World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships

World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships

The last major international event of the freediving competition season 2026 — the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships — unfolds in Limassol, Cyprus, with more than 180 participants.

Sports Columnist: Asya Kleshchevnikova
Editor: Kristina Zvaritch

1. Preview of the World Championship
2. Day 1 (September 30): CNF Women
3. Day 2 (October 1): CNF Men
4. Day 3 (October 2): CWTB Women
5. Day 4 (October 3): CWTB Men
6. Day 5 (October 5): FIM Women
7. Day 6 (October 6): FIM Men
8. Day 7 (October 7): CWT Women
9. Day 8 (October 8): CWT Men

Preview Of The World Championship

Background

Similar to last year, the 37th AIDA Freediving Depth World Championship — rebranded as the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships — takes place in Limassol, Cyprus. The location is familiar to many modern athletes, as the Championship was also held there in 2021, 2023, and 2025. Also, Limassol is marked in freediving history by many legendary athletes, including Martin Štěpánek (CZE), Carlos Coste (VEN), Herbert Nitsch (AUT), Guillaume Néry (FRA), and Natalia Molchanova (RUS). Put simply, Limassol, Cyprus, is just as well-known among freedivers as Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, which hosted the first AIDA Depth World Championship in 2005.

These names are part of an illustrious and wild history of freediving, so if you’re unfamiliar with them, take a moment to explore the past:

Diving Conditions and Competition Schedule

Limassol has been chosen for the World Championships many times for a reason — great diving conditions:

  • Air temperature: 26–30°C (79–86°F)
  • Water temperature: From 25–28°C (77–82°F) on the surface to 17–19°C (63–66°F) at 70m (230ft)
  • Visibility: 30–40m (98–131ft)
  • Currents: possible
  • No waves
  • Maximum depth: 170m (558ft)
  • The dive site is located 1.6km (1mi) away from the beach
  • The competition boat has two competition lines and four warm-up lines

Another great advantage of Limassol is a direct evacuation route back to shore and onward to the hospital, with an emergency ambulance on standby. What’s more, there is a hyperbaric chamber on standby during the competition, with a qualified hyperbaric specialist on call who has an understanding of freediving.

The World Championship follows AIDA regulations (learn more about the difference between CMAS and AIDA competitions). During the eight competition days, athletes will test themselves in four depth disciplines of competitive freediving: Constant Weight with Fins (CWT), Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB), Free Immersion (FIM), and Constant Weight without Fins (CNF).

Each athlete will have a single attempt to perform in each discipline. Athletes must be mindful of their limits because, according to AIDA rules, blacking out underwater during a dive results in disqualification for at least one day (and, in more severe cases, for the rest of the competition). There is one rest day in the middle of the event, and women and men compete on different days, which gives athletes time to recover between deep dives and perform at their maximum potential in each discipline. Athletes can aim to win overall or set a new AIDA World Record, with both scenarios earning monetary prizes: 750–1,500 EUR for a medal in a discipline, 1,000–2,000 EUR for an overall victory, and an additional 2,000 EUR for a new AIDA World Record.

The competition schedule is as follows:

September 30 - Competition Day 1: CNF Women
October 1 - Competition Day 2: CNF Men
October 2 - Competition Day 3: CWTB Women
October 3 - Competition Day 4: CWTB Men
October 4 - Rest/Backup Day
October 5 - Competition Day 5: FIM Women
October 6 - Competition Day 6: FIM Men
October 7 - Competition Day 7: CWT Women
October 8 - Competition Day 8: CWT Men

Competing Athletes

In total, about 180 athletes announced their participation in the Championship, twice as many as at the previous 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth, indicating that most of the top athletes are present and we might expect an interesting rivalry.

The Women of the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championship

Constant Weight with Fins (CWT) and Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB)

Among the women, we’re missing Alessia Zecchini (ITA) and Alenka Artnik (SVN)— the current absolute World Record holders in CWT with 123m (404ft). Alenka is also a former AIDA CWTB World Record holder with a result of 111m (364ft), while Alessia is the current absolute world record holder in this discipline with 113m (371ft).

The main contender for gold (and maybe even a new World Record) in both fin disciplines among women is the charming Nataliia Zharkova (UKR). Nataliia is in great shape this year: in May, she set a new AIDA CWTB World Record diving to 112m (367ft) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, and at the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth, Nataliia won the gold in this discipline. Her official personal best in CWT is 117m (384ft). At the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth, she dove to 121m (397ft), but blacked out at the surface.

Nataliia's nearest competitor in CWTB and CWT, Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN), is a solid 4m (13ft) and 5m (16ft) behind. In CWTB, Zsófia’s PB is 108m (354ft) and in CTW, it is 112m (367ft). Zsófia has set many world records in pool and depth disciplines during her short but bright career in competitive freediving, but she has yet to hold a CWTB World Record.

In her turn in CWTB, Zsófia is followed by two athletes with the same 100m (328ft) PB: Enchante Gallardo (USA) and Sanda Delija (HRV). And in CWT, Olga Markina (INT) and Enchante Gallardo (USA) are at Zsófia's heels, both with a PB of 110m (361ft). Olga reached this depth in May 2026 during the Only One Aida Event, and Enchante conquered the depth on her second attempt in the World Apnea Championships Precompetition Limassol 2026. Honestly, we couldn’t choose which athlete to bet on.

To win in CWT and CWTB, Nataliia only needs to avoid being greedy with her announcements, and she should be able to take the gold.

Free Immersion (FIM)

In the FIM and CNF disciplines, the intensity of competition among women is unprecedented; new absolute FIM World Records were set three times this year! By the beginning of 2026, the absolute World Record of 104m (341ft) belonged to Alessia Zecchini (ITA). Then, in April, Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) reached 105m (344ft) in Batangas, Philippines. A month later, Nataliia Zharkova (UKR) made it to 106m (348ft) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Two months later, in July 2026, Enchante Gallardo (USA) set her first world record, equaling Nataliia's feat of 106m in Panglao, Bohol, Philippines. And then again, one month later, Zsófia reminded everyone who the boss was, showing a result of 107m (351ft) in Lastovo, Croatia.

And guess what? Now all three athletes — Zsófia, Nataliia, and Enchante — are in Cyprus. We have no idea how the events will unfold; maybe all three will overestimate their limits in their chase for gold, and Sanda Delija (HRV; PB 102m / 335ft) or Fatima Korok (HUN; PB 102m) will seize the initiative in the discipline. What we do know for sure: you don't want to miss the FIM competition day of all on October 5. Save the date!

Constant Weight without Fins (CNF)

The competition in CNF wasn't supposed to bring us any surprises. But the unchallenged leader in the discipline — Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) — whose absolute World Record is 88m (289ft), set at CMAS Deep Dominica 2025, isn’t participating in the Championship. Therefore, five athletes with PBs that vary by only 2m (7ft) might simultaneously compete for the gold. They are:

  • Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) - 72m (236ft) at the 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship and a silver medal.
  • Jade MacDonald-Razvi (AUS) - 71m (233ft) at the AIDA Mabini Depth Quest - Season 4 in April 2026; she also attempted a 74m (243ft) dive at the CMAS World Cup Philippines 2026 in Camotes, Philippines, in May 2026, but got a red card.
  • Sanda Delija (HRV) - 71m (233ft) at the 27th AIDA World Championship in 2021; Sanda's most recent result in CNF is 65m (213ft), reached during the AIDA Adriatic Depth Trophy 2026 in June.
  • Naomi Iwazawa (JPN) - 70m (230ft) at the CMAS World Cup Philippines 2026 in Camotes, Philippines, in May 2026.
  • Nataliia Zharkova (UKR) - 70m at the 3rd CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Kaş, Türkiye in 2018; at the World Apnea Championships Precompetition in Limassol, 2026. Nataliia also tried to reach this depth but got a red card.

The Men at the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championship

Constant Weight with Fins (CWT) and Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB)

Among the men, the main rivalry is between Alexey Molchanov (INT) and Petar Klovar (HRV). In CWT, Alexey has a significant advantage over his competitors, being an absolute World Record holder with a result of 136m (446ft) at the 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship in 2023. This year, Petar has been trying to beat Alexey in this discipline, but so far his official result in CWT is only 100m (328ft). Yet, with bifins, Petar managed to dive to 128m (420ft), setting a new World Record at the AIDA Mabini Depth Quest - Season 4 in Batangas, Philippines in April 2026. Then, in July 2026, during the AIDA Asian Freediving Cup 2026 in Panglao, Bohol, Philippines, Alexey took back the record by diving to 129m (423ft). At the moment, it remains the absolute World Record in CWTB.

Technically, Petar can perform a CWT dive with bifins as well, and if he repeats his PB, then he has the bronze to count on.

The main contender for the silver in CWT is pool legend Mateusz Malina (POL), with a PB of 130m (427ft). Alexander Vinogradov (INT), Vice-Champion of the Championship last year, may also count on a medal with a PB of 120m / 394ft (Aida Freediving World Cup, 2025).

And in CWTB, if Alexey or Petar black out trying to top each other’s dives, Mateusz (PB 116m) and Omar Al Ghailani (OMN; PB 111m / 364ft) will be diving for the bronze.

By the way, in CWTB, we’re heartily missing two French athletes: Arnaud Jerald (FRA; PB 126m / 413ft) and Abdelatif Alouach (FRA; PB 116m / 381ft). Arnaud used to challenge Alexey for the world record in CWTB, and Abdelatif was Vice-Champion at the Championship last year.

Free Immersion (FIM)

In FIM and CNF, Petar Kovar leads, and Alexey Molchanov follows. Alexey used to hold the FIM World Record of 133m / 436ft (Vertical Blue 2023). But since then, Petar has broken the record twice. The first time — in 2023, exactly here, in Cyprus, during the 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship — was when he made it to 135m (443ft). And in April 2026, at the AIDA Mabini Depth Quest - Season 4 in Batangas, Philippines, Petar reached 137m (449ft) of depth. Another athlete in this elite 130m (427ft) club, whose members have enormous hypoxia resistance, is Mateusz Malina. His PB is 130m sharp, reached during the AIDA Blue Element Competition 2025. If these three become too passionate about winning and exceed their limits, then Martin Ruman (SVN; PB 116m / 381ft) is the next in line for a medal.

Constant Weight without Fins (CNF)

In CNF, Petar Klovar is 3m (10ft) ahead of Alexey Molchanov (PB 100m / 328ft). His absolute World Record in CNF of 103m (338ft), set at the Aida Freediving World Cup in 2025 in Sharm El-Sheikh, is probably the most complicated record to beat, and it also won't be easy for Petar to repeat it in the cool Mediterranean Sea. Mateusz Malina has the third-deepest PB of 92m (302ft). But if something doesn't go as planned for these three athletes, we are at a loss to guess who else might appear on the podium. Let us know if you have any ideas in the comments, and let's watch together to see who’ll win!

What’s Next?

We hope we've gotten you excited about the event and that you won't miss the broadcast on the AIDA Freediving YouTube channel. The show promises to be epic! If you don't have time to watch the broadcast — don't worry! We'll watch for you and write detailed reports on all the notable performances.

Stay tuned and make sure to catch our updates.

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

Day 1 (September 30): CNF Women

September 30th marked the first competition day at the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships in Limassol, Cyprus. The conditions were pristine — no waves or current. The women were competing in the Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) discipline.

As is traditional for CNF, there were a notable number of red cards. Sadly, all the red cards except one were for blackouts of varying severity.

In short:

  • 44 athletes participated
  • Realized depths ranged from 25m (82ft) to 78m (256ft)
  • 8 red cards were issued
  • 1 yellow card was given
  • 8 new AIDA National Records were set (pending doping tests)

Expectations vs Reality

Without this discipline's unchallenged leader and World Record Holder Kateryna Sadurska (UKR), whose absolute CNF World Record of 88m (289ft) was set at CMAS Deep Dominica 2025, we expected a much closer race: five women held personal bests within 2m (7ft) of each other.

The surprise came with the start list announcement. Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN; PB 72m / 236ft) and Sanda Delija (HRV; PB 71m / 233ft) announced depths significantly deeper than their official PBs — 78m (256ft) and 75m (246ft), respectively. Jade MacDonald-Razvi (AUS; PB 71m) announced 1m (3ft) deeper than her previous PB, even though she had received a red card for an attempted dive to 74m (243ft) at a competition earlier this year.

Naomi Iwazawa (JPN; PB 70m / 230ft) and Nataliia Zharkova (UKR; PB 70m), in turn, announced 7m (23ft) and 2m (7ft) shallower than their PBs, respectively. On the start list, Naomi's announcement wasn't even among the five deepest. But in the final results, Naomi placed 4th, and that’s what really counts in the end, right?

So, what happened in between?

The Top Three

Zsófia Törőcsik performed 7th on line A, following Christine Gallifet-Lauter (CAN), who blacked out at the surface after a 62m (203ft) dive. Nonetheless, Zsófia confidently reached the announced depth of 78m (256ft) and returned to the surface. While she looked a bit tired, she showed a clean surface protocol — a white card and a new AIDA National Record for Hungary. Congratulations, Champion!

Sanda Delija was next to dive and also reached the announced depth of 75m (246ft), making it look easy. She didn't even take the allowed pull on the line in the candy cane zone after her turn! On the surface, Sanda also looked tired but focused and performed a confident surface protocol, which meant a white card and a new AIDA National Record for Croatia! Congratulations to the Vice-Champion! You might also recall that at last year's Championship, Sanda performed a 68m (223ft) dive that earned her bronze. Excellent progress and an impressive result this year!

Jade MacDonald-Razvi was next, and at first, it seemed that she had also nailed her dive. Alas, after coming to the surface, she submerged again and lost consciousness for a short while — a surface blackout and a red card.

Then it was Nataliia Zharkova's turn to perform. Already floating on the surface preparing for her own dive, she likely missed Jade's blackout altogether. She hasn’t been training CNF this season and didn't compete in the discipline during the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth, which took place on Roatán a month ago. But at this Championship, in order to win overall, she needs to score in CNF. So Nataliia dived a clean 68m (223ft) and won herself the bronze!

To sum up, the day’s winners are as follows:
Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) - 78m (256ft) - Gold and a new AIDA National Record for Hungary
Sanda Delija (HRV) - 75m (246ft) - Silver and a new AIDA National Record for Croatia
Nataliia Zharkova (UKR) - 68m (223ft) - Bronze

A Close Call

There was one more dive from today that deserves a mention. Talya Davidoff (RSA), who had the 5th-deepest announcement on the start list, was heading to 65m (213ft). She made it to the bottom and was on her way back to the surface when, at about 40m (131ft) of depth, she grabbed the rope to pull herself up for the rest of the dive. Then, at about 20m (66ft), safety divers gave Talya a taxi ride up. Nevertheless, she arrived at the surface unconscious. This qualifies as a deep blackout, and Talya was initially disqualified for the remainder of the Championship. But after protesting the call, she has been allowed to continue the competition. It’s great to know that you feel well, Talya, and we’re wishing you better luck on your next dives!

On October 1st, it will be the men's turn to compete in CNF. We hope the weather remains favorable and that athletes are sensible in their announcements! The day promises to be interesting, so make sure you watch it live on the AIDA Freediving YouTube channel and stay tuned for updates!

Day 2 (October 1): CNF Men

October 1st was the second competition day at the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships in Limassol, Cyprus. Men competed in the Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) discipline. The number of participants was quite high, so there were three competition lines for athletes to dive on. Unfortunately, only two of them were captured by the Diveye underwater drone.

In short:

  • 58 athletes participated
  • Realized depths ranged from 12m (39ft) to 96m (315ft)
  • 15 red cards were issued
  • 8 yellow cards were given
  • 8 new AIDA National Records were set (pending doping tests)

Better Safe Than Sorry

Petar Klovar (HRV; PB and absolute World Record 103m / 338ft) and Alexey Molchanov (INT; PB 100m / 328ft) made rather conservative announcements: both 7m (23ft) shallower than their PBs. Nonetheless, even these relatively modest announcements were more than 10m (33ft) deeper than the announcement of their nearest competitor. Petar and Alexey completed their dives cleanly (even though it didn't seem too easy for either of them, as both looked a bit tired at the surface) and received white cards. Congratulations, Champion and Vice-Champion!

It’s especially interesting how different the two dives were. Petar swam quickly, almost without gliding, so the way to 96m (315ft) and back took him 3:45, while Alexey clearly wasn't in a rush. He stayed relaxed and swam with long glides, almost as if he were in the pool, so his 3m (10ft) shallower dive took him almost a minute longer to complete: 4:30!

Also, in their after-dive interviews, both athletes mentioned that they had previously blacked out during CNF dives in Limassol. At the time, they were in heavy competition with each other and had made overly optimistic announcements, counting on perfect diving conditions. But after a sudden weather shift, those announcements had become unfeasible. Therefore, this year’s announcements were made considering possible currents and waves. A thoughtful decision by the athletes!

Fight for the Bronze

The real fight unfolded for the bronze. The first contender for 3rd place on the podium was Mingxin Zhang (CHN; PB 77m / 253ft). He announced an 80m (262ft) dive, reached the bottom plate, and even grabbed the tag. But on the way back, at about 20m (66ft) of depth, he asked the safety divers for help. They gave him a ride up, yet he emerged at the surface unconscious. Mingxin quickly came to his senses, though, so we hope he will be able to continue competing.

The next-deepest announcement of 76m (249ft) belonged to Lluis Melus (ESP). He surfaced on the edge of consciousness, but pulled himself together and showed the protocol. Nonetheless, the judges gave him a red card because he failed to complete the protocol within the allowed 15 seconds.

So, Omar Al Ghailani (OMA) and Brad Stephens (USA), both with announcements of 75m (246ft), got a chance to snatch the medal. And they grabbed that chance with both hands! Omar and Brad confidently completed their dives, received white cards, and will walk to the podium! Omar is an experienced athlete; all current national records in depth disciplines belong to him, and he also has several medals from the World Championships. This CNF dive was 2m (7ft) shallower than his PB of 77m (253ft). Brad only began competing at the World Championships in 2025, and he has significantly improved since then. At last year’s Championships, he dived to 65m (213ft) without fins and now — 10m (33ft) deeper! Congratulations, Brad, on your first medal and new PB!

Between Omar and Brad, Vitomir Maričić (HRV) dived with an announcement of 74m (243ft). Vitomir's PB is 90m (295ft), but he came to Limassol only a day before the dive with barely any training to get ready for the performance. He surfaced in doubtful condition, but eventually managed to complete the surface protocol in time; his adventurous performance ended with a white card and 4th place in the discipline ranking.

On October 2nd, we’re moving to a new discipline; the women will perform in Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB). The main contender for the gold is the current AIDA World Record holder with 112m (367ft), Nataliia Zharkova (UKR). Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN), with a PB of 108m (354ft), is hot on her heels. Make sure you watch it live on the AIDA Freediving YouTube channel and stay tuned for updates!

Day 3 (October 2): CWTB Women

On October 2nd, the women competed in Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB) at the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships taking place in Limassol, Cyprus. It was the third competition day and probably the most dramatic one weather-wise so far. It started with heavy rain in the morning, but once the sky cleared, a noticeable current and waves remained. This was likely the reason why so many dives did not go as planned.

In short:

  • 60 athletes participated
  • Realized depths ranged from 30m (98ft) to 101m (331ft)
  • 10 red cards were issued
  • 9 yellow cards were given
  • 10 new AIDA National Records were set (pending doping tests)

Freediving Thriller

The moment the preliminary results were published, the top four athletes with the deepest announcements of the day had either yellow or red cards, with the fifth-deepest announcement ranking in first place. How did we get to this point?

Well, first of all, the start list of the day looked rather daring. Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) announced a new AIDA World Record of 113m (371ft). If successful, it would be 1m (3ft) deeper than the current AIDA World Record of 112m (367ft), set by Nataliia Zharkova (UKR), and equal to the absolute World Record set by Alessia Zecchini (ITA) according to the CMAS rules during the CMAS World Cup Philippines 2025. At the same time, Nataliia herself announced a modest 106m (348ft) dive. And another 100m+ (328ft+) announcement was made by Sanda Delija (HRV).

Here, the first chords of a spooky tune started to sound. Zsófia Törőcsik looked good in her freefall on the way to a new world record; alas, at 101m (331ft), she turned back — a yellow card and, due to the 13-point penalty (-12 for the missing 12m / 39ft and -1 for no tag), a final score of 88 points.

Nataliia Zharkova dived next. She reached the announced depth of 106m (348ft), surfaced, and quickly showed the protocol. While waiting for the judge’s verdict, she struggled a bit with staying above the water, but made it through and got a white card! How happy we were to celebrate this year’s Champion! But not for long — to be exact, it was right up until the moment the preliminary results were published, where we saw that the white card turned red for a pull. Apparently, Nataliia grabbed the line and made a pull while her head was touching the surface, but still underwater. Nataliia protested, but in vain. We hurt with her!

Sanda Delija also didn't reach her announced 101m (331ft) of depth and turned back at 92m (302ft). Because of the penalty, she scored 82 points. A side note: if Sanda had announced 92m and brought a tag back, she would have won silver. That must feel bitter.

Enchante Gallardo (USA; PB 100m / 328ft) was diving before Sanda but had a 2m (7ft) shallower announcement of 99m (325ft). Enchante actually reached the bottom plate, struggled for several seconds to stay above the water, and eventually showed the surface protocol, but it was too late! The 15 seconds allowed for the surface protocol expired before she could finish it.

The CWTB National Record holder for Spain, Isabel Sanchez Aran (ESP; PB 96m / 315ft), with an announcement of 96m, was diving after Sanda, but repeated Enchante's fate. Isabel also reached her target depth and returned to the surface, already showing the "OK" sign with her hand. The nuance is that she performed it with a nose clip and goggles on her face. After a moment, Isabel remembered the nose clip, took it off, and showed the sign again. Another moment passed until she remembered the goggles, also took them off, and showed the sign once more. Too late — a red card for Isabel!

This was the final note of the spooky music.

The Top Three

Jade Agboton (FRA; PB 85m / 279ft) became the athlete who broke this vicious display of colored cards and eventually received a white card, which remained white even after judges rewatched her dive. Jade began performing at the World Championships last year, and this is her third one. This time, Jade has not only significantly improved her official PB by diving to 98m (322ft), but she’s also set a new AIDA National Record for France. And yes, Jade won the gold! Congratulations, Champion!

The silver went to another emerging athlete who’s attending the second World Championship in her freediving career — Leena Oijala (FIN; PB 90m / 295ft). Leena holds national records in all depth disciplines, and with today's dive she improved the AIDA National Record for Finland in CWTB by 2m (7ft), now standing at 92m (302ft)! Congratulations, Vice-Champion!

And the bronze eventually landed in the hands of a more experienced athlete, one who’s been quiet for several years — Fatima Korok (HUN; PB 96m / 315ft). Fatima once held the FIM World Record and was number one in the Hungarian national ranking; now, Zsófia has outscored her in all disciplines. At the beginning of the day, Fatima likely didn’t expect to reach the podium; she completed a clean and beautiful dive to 91m (299ft) and was very happy to get a white card. We hope the athlete is even happier now. Congratulations, Fatima!

Freediving Comedy

It seems like Talya Davidoff (RSA; PB 85m / 279ft) foresaw that this day would lack positive emotions, so she had a joker up her sleeve. The athlete dived right after the technical break and was heading to 82m (269ft), but turned back at 58m (190ft). She emerged above the water, showed the surface protocol, and, after the judge asked her to show the tag, she pulled out a yellow Uno card from her sleeve. Funny move, Talya — the tag would have been cooler, though!

On October 3rd, we’ll watch the men compete in CWTB, and we’re hoping for a less eventful day! Nonetheless, it promises to be interesting, so make sure you watch it live on the AIDA Freediving YouTube channel and stay tuned for updates!

Day 4 (October 3): CWTB Men

On October 3rd, men competed in Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB) at the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships taking place in Limassol, Cyprus. Compared to the previous competition day, when the women competed in the same discipline, this day was quite uneventful with no surprises on the podium. However, the weather wasn’t so perfect: mild but noticeable wind and waves. Also, occasional clouds in the sky made the underwater conditions particularly dark, especially for deep athletes.

In short:

  • 70 athletes participated
  • Realized depths ranged from 48m (157ft) to 126m (413ft)
  • 7 red cards were issued
  • 12 yellow cards were given
  • 13 new AIDA National Records were set (pending doping tests)

CWTB is the newest discipline; it was introduced in 2019, newly separated from CWT. The main difference between CWTB and CWT is not in the type of fins used (technically, you can use bifins for CWT) but in the kicking style: in CWTB, according to AIDA rules, only one dolphin kick on a turn is allowed. Another dolphin kick would lead to disqualification. Today, there were two athletes disqualified for it.

The start list itself didn't promise any surprises. The current absolute world record holder in CWTB with 129m (423ft), Alexey Molchanov (INT), announced a 126m (413ft) dive, 3m (10ft) shallower than his PB. His nearest rival and former world record holder in the discipline, Petar Klovar (HRV), with a best official performance of 128m (420ft), chose to play it safe and announced a 120m (394ft) dive.

Both athletes successfully completed their dives, determining the Champion and the Vice-Champion. But as always, there is a nuance. Petar dived quickly (dive time: 3:54) and kept stable technique. At the end, he was obviously tired, and helped himself with arm strokes in the last 10m (33ft). Alexey performed in his usual super-relaxed and slow manner (dive time: 5:13) and, at a depth of around 30m (98ft), was under noticeable narcosis as his swimming technique fell apart and he lost the line. Despite this, Alexey surfaced and showed the protocol. Later, he commented that it was too dark for him and that a headlamp was needed. We hope he’ll find one by the CWT day.

Omar Al Ghailani (OMA; PB 111m / 364ft) had the third-deepest announcement of 108m (354ft) and performed it beautifully (no frog kicks or hand strokes). Congratulations on the bronze medal!

Overall, 8 athletes announced 100m+ (328ft+) dives, and all of them were successful — no red cards. Surprising consistency, gentlemen!

October 4th is a rest day at the Championships. We’ll be back on October 5th with news of the ladies competing in Free Immersion (FIM). We hope all the athletes, judges, safeties, and photographers will have a good, revitalizing rest!

Day 5 (October 5): FIM Women

October 5th was the fifth competition day at the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships in Limassol, Cyprus. After the rest day on October 4th, the women competed in Free Immersion (FIM). The day was also marked by the best weather conditions by far. But that didn’t made the ladies' task any easier; even among the top-5 deepest performances, we had a couple of colored cards.

In short:

  • 56 athletes participated
  • Realized depths ranged from 38m (125ft) to 108m (354ft)
  • 4 red cards were issued
  • 14 yellow cards were given
  • 1 new absolute World Record
  • 2 new AIDA Continental Records
  • 6 new AIDA National Records (pending doping tests)

All yellow cards were given for early turns. The most common reason for an early turn is an equalization issue or an overestimated capacity. FIM might be considered the easiest discipline, yet, in a sense, it’s really the most nerve-wracking. In CNF or CWTB, a tired athlete can always switch to FIM, while in FIM itself, a tired athlete can only hope for the help of safeties; if a dive is deep, then an athlete is left one-on-one with the dark depth until they reach the 40m (131ft) deep safety diver with a scooter.

First World Record at the Championship

So far at this Championship, there have been two world record announcements, both by Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN). Her dreams of a CWTB World Record of 113m (371ft) didn’t come true; Zsófia turned early. Fortunately, the fate of her second world record attempt was much brighter.

Zsófia dived to 108m (354ft), moving quite fast both on the descent and on the ascent after grabbing the tag (dive time: 3:48). Upon surfacing, she looked a bit unfocused and searched for the nose clip for a moment, but finally found it, took it off, and successfully finished the surface protocol. Congratulations to our golden girl and Champion!

Nataliia Zharkova (UKR; PB 107m / 351ft), the former absolute world record holder in FIM with her 107m dive (set during the CMAS World Championship, in Roatán, Honduras), decided not to participate in the race for the record and announced a modest depth of 103m (338ft). Nataliia confidently performed the dive (dive time: 3:30) and secured the silver. Congratulations, Vice-Champion!

The Complicated Fate of the Bronze

According to the start list, Enchante Gallardo (USA; PB 106m / 348ft) hoped for a silver medal as well with her announcement of 103m (338ft). The athlete reached her desired depth, grabbed the tag, and headed back. But at around 10m (33ft), Enchante started to lose the line and eventually blacked out, with safeties bringing her back to the surface. We hope Enchante is feeling better now.

Next in line for the bronze was Sanda Delija (HRV; PB 103m / 338ft). Sanda made a careful announcement of 98m (322ft), and at first, it seemed like she could pull it off. Alas, the athlete turned back at 95m (312ft). With a 4-point penalty for an early turn and no tag, Sanda scored 91 points and missed the medal by only 1 point — we feel for you, Sanda!

The athlete who dived to 92m (302ft) and took the bronze was Isabel Sanchez Aran (ESP; PB 96m / 315ft). But once again, Isabel had us momentarily worried during her surface protocol. Similar to her CWTB dive, Isabel showed the OK sign first, then remembered her nose clip and goggles, removed them, and showed the sign again. Fortunately, this time, Isabel managed to complete this sequence within the allowed 15 seconds and got a white card!

According to the results in three disciplines, the leading lady overall so far is (who else?) Zsófia Törőcsik with 274 points overall. Sanda Delija is ranked second with 248 points and Vera Burkard (SUI) is closing the top-three club with 225 points. It seems that Zsófia and Sanda only need a white card for a conservative CWT dive to secure the overall gold and silver. Meanwhile, Vera would need to do her best for bronze as Mojca Haberman (SVN) is quite close on her heels with 218 points.

That’s all for women's FIM. On October 6th, it will be the men's turn to perform in this discipline. The main rivalry is again between Petar Klovar (HRV) — the current absolute World Record holder with 137m (449ft) — and Alexey Molchanov (INT) — the former World Record holder with 133m (436ft). Who are you betting on? Either way, don't miss watching it live on the AIDA Freediving YouTube channel and stay tuned for updates!

Day 6 (October 6): FIM Men

The men competed in the Free Immersion (FIM) discipline on October 6th at the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships in Limassol, Cyprus. The weather was fine, yet there were many early turns, and even three underwater blackouts.

In short:

  • 68 athletes participated
  • Realized depths ranged from 45m (148ft) to 132m (433ft)
  • 4 red cards were issued
  • 19 yellow cards were given
  • 2 new AIDA Continental Records
  • 11 new AIDA National Records (pending doping tests)

Playing It Safe Pays Off

The deepest athletes in FIM were Petar Klovar (HRV) — the current absolute World Record holder with 137m (449ft) — and Alexey Molchanov (INT) — the former World Record holder with 133m (436ft). Both made their announcements 5m (16ft) shallower than their personal bests: 132m (433ft) and 128m (420ft), respectively.

Martin Ruman (SVK; PB 116m / 381ft) and Omar Al Ghailani (OMA; PB 113m / 371ft) both announced 113m dives. However, at the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Roatán, Honduras, Martin dived 3m (10ft) deeper and won silver, sharing the podium spot with Piotr Kubiak (POL). For Omar, the announced depth is equal to his current official PB. However, at the World Apnea Championships Precompetition Limassol 2026, Omar attempted a 117m (384ft) dive twice, but failed the surface protocol both times.

In the end, this conservative approach paid off, and all the top-four athletes received white cards. Petar is the World Champion in FIM, with Alexey as his deputy, while Martin and Omar share the bronze.

Let There Be Light

We can't skip comparing Petar Klovar’s and Alexey Molchanov’s diving styles again. Similar to their CWTB dives, there is a big time gap. Petar dives quickly and powerfully; his dive time was 4:00. Alexey's dive took a minute longer, even though it was 8m (26ft) shorter (4m / 13ft to the depth and 4m back). But unlike his CWTB dive, Alexey used a neck weight and a headlamp (hurray!) to see the line and to lessen the effects of narcosis — and it worked! Alexey's technique remained stable during the entire dive and was quite beautiful. Nonetheless, at one moment, Alexey managed to lose the line. As he explained afterwards, he closed his eyes from time to time (he doesn't use goggles), and the yellow-black line is poorly visible at depth.

Martin Ruman and Omar Al Ghailani also performed their dives with stable and beautiful techniques.

The 100m+ Club

Overall, there were 7 announcements for 100m+ (328ft+) dives, 6 of which were completed with white cards. These included Brad Stephens (USA) and Kim Dahlgren (SWE), who dove to 108m (354ft) and 101m (331ft) and set a new AIDA Continental Record for the Americas and a new AIDA National Record for Sweden, respectively.

Congratulations, gentlemen!

Neck and Neck

Among the men, we predictably have an interesting rivalry between Petar Klovar and Alexey Molchanov for the overall prize. According to the results in the three disciplines, Petar is only 1 point ahead of Alexey, scoring 348 points. Omar Al Ghailani is ranked 3rd with 296 points overall. So unless Petar or Alexey fails their CWT dive, Omar doesn't stand a chance at jumping ahead; his CWT PB is 111m (364ft). However, Brad Stephens, who is ranked 4th with an overall 284 points and a CWT PB of 110m (361ft), can also try to snatch the overall bronze. It will be interesting to see how the last day of the men’s competition plays out!

We’re now moving to the last part of the Championship: the Constant Weight (CWT) discipline. The ladies will traditionally go first and compete in the discipline on October 7th. Don't miss it! Watch the penultimate competition day live on the AIDA Freediving YouTube channel and stay tuned for updates!

Day 7 (October 7): CWT Women

October 7th was the final competition day for women at the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships in Limassol, Cyprus, where the ladies competed in the Constant Weight (CWT) discipline. The weather was favorable, yet out of the top-5 deepest announcements of the day, only 2 ended in white cards. The day was, overall, a colorful one, and even protests made at the end of it didn’t change the fate of the cards. We assume that several of the athletes are feeling quite down today.

In short:

  • 53 athletes participated
  • Realized depths ranged from 38m (125ft) to 113m (371ft)
  • 6 red cards were issued
  • 15 yellow cards were given
  • 5 new AIDA National Records (pending doping tests)

Expectedly, the two deepest announcements of the day were made by Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN; PB 112m / 367ft) and Nataliia Zharkova (UKR; PB 117m / 384ft), who announced 115m (377ft) and 113m (371ft), respectively. Also in the 100m+ (328ft+) club were Olga Markina (INT; PB 110m / 361ft) with a 102m (335ft) announcement, and Sanda Delija (HRV; PB 100m) with Jade Agboton (FRA; PB 98m / 322ft), both of whom announced 101m (331ft) dives.

Zsófia Törőcsik turned early at a depth of 108m (354ft), resulting in 100 points. For the athlete, almost any result in the discipline was acceptable except for a red card, so she has a good chance at winning overall.

Nataliia Zharkova dived next and gracefully brought the tag from a depth of 113m (371ft). Her beautiful and confident dive was completed with a white card, securing her leading position in the discipline. Nataliia's white card and gold medal were the only things we were sure about today. Congratulations, Champion! As a side note: Nataliia performed in all the disciplines, aiming to win overall, but due to a bitter disqualification for a pull in her 106m (348ft) CWTB dive (which had the potential to bring her gold), Nataliia now ranks 6th overall.

Sanda Delija performed afterward, aiming to reach 101m (331ft) to avoid risking her overall position. She turned back at 96m (315ft), received a yellow card, and scored 90 points in the discipline. It’s important to note that Sanda was diving with bifins, and this time, she dove 4m (13ft) deeper than her previous CWTB dive in the competition. In that CWTB dive, she had announced 101m, but early-turned at 92m (302ft). In both cases, she missed the podium; nonetheless, Sanda is now ranked 2nd overall.

A Tale of Two OK Signs

With Zsófia's and Sanda's early turns, Olga Markina was next in line for silver in the discipline. Olga has been competing at the World Championships since 2018 and holds a national record in CWT with a dive of 110m (361ft), placing 6th in the overall discipline ranking in the world. If she had gotten this silver medal, it would have been her first time medaling at the World Championships. She stayed conservative and announced 102m (335ft), completing the dive with beautiful and stable technique. Before appearing on the surface, she took off her nose clip and then moved directly to showing the OK sign to the judges. But it seems her hand flinched, and the judges ruled that Olga showed a double OK sign — a disqualification under AIDA rules. Olga protested, but her protest was overruled. We’re heartbroken for the athlete!

Next on the list, Jade Agboton attempted a depth of 101m (331ft) with bifins. She swiftly reached the depth and returned. At the surface, she took off her nose clip and showed the OK sign with a shaking hand. However, the judges gave her a white card! We’re happy for Jade, though it's hard not to wonder how two similar moments led to such different outcomes.

The winners in CWT among women are as follows:

  • Nataliia Zharkova (UKR) - 113m (371ft) - Gold
  • Jade Agboton (FRA) - 101m (331ft) - Silver
  • Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) - 100m (328ft) - Bronze

One Last Twist

But the drama isn’t over just yet. If you remember, according to the overall results in the previous three disciplines, the leading athletes were:

  • Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) with 274 points
  • Sanda Delija (HRV) with 248 points
  • Vera Burkard (SUI) with 225 points

Mojca Haberman (SVN) with 218 points was right on Vera's heels for third place. Vera announced and successfully performed an 83m (272ft) dive today and was given a white card at the surface. But after judges rewatched the feed, Vera's card turned red for a pull, dropping her to 13th place in the overall ranking.

This means now, the overall winners among women are as follows:

  • Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) - 374 points - Gold (there were no doubts here!)
  • Sanda Delija (HRV) - 338 points - Silver
  • Mojca Haberman (SVN) - 308 points - Bronze

Jade Agboton missed the overall bronze medal by only 3 points!

On October 8th, the men will compete in CWT, which will close this Championship. After such an emotional rollercoaster today, we hope for a calmer competition among the men, as they’ve so far played it safer than the ladies. But what do you know? Alexey Molchanov (INT) has announced a new absolute CWT World Record of 137m (449ft)! We’re sure you want to watch it live on the AIDA Freediving YouTube channel — and stay tuned for updates!

Day 8 (October 8): CWT Men

On October 8th, we witnessed the final day of the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships in Limassol, Cyprus. Men competed in the Constant Weight with Fins (CWT) discipline, and it was a stressful thing to watch — many yellow cards, several underwater blackouts, and one insane world record. Nonetheless, in total, 11 men managed to successfully reach 100m+ (328ft+).

In short:

  • 70 athletes participated
  • Realized depths ranged from 41m (135ft) to 137m (449ft)
  • 6 red cards were issued
  • 24 yellow cards were given
  • 1 new absolute World Record (pending doping tests)
  • 8 new AIDA National Records (pending doping tests)

Impressive Silver

As usual for this Championship, the main intrigue for the competition among men was the rivalry between Petar Klovar (HRV) and Alexey Molchanov (INT). In 2025, Petar made a dream come true by beating a long-standing 102m (335ft) world record in CNF, diving without fins to a depth of 103m (338ft). This year, he ambitiously aimed for a CWT world record, intimidating Alexey's lonely reign at the top of this discipline for the past 14 years. However, at the beginning of this Championship, Petar's official PB in CWT was 100m (328ft). So we were impressed to see his 125m (410ft) announcement on the start list, since athletes can only announce a maximum of 5m (16ft) deeper than their training PB made within the past 3 months. We were even more impressed to see Petar reaching the announced depth in his usual fast manner (dive time: 3:45), making small amplitude kicks even in the freefall zone. Petar's technique remained decently stable throughout the whole dive, with several arm strokes during the last 15m (49ft). When he showed up at the surface, he was fully in control and quickly completed the protocol — white card!

CWT World Record in Gold

Alexey Molchanov decided to risk it all on the last day. He pushed his limits, announcing a new absolute world record in CWT of 137m (449ft) - 1m (3ft) deeper than his previous world record set 3 years ago in Cyprus during the 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship. The dive was traditionally long (dive time: 5:02) and not easy. During the ascent, while he was still in the zone of negative buoyancy at around 100m (328ft) deep, Alexey started to lose the line: spinning around it, sometimes swimming with his back to it, and sometimes being as far from the line as his lanyard allowed him. We think it’s safe to say many people were praying for Alexey to reach at least the first safety, who was waiting for him at around 45m (148ft) deep. Thankfully, he reached the safety and kept pushing, and you won’t believe it — he even made it to the surface and showed the surface protocol without grabbing the line! Alexey was still obviously affected by narcosis, but the day was saved by perfect weather conditions (no waves at all) and Olga Markina (INT), who was Alexey's coach of the day. Olga yelled across the entire Mediterranean Sea to guide Alexey through the protocol. It wasn't in vain; Alexey showed the protocol and came to his senses enough to finally find the line! Only then could we breathe while we watched him receive a white card! Congratulations to the deepest man on Earth!!!

Bronze PB

Martin Ruman (SVK)and Alexander Vinogradov (INT)almost nabbed bronze medals. They both announced 120m (394ft) dives, and both turned early at 112m (367ft) and 110m (361ft), respectively. This gave Brad Stephens (USA) an opportunity to go for the bronze, and he didn't waste it! Brad completed a neat and fast (dive time: 3:15) dive to 115m (377f), improving his PB by 5m (16ft), and received a white card! Congratulations, Brad!

Andn we can't miss a moment of professional pride to notice that all three men on the CWT podium completed their dives with the PRO Monofin 4x Carbon! We couldn't be prouder or happier!

Vitomir Maričić (HRV) and Omar Al Ghailani (OMA) also announced 110m+ (361ft+) dives, to 112m (367ft) and 111m (364ft), respectively. Omar completed his dive using bifins, got a white card and set a new AIDA National Record for Oman. Vitomir decided to enjoy a photo session instead, making a graceful dive to 44m (144ft). And he definitely won it, as there were no other competitors!

A Miracle Overall

One more wondrous thing happened in the end: the overall winner among the men became Alexey Molchanov! We’re not joking; it’s a miracle because the 46x World Record holder with a 22-year-long freediving career has finally won the overall Natalia Molchanova Award, established in memory of his legendary mother in 2015, for the first time ever!

So, the overall scores among men are as follows:

  • Alexey Molchanov (INT) - 484 points - Gold
  • Petar Klovar (HRV) - 473 points - Silver
  • Omar Al Ghailani (OMA) - 407 points - Bronze

Brad Stephens (USA) missed the podium by only 8 points! We hope you will get there next year, Brad!

In Memory of Andrey Matveenko

During the break, athletes paid tribute to the memory of Andrey Matveenko (INT). They brought flowers and a table with the 134m (440ft) CWT World Record in the water. On August 21, 2023, Andrey dived with a monofin to 134m and became the first man other than Alexey Molchanov in 11 years to set a world record in CWT. Andrey's record held only for several minutes, though, as Alexey was diving next and successfully reached 136m (446ft).

Andrey Matveenko passed away on November 11, 2025. The freediving community continues to mourn his loss.

On this solemn note, the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships and the freediving competition season 2026 are officially over! It was a great event full of victorious splashing and some disappointing recovery breaths, but most importantly, it was safe and well-organized. We’ll take this last moment to thank the team of dedicated professionals — safety divers, judges, photographers, commentators, and AIDA International itself! It was unforgettable, and we can't wait to meet again next year!

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