the second act of the show begins!

Online broadcast

Make sure you don't miss the following dives:

10:20 a.m. (GMT-4) - Arnaud Jerald (FRA) - 120m (394ft) CWT
10:30 a.m. (GMT-4) - Eddy Laffin (FRA) - 110m (361ft) CWT
10:40 a.m. (GMT-4) - Tory George (USA) - 107m (351ft) CWT
11:00 a.m. (GMT-4) - Alexey Molchanov (INT) - 95m (312ft) CNF
12:00 a.m. (GMT-4) - Amber Bourke (AUS) - 65m (213ft) CNF

Overall official results for day 4 (24 Jul)

July 24th was the fourth competition day at Vertical Blue 2023 at Long Island, Bahamas. Unfortunately, it was similar to day one with a trend of colorful cards. Only 7 out of the 19 performances were successful and ended with white cards; the other 12 athletes received yellow and red cards for early turns, mistakes in the surface protocols, and two blackouts.

Confusing white and red cards

Wen Hsiang Huang (TPE) performed a 71m (233ft) dive in the CNF discipline, but it wasn't an easy dive for the athlete. On the surface, he couldn't keep himself upright and was leaning back on the water's surface. Luckily, the athlete's airways remained above the water and he managed to show the surface protocol, which earned him a white card from the judges.

The next CNF dive was performed by Alexey Molchanov (INT). The athlete dived without fins at a depth of 95m (312ft), which was 1m (3ft) less than his official personal best (PB) in this discipline. On his way back, Alexey looked visibly tired (perhaps the athlete didn't get enough after the previous two extremely deep dives at 133m / 436ft), so he rushed to the surface and started to perform the surface protocol without proper recovery breathing. Predictably, this mistake was followed by another one: Alexey messed up the sequence of actions, which is strictly defined for AIDA's surface protocol. So, even though the athlete was conscious and holding himself straight up, he received a red card.

The subject of AIDA’s surface protocol adequacy isn't a new one. There are several athletes who repeatedly perform clean dives but fail because of incorrect sequence of actions during surface protocol (for example, Şahika Ercümen or, this time, Alexey Molchanov), while other athletes (like Wen Hsiang Huang) surface in a less-than-optimal condition and tilting back into the water, and yet still receive white cards. According to CMAS surface protocol, if the back of an athlete's head touches the water, they would receive an automatic red card. AIDA does not have this stipulation - it only mentions automatic disqualification if an athlete's airways dip beneath the surface.

The request to revise the AIDA’s surface protocol and make it more similar to rules of CMAS (you can read more about the difference between AIDA and CMAS rules) has been raised several times, but seems to always be in vain. Most athletes and freediving fans have already come to terms with it.

However, in July 2023, Netflix released the documentary The Deepest Breath (IMDB 7.9/10) about Alessia Zecchini (ITA) and Stephen Keenan. This is important, because many people who are watching the Vertical Blue broadcast watched the Netflix document first. As an audience that is absolutely new to freediving, they seem to be frustrated watching conscious athletes with strong dives receiving red cards at the surface, according to the YouTube Live Chat. One person even mentioned introducing sudoku instead of the current surface protocol to test athletes' consciousness. While it's a sarcastic comment, there seems to be a grain of truth in it.

Indisputable white cards

White cards have been so rare at Vertical Blue 2023 that they need to be especially celebrated and treasured. Alice Modolo (FRA) completed an 85m (279ft) CWT dive. Alice's PB in this discipline is 101m (331ft), so the dive appeared very easy for her. The athlete was fresh and smiling on the surface, successfully completed the surface protocol, and received a white card. Congratulations!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Alice's teammate, Arnaud Jerald (FRA), also dived with monofin and performed the deepest dive of the day at a depth of 120m (394ft). CWT isn't Arnaud's speciality; he prefers diving with bifins (and on the first competition day, the athlete set a new world record in CWTB diving to 122m / 400ft). Usually, dives with monofins are deeper than with bifins since a monofin is more powerful and provides strong propulsion. But Arnaud wanted to have an easy and relaxed dive. And that's what he got - as well as a white card. Congratulations, Arnaud!

A special round of applause goes to Tory George (USA). Tory is a former Chippendales dancer and started to compete in freediving only a year ago. Nevertheless, this year, Tory has already set two national records in CWT (116m / 381ft) and FIM (106m / 348ft) for the US during the AIDA Asian Freediving Cup 2023. At Vertical Blue 2023, Tory tried to improve his CWT record, but the attempt wasn't successful. Eventually, on the fourth competition day, Tory dived to 107m (351ft) in FIM and received a white card. The result became a new continental record for North America - congratulations, Tory, and well done!

This is it for the fourth competition day at Vertical Blue 2023. There are still other five days to go - stay tuned!

Day 5 of competition (25 Jul)

Start list

July 25th - the fifth day at Vertical Blue 2023 at Long Island, Bahamas, is here. For those of you freedivers who have been missing world record-attempt announcements (since there weren’t any on day 4), there are two bets for new absolute world records on the fifth day for you.

Let's get excited!

The deepest dives

Nine out of twenty-one athletes competing on the fifth day have announced record attempts of different levels. We wish them all easy dives and white cards.

Especially to Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) and Fatima Korok (HUN). On the second competition day, Kateryna set a new AIDA World Record in CNF diving without fins at a depth of 74m (243ft). Now the athlete is going to increase her PB by 3m (10ft) and the absolute world record by 2m (7ft)! The current CNF world record is 75m (246ft), which was set by Mirela Kardašević (HRV) during the Kaş Baska Freediving World Cup 2022.

May the force be with you, Kateryna!

Fatima is fighting for her first world record in FIM for the second competition season in a row - a fight that’s been going on since Vertical Blue 2022. Last year, the athlete successfully dived to a depth of 100m (328ft), which was two meters deeper than the AIDA World Record in FIM. Sadly, she couldn’t find a tag on the bottom plate and received a yellow card and minus one point from her dive point total. Then, during the CMAS 6th Freediving Outdoor World Championship 2022, Fatima and Alessia Zecchini (ITA) together announced a 102m (335ft) FIM dive aiming to improve the current absolute World Record in FIM by 1m (3ft). But unfortunately, both athletes blacked out several meters before the surface.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

The fourth time’s a charm - you've got this, Fatima!

Davide Carrera (ITA) will again attempt to conquer the depth of 130m (427ft) with a monofin. On the first competition day, the athlete tried to dive this depth and almost managed successfully. But on the surface, he lost a bit of control and didn't manage the surface protocol in time. If Davide succeeds, he will become the second man in history after Alexey Molchanov who dived to 130m of depth with a monofin. We are rooting for you, Davide - good luck!

As many deep dives and performances on the edge of athletes' limits are coming, we also wish the safety team enough strength to take good care of all the athletes.

Online broadcast

Make sure you don't miss the following dives:

11:00 a.m. (GMT-4) - Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) - 77m (253ft) CNF
11:12 a.m. (GMT-4) - Davide Carrera (ITA) - 130m (427ft) CWT
11:23 a.m. (GMT-4) - Pedro Tapia (MEX) - 112m (367ft) CWT
11:34 a.m. (GMT-4) - Yun Chieh Ku (TPE) - 103m (338ft) FIM
11:45 a.m. (GMT-4) - Fatima Korok (HUN) - 102m (335ft) FIM

NEW ABSOLUTE WORLD RECORD IN FIM (Female)

Fatima Korok (HUN) is changing the history of freediving for Hungary at Vertical Blue 2023. On July 25th, day five of the competition, Fatima dived to 102m (335ft) in FIM and set a new absolute World Record in the discipline according to AIDA rules. It is the first time in the history of competitive freediving that a Hungarian athlete has set a world record.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

The previous absolute World Record in FIM was set at 101m (331ft) by Alessia Zecchini (ITA) at Vertical Blue 2021.

Vertical Blue 2022 - Three attempts to set a new world record

Fatima has already attempted to set a new AIDA World Record in FIM twice. However, the record slipped right through Fatima's fingers each time because of tiny details. During her first world record attempt on the second day of Vertical Blue 2022, Fatima was on her way to 99m (325ft), but had to turn back just 3m (10ft) before the target depth. How heart-wrenching it must be to turn away from a target that feels like it's right in front of you.

Her FIM World Record attempt on day 8 of Vertical Blue 2022 turned out to be even more dramatic. Fatima announced 100m (328ft) of depth, which was just 1m (3ft) shallower than the absolute FIM World Record at that time. Fatima swiftly and confidently reached the bottom plate but could not find a tag. She even sank a bit deeper below the plate and continued searching for a tag. But after a few seconds, Fatima had to turn back and start the ascent without a tag in hand. Despite the delay at the bottom plate, Fatima surfaced entirely under control and neatly performed the surface protocol. But what a curse! She received a yellow card and a 1-point penalty for the missing tag.

CMAS 6th Freediving Outdoor World Championship - Fourth attempt

Then, at the CMAS 6th Freediving Outdoor World Championship, Fatima, together with Alessia Zecchini (ITA), announced 102m (335ft) of depth, aiming to improve the absolute FIM World Record by 1m (3ft). That day, the depth surrendered neither to Fatima nor to Alessia. Both athletes reached the target depth, grabbed the tag, but alas, blacked out several meters before the surface.

The record has finally been set!

After so many efforts, at Vertical Blue 2023, Fatima has finally set her long-awaited absolute World Record! It is a milestone to celebrate and a remarkable achievement to remember. Fatima only started actively participating in international freediving competitions in 2019 and competed in her first World Championship that same year. While Fatima is considered relatively young in the sport, it is incredible that she has progressed to World Record-Holder status in five years.

Hearty congratulations to you, Fatima - we look forward to seeing you set more world records and will hold our breaths with you, rooting for you all the while!

Overall official results for day 5 (25 Jul)

The fifth competition day - July 25th - of Vertical Blue 2023 at Long Island, Bahamas, is over. It's time to talk about the results.

Three out of twenty-one athletes that announced their performance on the fifth competition day didn't appear in the dive zone. Saving their strength for a day may have been a wise decision as today was one of the only days where white cards outnumbered red and yellow cards.

Hero of the day

Davide Carrera (ITA) performed the deepest dive of the day at a depth of 130m (427ft) in the CWT discipline, and his result became a new Italian National Record. It took Davide 14 years (he competed at Vertical Blue for the first time in 2009), two attempts (Davide was disqualified due to a late surface protocol on the first competition day of VB 2023), and 3 minutes 18 seconds to complete this incredible dive.

Davide became the second person in the world after Alexey Molchanov (INT) that managed to reach 130m with a monofin. Davide's result is now just 3m (10ft) less than the absolute world record set by Alexey in CWT.

The dive wasn't an easy one for Davide. On his way back, the athlete rushed to the surface and started to celebrate his success before he even began recovery breathing and the surface protocol. However, he quickly realized his mistake and eventually completed the surface protocol right in time for a white card. Congratulations on such a tremendous dive and inspirational performance, Davide!

Pedro Tapia (MEX) completed the second-deepest dive of the day to 112m (367ft). It seemed like a straightforward dive for Pedro and an impeccable white card. Congratulations, Pedro, on a new national record for Mexico!

But the indisputable hero of the day became Fatima Korok (HUN), who set a new absolute world record in FIM diving to a depth of 102m (335ft). For Fatima, it was her fourth attempt at this particular record in the past two years. Yet, it wasn't an simple dive. Fatima seemed tired on the surface and slightly lost control over her movements, but she fought her way through anyways. The athlete's determination and focus on her actions emotionally affected everyone, and it seemed that each viewer of the broadcast was rooting for Fatima at that moment. And she did it - against all odds!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Congratulations, Fatima - you are a real warrior with extraordinary drive and persistence!

To be continued

Kateryna Sadurska (UKR), like Fatima, also made an attempt to set her first absolute world record in a different discipline - CNF. On the second competition day, Kateryna set a new AIDA World Record diving without fins at a depth of 74m (243ft). Just two days later, Kateryna attempted to increase her official personal best by 3m (10ft) at once - however, she turned early at a depth of 68m (223ft) and ascended by pulling the line. At 30m (98ft), two safety divers met Kateryna and gave her a lift to the surface, and it seemed like she enjoyed the ride. While the athlete received a red card for her performance, she ended up saving her energy and wasn't injured. Considering that Kateryna still has three performances left at Vertical Blue 2023, we believe she will attempt to set the record again. Good luck next time, Kateryna!

Unlike Kateryna, Birgül Erken (TUR) didn't recognize that something was off in time and reached her target depth of 50m (164ft) without fins. Unfortunately, on the way back, Birgül blacked out at a depth of around 20m (66ft). The athlete was unconscious for an extended period of time, and is now unfortunately disqualified from the rest of the competition.

Hanako Hirose (JPN) and Zhang Yi Xian (TPE) both attempted dives to a depth of 90m (295ft) with bifins. Hanako was affected by narcosis and darkness, which caused her to lose the line (at one point, she was diving with her back to the line). So at 60m (197ft), Hanako turned to head back to the surface. The dive was disqualified for several extra pulls by the rope, but the athlete is fine and will continue to compete. Similarlu, Yi Xian made an early turn at depth of 74m (243ft) but didn't make any mistakes on his way to the surface, so he received a yellow card and 61 points for his performance. The athlete will also continue to compete.

These were the main events of the fifth competition day. We are now looking forward to day six - stay tuned!

Day 6 of competition (26 Jul)

Start list

The third day of the second act of Vertical Blue 2023 at Long Island, Bahamas, is here.

There is not much time to explain, but we must let you know that there are 3(!) new attempts for absolute World Records!

Three attempts for absolute World Records

Alenka Artnik (SVN) will try to increase her previous PB result in CWTB of 107m (351ft). The athlete announced a depth equal to the current world record in this discipline set by Alessia Zecchini in March 2023 - 109m (358ft).

Alexey Molchanov (INT) worries us even more by announcing a 103m (338ft) dive in CNF discipline. The current world record in the no-fins discipline is 102m (335ft), and for 13 years, it has belonged to William Trubridge (NZL). A new world record is a desirable milestone in the freediving career of any freediver. The question is if Alexey is ready for it. On the fourth competition day, Alexey completed a 95m (312ft) dive without fins but received a red card for a mistake in the surface protocol. Yesterday, Alexey had a day off - hopefully, he rested well and the risky dive will be safe and successful.

Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) predictably will make her second attempt to set a new absolute world record in CNF. Kateryna has announced one meter less than yesterday - 76m (249ft). The target depth is 1m (3ft) more than the current world record in this discipline set by Mirela Kardašević (HRV) during the Kaş Baska Freediving World Cup.

May the force be with all the athletes and the freediving fans who will watch these thrilling dives!

Online broadcast

Make sure you don't miss the following dives:

11:00 a.m. (GMT-4) - Alenka Artnik (SVN) - 109m (358ft) CNF
11:23 a.m. (GMT-4) - Alexey Molchanov (INT) - 103m (338ft) CNF
11:57 a.m. (GMT-4) - Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) - 76m (249ft) CNF

NEW ABSOLUTE WORLD RECORD IN CNF (Female)

On July 26th at Vertical Blue 2023 at Long Island, Bahamas, Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) set a new absolute world record in CNF according to the AIDA rules. The athlete has dived to a depth of 76m (249ft).

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Recent history of CNF World Records

It seems that the first-ever world record in CNF set by a female athlete was 35m (115ft) and belonged to Tanya Streeter (USA). Tanya dived to that depth in 2003 during an Individual World Record attempt. If you’re questioning the development of freediving, just know that 35m is the obligatory CNF depth for any freediver who finishes the Molchanovs Wave 4 - Competitive Freediving course. From 2004 - 2012, the world records in CNF quickly grew from 42m (138ft) to 67m (220ft), mainly through the performances of Annabel Edwards (USA) and Natalia Molchanova (RUS). In 2013 - 2015, Natalia eventually took the lead in the no-fins discipline and pushed the record even further to 71m (233ft). In 2016, the CNF World Record of 72m (236ft) was set by Sayuri Kinoshita (JPN). Regrettably, Sayuri and Natalia are no longer with us.

In 2018, Alessia Zecchini (ITA) set a 73m (240ft) World Record, which held until 2022 when Mirela Kardašević (HRV) dived without fins to 75m (246ft) during the Kaş Baska Freediving World Cup.

Kateryna’s way to the top

Kateryna Sadurska started competing in freediving competitions in 2017, but it was in 2022 that she made significant progress in all disciplines of pool and depth freediving. In pool, she successfully competed in two pool World Championships in 2022 according to CMAS and AIDA rules. Then, Kateryna fared even better at the second depth World Championship of her career; on the second competition day, the athlete won her first World Champion title in freediving for her 92m (302ft) FIM dive. However, Kateryna’s CNF dive to 70m (230ft) was not an easy one. At the surface, the athlete experienced a light LMC, but held on and managed to perform the surface protocol successfully. As a result - a well-deserved gold medal and her second World Champion title.

On the second competition day of Vertical Blue 2023, Kateryna set her first world record, diving without fins at a depth of 74m (243ft). This result was just 1m (3ft) less than the absolute world record. On the fifth competition day, Kateryna attempted to dive to 77m (253ft) but didn't manage to equalize properly - she returned to the surface by pulling the line from 68m (223ft). Thankfully, on the sixth day, Kateryna reduced the target depth by 1m (3ft) and completed a 76m CNF dive successfully!

And this is way that, on July 26th, 2023, Kateryna signed her name in line with the greatest CNF divers in the world, breaking the world record by 2m (7ft) in one dive. Congratulations, Kateryna - incredible achievement!

Overall official results for day 6 (26 Jul)

On July 26th, we witnessed an exciting sixth competition day at Vertical Blue 2023. It was more successful than the previous days: 17 white cards, 2 absolute world records, 2 continental records, 1 national record, and just 1 (but very dramatic) blackout. Keep reading to learn more.

The deepest dives of the day

While no one has tried to challenge the world record of Arnauld Jerald (FRA) in CWTB, the athlete continues increasing his depth in CWT. On the sixth competition day, Arnaud reached a depth of 124m (407ft) with a monofin. Now he is just 2m (7ft) away from setting a new national record in CWT, the previous of which was set by legendary Guillaume Néry eight years ago. Arnaud managed quite well with the depth and didn't look tired at the surface. So, if not at Vertical Blue, then during this competition season, we just might see Arnaud reaching the 126m target.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

The second deepest dive of the day belonged to Tory George (USA). Tory has dived with a monofin to a depth of 114m (374ft). At Vertical Blue 2023, Tory still has two performances left - perhaps he will also try to set another new continental record for North America (on the fourth day, Tory set a new FIM Continental Record diving to 107m / 351ft), improving his current continental record in CWT by 2 - 3m (7 - 10ft).

Two absolute World Records

The next deepest dive was performed by Alenka Artnik (SVN). Alenka reached a depth of 109m (358ft) with bifins - a performance that equals the current world record in CWTB set by Alessia Zecchini (ITA) in March 2023. In June 2023, Alenka had already tried to conquer a depth of 109m, but blacked out. This time, Alenka managed the dive beautifully and gracefully. It seems like she still has a big reserve to go even deeper. Congratulations, Alenka, and good luck on your further journey in depth!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

For her second attempt, Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) also set a new absolute CNF World Record diving 76m (249ft) deep without fins. On the previous day, Kateryna announced a 77m (253ft) dive, but didn't manage to equalize to the end and turned back at a depth of 68m (223ft). Yesterday, Kateryna announced 1m (3ft) less and reached the target depth with an impeccable and efficient technique. But on the sixth day, in the last meters of her dive, Kateryna was struggling with equalization. And yet she still managed to continue to the bottom plate, grab the tag, and triumphantly emerge at the surface. This is how Kateryna improved upon the previous absolute world record of 75m (246ft), set by Mirela Kardašević (HRV) in September 2022. This is Kateryna's first absolute world record, but definitely not her last. Congratulations, Katyerina - an incredible achievement!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

A dramatic blackout

Another attempt from the men to set a new world record in CNF didn’t turn out as successful as Kateryna's dive. Alexey Molchanov (INT) announced a 103m (338ft) performance, encroaching on the 7-year-old current CNF World Record set by William Trubridge in 2016.

Alexey successfully reached the target depth, grabbed the tag, turned, and started his ascent. At around 30m (98ft), the athlete's movement slowed; the safety divers didn't hold back and grabbed Alexey, carrying him to the surface. At that moment, Alexey was still making a few movements; however, he was delivered to the surface already unconscious - the medical team needed a while to bring the athlete back to consciousness.

Because of the deep blackout, Alexey won’t be allowed to continue competing at Vertical Blue 2023. But the athlete is set to participate in the CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship in August of this year. Considering Alexey's determination, we may see another attempt to conquer the depth. So, stay tuned (if you aren't afraid)!

New Continental World Records

And we can't miss mentioning the new North American Continental Record set by Enchante Gallardo (USA) in the CWT discipline. Enchante tried to perform a 100m (328ft) dive with a monofin on the first competition day, but blacked out. On the sixth day, the athlete announced a 93m (305ft) dive and managed it easily. Congratulations, Enchante - what a well-deserved continental record!

Huang Wen Hsiang (TPE) kept it going to a new continental record for Asia. At Vertical Blue 2023, the athlete had already performed three CNF dives, gradually increasing his depth from 70m (230ft) to 74m (243ft). In fact, his 74m dive is already considered to be a new continental record. However, Jin (Sendoh) Wang (CHN) dived to 76m (249ft) during the AIDA Panglao Depth Championship (his dive was only counted as a national record since the competition didn't have world-record status). Wen Hsiang still has two performances left at Vertical Blue 2023. We hope that he'll manage to increase the depth and go deeper than his rival!

Meanwhile, Wen Hsiang’s teammate Yun Chieh (Jay) Ku earned himself a new Asian Continental Record in the FIM discipline. Jay Ku performed three FIM dives at Vertical Blue 2023. The first 110m (361ft) dive ended with a blackout, so for his next dive, the athlete wisely attempted a shallower depth and successfully managed 103m (338ft) of depth. Then, on the sixth day, he received a white card for his dive to 108m (354ft). We're looking forward to Jay Ku eventually bringing the tag from 110m (361ft) of depth and setting a new continental record for Aisa.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

This is all for the second act of Vertical Blue 2023. In several hours, the final act will launch - the act where the overall winners will be defined.

If you’re inspired by the Vertical Blue athletes and also dream of going deeper into the abyss, don't miss our special Go Deeper storewide sale on molchanovs.com. We'll be offering a 15% discount on ALL GEAR! But don't hold your breath for too long deciding - it'll only be for 48 hours! The sale starts July 28th from 00:01 GMT to July 30 at midnight GMT. And no matter if you've just watched the Netflix documentary The Deepest Breath and are just thinking of trying freediving for the first time or if you're a competitive athlete striving to improve your performance - you'll find all the gear you need for your level.

Day 7 of competition (28 Jul)

Start list

The first day of the final act at Vertical Blue, Long Island, Bahamas, is here. Let's get started.

The setup

On the seventh competition day, 21 athletes made announcements. All current world record holders that worked so hard on the previous days are still resting. Who knows, maybe they are preparing for more breathtaking and risky performances for the final two days?

There will be only one camera break in the middle of the day. In the first session, most of the athletes (6 out of 10) will dive in the CNF discipline, and during the second session, we will see many CWT dives (7 out of 11).

Our (quite accurate) forecast

We’re proud to say that we have predicted all three new continental records very accurately in our summary of the sixth competition day! Today, we anticipate 7 new national records and 3 new continental records.

Huang Wen Hsiang (TPE) is going to attempt to increase his CNF PB of 74m (243ft) by 3m (10ft), making it one meter deeper than the result of his competitor Jin (Sendoh) Wang (CHN), who dived to 76m (249ft) during the AIDA Panglao Depth Championship (his dive was only counted as a national record since the competition didn't have world-record status).

Tory George (USA), after a new continental record in FIM (107m / 351ft) and a successful 114m (374ft) CWT dive, will go for a new continental record in CWT. He announced 117m depth (384ft), which is 1m (3ft) deeper than his current North American Continental Record set in June during the AIDA Asian Freediving Cup 2023. If successful, this dive will also become the deepest dive of the day.

And finally, Yun Chieh (Jay) Ku (TPE) will dive at a depth of 110m (361ft) in FIM. It will be his second attempt to set a new continental record for Asia and win one meter over the previous performance of Jin (Sendoh) Wang, who set the current continental record in FIM diving at 109m (358ft).

Good luck to all the athletes - we wish all your hard work and persistence pays off today!

Online broadcast

Make sure you don't miss the following dives:

9:20 a.m. (GMT-4) - Huang Wen Hsiang (TPE) - 77m (253ft) CNF
11:00 a.m. (GMT-4) - Tory George (USA) - 117m (384ft) CWT
11:10 a.m. (GMT-4) - Pedro Tapia (MEX) - 114m (374ft) CWT
11:21 a.m. (GMT-4) - Yun Chieh (Jay) Ku (TPE) - 110m (361ft) FIM

Overall official results for day 7 (28 Jul)

On the 7th competition day at Vertical Blue 2023 in Long Island, Bahamas, there were nine colored cards out of twenty performances. Most of the dives were successful; however, only one out of three planned new continental records came to fruition. Keep reading for more details.

New Asian Continental Records to be set next time

Huang Wen Hsiang (TPE) was on his way to set a new continental record for Asia in CNF. The athlete dived to a depth of 77m / 252ft (1m / 3ft deeper than the current deepest performance in Asia reached by Chinese athlete Jin (Sendoh) Wang). He reached the bottom, came back the surface, and emerged to receive a white card. However, the card was later unfortunately changed to red because of a mistake in a surface protocol. The online broadcast was having some issues in the beginning of the day, so we don't know exactly what mistake he made.

Wen Hsiang’s teammate Yun Chieh (Jay) Ku (TPE) also attempted to set a new Asian Continental Record, except his was in FIM. He reached a depth of 110m / 361ft (one meter deeper than the current record set by Jin (Sendoh) Wang) but blacked out several meters before the surface. The safety team stood by and waited for Jay to finish attempting to ascend but eventually had to help the athlete. He received a red card and disqualification that will last for the rest of the competition.

We wish Wen Hsiang and Jay Ku better luck next time!

Long-awaited white cards

There was good news, though! Tory George (USA) successfully completed the deepest dive of the day. With his monofin, he dived to 117m (384ft) and set a new continental record for North America. It's Tory's second continental record at Vertical Blue 2023. The previous one was his FIM dive to 107m (351ft). Congratulations, Tory! It's a great achievement for someone who just started to compete a year ago - we look forward to your next deeper dives.

Pedro Tapia (MEX) also keeps improving his results in CWT. At Vertical Blue 2023, Pedro completed three dives with a monofin, increasing his depth by 2m (7ft) with each dive. On the seventh day, the athlete reached a depth of 114m (374ft) and set a new Mexican National Record. Congratulations!

Hanako Hirose (JPN) and Şahika Ercümen (TUR), finally successfully completed their dives to 90m (295ft) and 95m (312ft), respectively. At Vertical Blue 2023, Hanako made two attempts to reach the depth with bifins. On the fifth competition day, Hanako aimed for 90m but turned back at a depth of 60m (197ft), receiving a red card for an extra pull on the line. Fortunately, on the seventh day, everything went smoothly; Hanako reached the 90m depth, got a white card for a beautiful dive, and set a new national record for Japan in CWTB. Congratulations!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Şahika has been struggling with 95m even longer. At Vertical Blue 2023, it was her fourth attempt to conquer the depth. On the first day, Şahika received a red card for a minor mistake in the surface protocol; during the two next attempts, the athlete had to turn early. We admire Şahika’s persistence and are happy to congratulate her on a successful dive and new Turkish National Record!

There are two more days left at Vertical Blue 2023. Stick with us to get updates on new records and beautiful dives!

Day 8 of competition (29 Jul)

Start list

Are you ready for the penultimate day at Vertical Blue 2023 in Long Island, Bahamas? It seems that the athletes who avoided deep blackouts and are still allowed to compete are getting tired. There are only 13 announcements for the 8th competition day!

The deepest dives and records

Talya Davidoff (ZAF) will use her last dive at the competition to set a new African Continental Record in CNF to 56m (184ft). The athlete has already set three new continental records in all other disciplines during Vertical Blue 2023. Only her attempt to set a new record in CNF hasn’t been successful. Good luck today, Talya!

The deepest announcement of the day belongs to Walid Boudhiaf (TUN) - 115m (377ft) in CWT. This will be Walid's third attempt to dive to this depth with a monofin. Third time's a charm - good luck, Walid!

Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) is the only one who still has some energy left to surprise freediving fans. The athlete announced a new world record in CNF! With no fins, Kateryna is going to dive 77m (253ft) - 1m (3ft) more than her previous absolute world record set just three days ago. May the force be with you, Kateryna!

Online broadcast

Make sure you don't miss the following dives:

9:39 a.m. (GMT-4) - Talya Davidoff (ZAF) - 56m (184ft) CNF
10:20 a.m. (GMT-4) - Walid Boudhiaf (TUN) - 115m (377ft) CWT
11:21 a.m. (GMT-4) - Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) - 77m (253ft) CNF

NEW ABSOLUTE WORLD RECORD IN CNF (Female)

On July 29th, Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) set a new absolute world record in the CNF discipline diving to a depth of 77m (253ft) without fins during Vertical Blue 2023 in Long Island, Bahamas.

She did it again!

Kateryna is a former synchronized swimmer. In 2010 - 2014, the athlete won multiple champion titles at European Championships in synchronized swimming. Of all the different types of water sports, synchronized swimming seems to be the closest one to freediving; perhaps, this is what explains Kateryna's relentless rise in freediving from a beginner competitor in 2017 to a multiple absolute world-record holder in 2023.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Kateryna progressed gradually throughout the years. Her first breakthrough happened in 2022 at the CMAS 6th Freediving Outdoor World Championship 2022, where Kateryna dived without fins to 70m (230ft) and became a CNF World Champion. This year, she improved her personal best (PB) by 7m (23ft) from 70m to 77m (253ft), which is quite a lot in this discipline. In CNF (Constant Weight No Fins) athletes can't benefit from professional freediving gear like a monofin or bifins and rely only on the strength of their muscles and mind - that's why CNF is considered as the most challenging discipline in freediving.

Kateryna's CNF dives at Vertical Blue 2023 were as follows:

• July 21 - 74m (243ft) - white card and new AIDA World Record in CNF (1m / 3ft less than the current World Record)
• July 25 - 77m - early turn at a depth of 72m (236ft) and a red card for pulling the line
• July 26 - 76m (249ft) - white card and a new absolute world record in CNF (1m more than the previous absolute world record)
• July 29 - 77m - white card and Kateryna's second new absolute world record in CNF

This is incredible progress! Previously, it took women eight years to top the world record from 70m (the world record was set by Natalia Molchanova (RUS) according to AIDA rules in 2015) to 75m /246ft (the world record set by Mirela Kardašević (HRV) according to CMAS rules in 2022). But it took Kateryna only 5 days to top that performance by 2m (7ft) - not to mention her own PB by 7m. Considering how easily and gracefully Kateryna managed with 77m, we might soon see the woman diving without fins to a depth of 80m (262ft) and deeper!

Congratulations, Kateryna - we’re thrilled and look forward to your new records!

Women's best results in other depth disciplines

For those who learned about freediving from the Netflix documentary The Deepest Breath, it might be a bit confusing to see the documentary ccelebrating the first woman diving to a depth of 102m (335ft) and now us celebrating a woman diving to 77m. Here is a brief explanation (for more, check the ‘Competition’ section on our website). There are four depth disciplines in competitive freediving:

• CNF (Constant Weight No Fins) - an athlete dives to depth and back to the surface without the help of any equipment using a modified breaststroke technique. This discipline is the most demanding of swimming techniques.
• FIM (Free Immersion) - an athlete dives to depth and back to the surface by pulling down and up a line. This discipline is the least demanding regarding swimming technique. The issue eventually becomes a long dive time since an athlete can't change their speed pulling a line by much.
• CWTB (Constant Weight with Bifins) - an athlete dives to depth and back using bifins. The main challenge is not using dolphin kicks.
• CWT (Constant Weight with Monofin) - an athlete dives to depth and back using a monofin and dolphin kick technique. This is the deepest discipline in freediving. To be effective in CWT, you need to learn how to swim with a monofin properly, choose the right monofin, and learn to how equalize to deep depths. In CWT, equalization is usually the main hindering factor on the way to greater depths.

The world's top records in these four disciplines really vary. The current women's records are as follows:

• CNF - 77m - Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) - Vertical Blue 2023
• FIM - 102m - Fatima Korok (HUN) - Vertical Blue 2023
• CWTB - 109m (358ft) - Alenka Artnik (SVN) - Vertical Blue 2023; Alessia Zecchini (ITA) - Secretblue AIDA Freediving Depth Competition 2023
• CWT - 123m (404ft) - Alessia Zecchinin (ITA) - AIDA OCEANQUEST PHILIPPINES 2023

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

We hope it helps :)

Overall official results for day 8 (29 Jul)

The eighth competition day at Vertical Blue 2023 in Long Island, Bahamas, has probably been the shortest so far - only 12 performances. But yet, all components of the competition were there: blackouts, early turns, artistic performance, and even new records! Keep reading for more.

Two unfortunate blackouts

There were 8 out of 12 white cards, so most of the dives were successful. But the day started with a blackout. Davide Carrera (ITA), after his famous dive with a monofin to 130m (427ft), decided to try his strength at the no-fins discipline - CNF. The athlete announced a 75m (246ft) dive and even reached the target depth. However, on the surface, Davide had a brief blackout. There was no need for help from the safety team as he recovered almost immediately, but the athlete didn't complete the surface protocol in time, so he received a red card.

On the contrary, Walid Boudhiaf (TUN) didn’t make it back to the surface without the safety team’s assistance. It was Walid's second attempt to 110m+ (361ft+) of depth with a monofin. It would seem that, for an athlete who recently dived to 114m (374ft) in FIM, it wouldn't be an issue to reach a depth of 115m (377ft) with a monofin. And Walid has actually reached the target depth before. But on the way back, his monofin technique was unusual, and it looked like the monofin was hindering rather than helping the athlete. Eventually, at a depth of 20m (66ft), Walid blacked out and was carried to the surface by the safety divers. It's not the first time that Walid's CWT dive ended in an underwater blackout. Perhaps a softer monofin could help?

New records

Let's talk about the good news. Talya Davidoff (ZAF) didn't miss her chance at setting a new continental record for Africa in CNF. The athlete dived to 56m (184ft) and received a white card. It is Talya's fourth continental record at Vertical Blue 2023 and she now has continental records in all depth disciplines in freediving. Mission accomplished - congratulations, Talya!

Fatima Korok (HUN) and Amber Bourke (AUS) both set new national records for their countries in CWT. Fatima dived to 86m (282ft) with bifins and Amber reached a depth of 81m (266ft) with a monofin. CWT isn't Fatima's and Amber's specialties, their favorite disciplines are FIM and CNF, respectively. However, the women are aiming for overall medals and dived in CWT to add to their overall scores. And actually, it paid off. Fatima is now first in the overall rating and Amber is second.

The biggest surprise of the day was saved for the final performance. Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) set her second absolute world record in CNF in the past three days, diving without fins to a depth of 77m (253ft). Once again - congratulations, Kateryna!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

If the no-fins discipline is your favorite, we suggest you watch the video of Kateryna's dive regularly to get inspired and learn from the best. The athlete has good anthropometry (long legs and arms, in particular) and is physically very strong and flexible. This makes her arm and leg strokes very efficient. Each of Kateryna's movements are accurate, clear, and elegant. There is tremendous work behind this impeccable technique - don't miss your chance to enjoy it!

A beautiful dive

Another beautiful (but in different sense) dive was performed by Zhang (Afa) Yi Xian (TPE). For his last performance at Vertical Blue 2023, he announced a 40m (131ft) CWT dive and performed it as a merman with a beautiful tail. A mermaid tail isn't the most effective piece of freediving gear, but nonetheless, Afa reached the target depth, grabbed the tag, and properly showed the surface protocol. White card for the merman!

This is a good reminder that freediving isn't just about meters and records - freediving is also about the beauty of the underwater world.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

This was all for the eighth competition day at Vertical Blue 2023. Now we are ready to wrap it up. Don't miss the last competition day, which starts in several hours!

Day 9 of competition (30 Jul)

Start list

Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for the last day of Vertical Blue 2023? In Long Island, Bahamas, top freedivers are preparing for their last efforts. Let's follow them!

The setup

This will be a long day - 23 athletes announced performances, so there will be three sessions with 7 - 8 dives and two 30-minute camera breaks in between.

Some athletes are working on their overall results while others are using this last chance to increase their official personal bests (PBs); therefore, today we expect 7 new national records, 2 new continental records, and even 1 new world record!

Deepest dives

Arnaud Jerald (FRA) will continue to work on his CWT records. The athlete announced a 125m (410ft) dive with a monofin. If successful, it will become the deepest dive of the day, and Arnaud will be just 1m (3ft) away from the national record of France, the previous of which was set by the legendary Guillaume Néry in 2015.

Tory George (USA) will try to improve his PB in CWT by 3m (10ft) at once - a 120m (394ft) bet and potentially the second-deepest dive of the day and a new North American Continental Record. Good luck with this risky enterprise, Tory!

Alenka Artnik (SVN) announced a new absolute world record in CWTB to 111m (364ft)! This time, the athlete will try to improve the world's best result by 2m (7ft) in one go. The current world record in CWTB is 109m (358ft); it belongs to Alessia Zecchini (ITA). Alenka already dived to this depth on the sixth competition day. It seemed like an easy dive for Alenka; no wonder she decided to go even deeper four days later. May the force be with you, Alenka!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Good luck to all the athletes on their last effort! The after-party is close!

Online broadcast

Make sure you don't miss the following dives:

9:39 a.m. (GMT-4) - Fatima Korok (HUN) - 90m (295ft) CWT
10:00 a.m. (GMT-4) - Huang Wen Hsiang (TPE) - 78m (256ft) CNF
10:40 a.m. (GMT-4) - Arnaud Jerald (FRA) - 125m (410ft) CWT
10:50 a.m. (GMT-4) - Tory George (USA) - 120m (394ft) CWT
11:01 a.m. (GMT-4) - Alenka Artnik (SVN) - 111m (364ft) CWTB

NEW WORLD RECORD IN CWTB (Female)

On July 30th, the last competition day at Vertical Blue 2023 in Long Island, Bahamas, Alenka Artnik (SVN) set a new absolute world record in CWTB diving with bifins to 111m (364ft).

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Recent history of CWTB World Records

CWTB is the youngest discipline in freediving. Diving to depth and back with bifins was recognized as a separate discipline by CMAS in 2015 and by AIDA as recently as 2019. Before that, athletes could use bifins for CWT if their dolphin kicking technique wasn't as effective as their flutter kicks. Once CWTB was regarded as a separate discipline, dolphin kicks became forbidden; if they were performed in CWTB, it would lead to an athlete's disqualification.

The first world records in CWTB according to the CMAS rules were set in 2016, while AIDA World Records in CWTB were set in 2019. Women started from a depth of around 80m (262ft). In 2016, at the CMAS World Championship in Kaş, Turkey, Alenka set her first world record in CWTB diving with bifins to a depth of 82m (269ft). According to the AIDA rules, the first world record was set by Sofía Gómez Uribe (COL) in 2019 when the athlete also dived to 82m.

In the same year, the record was beaten and gradually improved four times by Sayuri Kinoshita (JPN), Jessea Wenjie Lu (CHN), and Alenka Artnik. The result grew from 81m (266ft) to 92m (302ft) with Alenka Artnik’s performance at the Asian Freediving Cup 2019.

In 2020 - 2022, AIDA results didn’t grow exponentially. But according to CMAS rules, in 2021, Alenka dived to 106m (348ft) with bifins, improving the world's top result in CWTB by 13m (43ft) at once.

Eventually, in March 2023, Alessia Zecchini (ITA) dived with bifins to 109m (358ft) of depth according to AIDA rules during the Secretblue AIDA Freediving Depth Competition. Then, in June 2023, Alenka also tried to reach that depth with bifins, but blacked out at the surface. The athlete eventually managed the depth successfully on July 26th, the sixth competition day of Vertical Blue 2023.

Yet, that wasn't enough for Alenka. On the last competition day, she pushed the bottom plate down to a depth of 111m (364ft) and improved upon her and Alessia's shared world record by 2m (7ft), bringing home a gold medal in CWTB and a new absolute World Record.

Wonder Woman is back

Alenka started freediving about 12 years ago. In 2016, she set her first world record of 82m in CWTB according to CMAS rules. In 2018, Alenka participated in Vertical Blue 2018 and set her first world record in CWT diving to 105m (344ft) according to AIDA rules. Then, at Vertical Blue 2021, Alenka focused on the CWT discipline and rocketed from 114m (374ft) to 122m (400ft), setting three new world records according to CMAS rules (118m / 387ft, 120m / 394ft, and 122m / 400ft). Later, in September 2021, Alenka also had a world record in CWTB diving 106m (348ft) with bifins according to CMAS rules. 2021 was, for Alenka, the year of a mind-blowing breakthrough.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

In 2022, Alenka continued to compete: she participated at Vertical Blue 2022 and the CMAS 6th Freediving Outdoor World Championship 2022, but without any new and extraordinary world records.

We’re happy to see Alenka back in her best mental and physical state in 2023 with new world records! Congratulations, Alenka - well-done and well-deserved!

Overall official results for day 9 (30 Jul)

On July 30th, we witnessed the last day of Vertical Blue 2023 in Long Island, Bahamas. And what a day it was! Not all attempts to improve official personal bests (PBs) ended successfully as six athletes early-turned before reaching their target depths (with one athlete even blacking out). But there were also great achievements and beautiful dives - keep reading for more details and to learn who were the overall winners!

Overal winners among the women

Fatima Korok (HUN) not only made her dream come true by setting her first absolute World Record in FIM with 102m (335ft), but also received white cards for all six of her dives at Vertical Blue 2023. After her fourth dive, Fatima was already the main contender for the overall gold medal. The athlete used her last two attempts to improve her performances in the CWT discipline, diving with bifins instead of a monofin. On the last day, Fatima dived to a depth of 90m (295ft), setting a new national record for Hungary and winning the overall gold at Vertical Blue 2023 with 265.50 points in total. It is her second overall medal; at Vertical Blue 2022, Fatima was also the overall winner!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

On the contrary, Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) wasn't among the competition leaders until the last day - the athlete was working on her absolute world record in CNF. Hence, 4 out of 6 competition dives were devoted to the no-fins discipline. Only after successfully improving the previous absolute world record set by Mirela Kardašević (HRV) in September 2022 by 2m (7ft) did Kateryna receive points in that missing discipline - on the last competition day, too. The athlete gracefully completed an 88m (289ft) dive with a monofin, which seemed like an easy ride for her, and won the silver in the overall score with 262.61 points in total. She was only behind Fatima by less than 3 points!

Therefore, Enchante Gallardo (USA) eventually ranked third in the overall score with 248.64 points. Enchante's first two dives at Vertical Blue 2023 were unsuccessful and ended with blackouts; then, the athlete skipped her third performance to rest. For her fourth dive, Enchante reduced her target depth by 7m (23ft) and eventually managed to get her first white card for a 93m (305ft) CWT dive. On the last day, Enchante announced a 60m (197ft) dive in CNF to earn the necessary points for the overall score. Apparently, CNF isn't her favorite discipline. Nevertheless, the athlete reached the target depth, grabbed the tag, and headed to the surface. Sadly, at a depth of about 20m (66ft), the tag swam away from her. So, at the surface, Enchante received a yellow card for the missed tag and a minus one point penalty. Yet, Enchante still got enough points to win herself the bronze medal!

Congratulations, ladies - we look forward to your future dives!

Overal winners among the men

The winner among men - Pedro Tapia (MEX) - also received six white cards and earned 259.30 points. If you followed our articles about the competition, you know how rare the white cards were at this year’s Vertical Blue. In CWT, Pedro performed three dives and improved his own official PB and Mexican National Record by 4m (13ft) - from 110m (361ft) to 114m (374ft). In the FIM discipline, the improvement was even bigger - from 98m (322ft) to 103m (338ft) of depth on the last competition day. The last 103m dive in FIM also became a new national record for Mexico. It looked like Pedro managed all these dives easily and with a significant reserve at the surface. Therefore, we hope to see Pedro going to greater depths soon.

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Tory George (USA) managed to win the silver medal with 238.93 points in total, completing only four dives with white cards and setting two new continental records for North America on the way (107m / 351ft FIM; 117m / 384ft CWT). Tory skipped his dive on the last day even though he had previously made an ambitious announcement of 120m (394ft) of depth in CWT.

Potti Dingfeng Liu (CHN) earned only two white cards for his 92m (302ft) dive in CWTB and 94m (308ft) in FIM, ending with 216.77 overall points. The athlete didn't set any new continental records, although he did improve his official PB in FIM by 4m. He also tried to improve his official PB in CWTB, announcing a 100m (328ft) dive on the last day, but had to turn back at a depth of 71m (233ft). Nonetheless, this dive brought him enough points to win the overall bronze medal.

Congratulations to all the winners and good luck at your next competitions!

The deepest dives

Arnaud Jerald (FRA), focusing only on the fin disciplines of CWT and CWTB, didn't aim to win overall. The athlete used the last day to improve his performance in CWT and managed to dive with a monofin as deep as 125m (410ft). This became the deepest dive of the day. Now, Arnaud is only 1m (3ft) away from his country's national record, the previous of which was set by Guillaume Néry (FRA) in 2015. This dive also seemed like an easy one for Arnaud. Who knows, maybe the athlete will soon become the third man on Earth who has reached the 130m (427ft) mark with a monofin after Alexey Molchanov (INT) and Davide Carrera (ITA).

The second deepest dive of the day, at a depth of 111m (364ft), was performed by Alenka Artnik (SVN). In the after-dive interview, the athlete said that she wasn't sure of herself - she even thought about turning back at a depth of 40m (131ft). Fortunately, Alenka went through with it, instead enjoying a long freefall and then celebrating a new absolute world record in CWTB. Once again, congratulations, Alenka!

Dives to celebrate

We also cannot skip mentioning the dives of Şahika Ercümen (TUR) and Talya Davidoff (ZAF).

Şahika was struggling to join the 100m club for two years. At Vertical Blue 2022, she improved her official PB in CWT to 94m (308ft). Her next two efforts to dive deeper (101m / 331ft - Vertical Blue 2022 and 100m - 29th AIDA World Championship) were unsuccessful. At last, at Vertical Blue 2023, Şahika performed her 100m deep dive flawlessly - congratulations, Şahika, and congratulations on your entrance to the club!

Photo credit - Daan Verhoeven

Talya Davidoff (ZAF), who set four new African Continental Records in all disciplines at Vertical Blue 2023, used her last dive to celebrate the end of the competition and her four successful dives. Talya reached a depth of 40m with bifins, grabbed the tag, and turned back for the ascent. Emerging near the surface, she unfolded the flag of South Africa and appeared at the surface with it on her shoulders. Still, the athlete didn't forget about the surface protocol, and after receiving a white card, Talya also received a glass of champagne. Chin-chin, Talya!

On this, Vertical Blue 2023 is officially over! Congratulations to all the athletes, safety divers, medics, judges, organizers, and Daan Verhoeven! But we won’t say goodbye - not yet, anyways. We’ll be seeing you on August 19th at the 3rd CMAS Freediving Depth World Championship!