World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championships

Freediving competition season 2026 opens in Budapest, Hungary, with the World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championships.

Sports Columnist: Asya Kleshchevnikova
Editor: Kristina Zvaritch

1. Preview of the World Championship
2. Day 1 (June 2): DYNB
New absolute World Record in DYNB (female)
3. Day 2 (June 3): DNF
New absolute World Record in DNF (male)
4. Day 3 (June 5): STA
New absolute World Record in STA (female)
5. Day 4 (June 6): DYN
New AIDA World Record in DYN (male)

Preview Of The World Championship

Background

On May 31st, the freediving world competition season started with the opening ceremony of the World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championships. The organizers are the biggest freediving club in Hungary: the nOxygen Apnea Club. Despite the fact that they are hosting the World Championship for the first time, they are quite experienced and known for the annual international freediving competition, the Hungarian Open Indoor Freediving Championship, traditionally held in November since 2021, implementing both AIDA and CMAS rules.

Diving Conditions and Competition Schedule

The competition venue is the Danube Arena pool complex, built in 2015–2017 to host the World Aquatics Championships. For the Championship, two pools will be used. The pool for the dynamic disciplines has the following conditions:

• Depth: 3m (10ft)
• Length: 50m (164ft)
• Number of lanes: 10
• Water temperature: 26–27°C (79–81°F)

The pool for static is just 1.2m (4ft) deep and the water temperature is warm: 28°C (82°F).

Freedivers will compete in four disciplines according to the following schedule:

June 2 - Dynamic with Bifins (DYNB)
June 3 - Dynamic without Fins (DNF)
June 4 - Rest/training day for freedivers
June 5 - Static (STA)
June 6 - Dynamic with Fins (DYN)

This year, AIDA is providing a sizeable total prize pool of 50,000 EUR. The monetary prizes will be given for all medals in all disciplines, for overall winners, and additionally, 2,000 EUR will be awarded for world records.

Apart from the monetary prizes, the overall Champions will also be recognized as the most consistent and outstanding athletes across the entire championship by receiving the Natalia Molchanova Memorial Award, established in 2015.

If one wins all dynamic disciplines, sets a new World Record, and takes home a bronze in STA (which will most likely also lead to winning overall), then the monetary prize will total 9,250 EUR. However, pushing limits may also lead to mistakes and even blackouts, resulting in lost points. So perhaps one would decide to play it safe and aim for all bronze medals. Either way, the stakes are high, which means that an intriguing rivalry awaits freediving fans.

Competing Athletes

Officially, 264 athletes (125 women and 137 men) from 60 countries announced their participation in the Championship.

Among the men, all current world record holders among competitive athletes are present. We are only missing Stéphane Mifsud (FRA)—the current absolute world record holder in STA with 11 min 35 sec (Individual World Record Attempt - MIFSUD Stephane in 2009). However, Stéphane hasn't competed since 2010. Among women, the absentee athlete is more notable, as Julia Kozerska (POL) is the current absolute DNF World Record holder with the result of 222.5m (730ft), achieved during CMAS The World Games 2025, Chengdu, China. Julia is also in the world's top 8 in all other disciplines (including STA), so her absence makes the competition between women much less intense.

But we also have a surprising comeback—Alexey Molchanov (INT)—who hasn't participated in the AIDA World Championships in the pool for the past 11 years.

Let's place our bets!

DYN

In DYN (and in all other dynamic disciplines), the current absolute World Record holder is Mateusz Malina (POL). His record stands at 326.5m, which he set at the CMAS WORLD FREEDIVING INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP ATHENS 2025. His official personal best (PB), according to the AIDA rules, is still 300m (984ft), and it was achieved in 2016. It seems very likely that Mateusz may now attempt to even out his AIDA and CMAS World Records.

The current AIDA World Record holder in DYN and potentially Mateusz's main contender for the gold is Ming (William Joy) Jin, with 319m (1,047ft). The only consideration is that William doesn't typically perform so well under the pressure of the World Championships, having never won the gold at a competition of this level. Right on their heels is Rolando Salgado (CUB) with a PB of 318m (1,043ft), reached at an AIDA competition (UNU Freediving Challenge 2025) in December 2025.

The two athletes with the next biggest PBs are Guillaume Bourdila (FRA)—who dived 306.6m (1,006ft) three years ago during the CMAS World Championship, Kuwait 2023— and Alexey Molchanov (INT)—305.5m (1,002ft) achieved during World Games 2025 in China. It’s important to mention that, in general, Alexey doesn't often compete in pool. Nonetheless, during the World Games 2025, he became the only top athlete among men who improved his PB, claiming the silver ahead of several athletes with larger PBs who didn't manage to perform at maximum capacity.

Among the women, we are missing Mirela Kardasevic (HRV) and Julia Kozerska (POL), who simultaneously set a new CMAS World Record of 284m (932ft) during the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Indoor. So, with a decent level of confidence, we can say that Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN)—the current absolute World Record holder in DYN with 300m from the 2025 World Games—and Magdalena Solich-Talanda (POL)—with a PB of 281m (922ft)—are our Champion and Vice-Champion picks this year. The only uncertainty is that Zsófia started this season training hard in depth disciplines, setting a new FIM World Record of 105m (344ft) during the AIDA Mabini Depth Quest. Has the athlete had enough time to also train for the pool disciplines as well? Only time will tell.

The athletes following the main leaders are at least 14m (46ft) behind and won't have a chance at gold or silver unless the favorites make a mistake. But the competition for the bronze will be intense between Hyegeum Oh (KOR; PB 267m / 876ft), Bevin Reynolds (ZAF; PB 250m / 820ft), and Kateryna Sadurska (UKR; PB 250m).

DYNB and DNF

In DYNB and DNF, we have the same top 2 for both men and women: Mateusz Malina (POL) and Guillaume Bourdila (FRA); Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) and Magdalena Solich-Talanda (POL).

In DYNB, their results are quite close, and either of each pair can win the gold. Between Mateusz—the current absolute World Record holder with a result of 300m (984ft)—and Guillaume, there are only 2m (7ft). Between Zsófia—the current absolute World Record holder with a result of 265m (869ft)—and Magdalena, the gap is even smaller at 1.34m (4ft).

Among the men, Ming (William Joy) Jin (CHN; PB 287m / 942ft), Mikhail Briantcev (INT; PB 281m / 922ft), and Rolando Salgado (CUB; PB 266.5m) can also hope to snatch a medal. And among the women, the top two will be challenged by Yagmur Ergun (TUR; 237m / 778ft), Bevin Reynolds (ZAF; 233m / 764ft), and Jiyeon Kim (KOR; 232m / 761ft).

In DNF, Mateusz—the current absolute World Record holder with a result of 250m (820ft)—is well ahead of Guillaume, whose PB is 236m (774ft). It’s important to note that both reached their PBs in DNF a while ago. Mateusz swam 250m during the AIDA Polish Freediving Pool Championships in 2022, and Guillaume covered his 236m distance during the Freediving Indoor European Open Championship in 2019. In 2025, both athletes performed in DNF a bit below their maximum capacity. Mateusz swam a distance of 239.5m (786ft) and set a new CMAS World Record during the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Indoor, while Guillaume performed a 211m (692ft) dive during the 34th AIDA Freediving World Championship.

Comparing PBs, Mateusz's and Guillaume's competitors are at least 18m (59ft) behind, but they also have fresher PBs. Rolando Salgado (CUB) swam 218m (715ft) without fins during the 2025 World Games and Ming (William Joy) Jin reached 204m (669ft) during the Diving Republic AIDA Pool Series: Diving into 2025.

Among the women in DNF, the gap between the two favorites, Zsófia and Magdalena, and the top competitors that follow them is at least 9.2m (30ft). But we haven't seen Bevin Reynolds (ZAF; PB 200m / 656ft) at the World Championships in 3 years; maybe the athlete is preparing a surprise for her fans? Kateryna Sadurska (UKR; PB 183.5m / 602ft) and Yasuko Ozeki (JPN; PB 175m / 574ft) have DNF performances of less than 200m, but fans can still count them in for a medal if the top three avoid pushing their limits.

STA

Regarding the competition in STA, we have two main questions:

• Will Florian "Mr. 10 Minutes" Dagoury (FRA) nail the surface protocol?
• Will Heike Schwerdtner (DEU) attempt a new World Record?

Yes, Florian and Heike are the main contenders for the gold among the men and the women, respectively, as they also were in 2025. But unlike Heike—the current absolute World Record holder with a result of 9:30 reached during the CMAS Hungarian Open Indoor Freediving Championship 2025—Florian was less fortunate at last year's Championship. His PB is 10:41 (AIDA Thailand STA Competition, 2021), and during the Championship 2025, Florian reached 9:31. His performance could have brought him the silver, but alas, according to the judges, he made a mistake during surface protocol and was disqualified. So, the silver went to Aleksandr Maksimov (INT), who made a new official PB of 9:17, and is also present at this Championship.

Florian is followed by several athletes whose breath-holds exceed 9 minutes. Besides Aleksandr, they are Valdemar Karlsson (SWE; PB 9:28), Ibrahim Al Salatni (OMN; PB 9:22), and Ming (William Joy) Jin (CHN; PB 9:08).

So, among the men, the competition is quite unpredictable, but the same can’t be said for the competition among the women. Objectively speaking, it's unlikely that anyone can really challenge Heike. Her nearest competitor and Vice-Champion 2025, Iiris Ala-Olla (FIN; PB 08:03), holds her breath for 1:27 less than Heike. And Iiris herself is followed by several athletes with PBs just above 7 minutes: Hyegeum Oh (KOR; PB 7:32), Jiyeon Kim (KOR; PB 7:21), and Fiona De Sousa (ZAF; PB 7:18).

With this list of contenders, the STA day can hardly be considered boring!

What’s Next?

We hope we’ve sparked your interest and that you won't miss the broadcast (available on AIDA International's 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.

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

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

Day 1 (June 2): DYNB

June 2nd was the first competition day of the World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championship in Budapest, Hungary. Athletes competed in Dynamic with Bifins (DYNB), and the day was long! Even though 6 athletes simultaneously performed in a single heat, the competition lasted from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm local time, including two 30-minute breaks. It's hard to imagine how tired the safety team, judges, and especially the broadcast hosts must have been (who had to speak nearly non-stop for 4 hours)!

Speaking of, the broadcast itself was perfect. The infographics and excellent work of the cameramen and operators made it possible to see how the athletes progressed over the distance and how far they swam. Replays of the athletes' surface protocols were also promptly shown, even for the athletes who weren't shown live. Bravo to all the involved professionals and organizers!

In short:

• 221 athletes participated (in comparison, 196 athletes performed on the first day of last year’s Championship in Wakayama, Japan)
• Realized distances ranged from 72m–295m (236–968ft)
• 28 red cards were issued
• 4 yellow cards were given
• 1 new AIDA World Record (pending)
• 5 new AIDA Continental Records (pending)
• 31 new AIDA National Records (pending)

Winners among the men

The men's medals were decided in the second and final heats. Our main favorite and the current absolute world record holder in DYNB, Mateusz Malina (POL), already set the bar high in the second heat by swimming 295m (968ft). Viewers spent the rest of the day waiting for someone to catch up with him. Ming (William Joy) Jin (CHN) also swam in the first half of the day, but as usual for him at world championship events, his result of 254m (833ft) was significantly below his official personal best (PB) of 287m (942ft). However, his performance was good enough to hold second place until the last heat of the day. Eventually, it dropped to fourth.

No one came close to Mateusz's result until the final heat, when a dramatic battle unfolded. In this heat, the other two athletes with the biggest PBs in this discipline performed: Guillaume Bourdila (FRA; PB 298m / 978ft) and Rolando Salgado (CUB; PB 266.5m / 874ft). Alongside them swam the probable contenders for bronze: Mikhail Briantsev (INT; PB 281m) and Aleksandr Maksimov (INT; PB 263m / 837ft). Mikhail finished first at a distance of 232m (761ft), which was well below not only his PB, but even his announced performance. The athlete received a yellow card and dropped from the race for medals. Rolando got very close to the pedestal by swimming 280m (919ft). Alas, the dive was too close to his limits, so the athlete surfaced with light samba, forgot to take off his goggles in time and, hence, failed the surface protocol. It was a red card and a disqualification.

The current AIDA World Record holder in DYNB, Guillaume, didn't make it to his maximum, performing a dive to 286m (938ft). Fortunately, this result was enough to score him second place.

And so, Aleksandr swam to third place, finishing a strong 259m (850ft) dive. Aleksandr is probably the only athlete in recent years who has managed to win World Championship medals in both dynamic and static disciplines.

Congratulations to the winners!

Winners among the women

Among the women, the events unfolded in almost the same way. The winner claimed her medal in the morning, yet the fans were left in suspense until the final heat, which had the potential to change everything.

Magdalena Solich-Talanda (POL) swam in the 16th heat and performed a remarkable dive of 270m (886ft). She not only confidently won the gold, but also set a new absolute World Record, improving her previous record by 6.36m (21ft) in one leap. The AIDA World Record of 259m (850ft), which belonged to Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN), was improved by 11m (36ft).

Zsófia herself was swimming in the final heat, and her performance was highly anticipated. The athlete reached 250m (820ft) but blacked out before surfacing.

So, the silver landed in the hands of Bevin Reynolds (ZAF), who returned to the World Championship after a 3-year break. Bevin completed a 250m dive, set a new AIDA Continental Record for Africa, and became Vice-Champion. What a comeback!

The fate of the bronze was more complicated; there were three athletes whose results differed by just 1m (3ft). Eventually, Hyegeum Oh (KOR) secured it, swimming 233m (764ft) and setting a new AIDA Continental Record for Asia. Her result was just 1m further than Nara Martins Ishikawa's (BRA), who completed a distance of 232m (761ft) and set a new AIDA Continental Record for South America. Hyegeum also outswam her teammate, Jiyeon Kim (KOR), who held the previous AIDA Continental Record for Asia, by 2m (7ft).

Congratulations to all the winners; it was an incredible day!

We are now ready for the second competition day, when athletes will perform in Dynamic without Fins (DNF). Make sure not to miss out on the broadcast where strong athletes, beautiful dives, and impeccable organization all complement each other to turn this event into an engaging freediving show!

NEW ABSOLUTE WORLD RECORD IN DYNB (female)

On June 2, 2026, during the World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championships, Magdalena Solich-Talanda (POL) updated the world's best result in dynamic with bifins (DYNB), covering a distance of 270m on one breath. What a feat!

The dive lasted a long 4:04 but seemed effortless, with a perfectly clean and confident surface protocol. With this dive, Magdalena improved her own previous absolute world record of 263.64m, set three years ago during the 2023 Kuwait CMAS World Freediving Indoor Championship. However, according to AIDA rules, the previous DYNB world record of 259m belonged to the rising star Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN), who set it in her second competition year during the 34th AIDA Freediving World Championship in 2025 in Wakayama, Japan.

Magdalena is a consistent and experienced athlete who has been training since 2014. After just one year of training, she won her first bronze medal at the AIDA Pool World Championships with a DNF dive of 146m (479ft). One year later, at the AIDA Pool World Championship 2016, Magdalena became World Champion in both DNF and DYN and set her first world record in DNF. Then, in 2018, Magdalena became the first woman in history to reach 200m (656ft) without fins. However, her performance did not become a world record because the competition did not have world-record status. Nevertheless, it became part of freediving history. Since then, Magdalena has consistently continued to improve the world's best records and collect championship titles in three disciplines: DNF, DYN, and DYNB

At this Championship Magdalena is supported by her husband and trainer, Mateusz Talada, and her pet dog. So, after the dive, Magdalena was giving an interview, and Mateusz went to take the dog for a walk. During the interview today, Magdalena mentioned that she loves the training process and doesn't really enjoy the competitions because they cause too much stress for her. For this dive, she hadn't planned a new world record but was just going to do her best and have fun. Also, this time she doesn't plan to compete in DYN and will only participate in the DNF competition.

Well, we could confirm that it was fun indeed to watch such an awesome performance! Congratulations, Magdalena — you are an inspiration!

Day 2 (June 3): DNF

June 3rd was the second competition day at the World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championship in Budapest, Hungary. Freedivers competed in the most physically challenging discipline—Dynamic without Fins (DNF). This day will be remembered in history as a truly legendary one: Mateusz Malina (POL) set a new absolute World Record of 252m (827ft) in a 50-meter pool. To better comprehend the importance of this feat, remember that the first-ever turn at 250m with a monofin (the most powerful tool in freediving) was performed 16 years ago by Frederic Sessa (FRA) in 2010. And now a human (or is he a human at all?) made it without any fins! But let’s cover everything in order.

In short:

• 209 athletes participated
• Realized distances ranged from 51–252m (167–827ft)
• 26 red cards were issued
• 0 yellow cards were given
• 1 new AIDA World Record (pending)
• 3 new AIDA Continental Records (pending)
• 18 new AIDA National Records (pending)

Winners among the women

The day has started with a beautiful and strong dive of Bevin Reynolds (ZAF), who swam 202m (663ft). This performance not only brought Bevin a new AIDA Continental Record for Africa, but it also became a confident claim for a medal. Until the 13th heat of the day, Bevin's dive remained the longest, not only among women, but also the men.

In the 21st heat, Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) also tried to claim a medal, swimming an impressive 190m (623ft). Alas, Kateryna emerged with a slight loss of motor control and received a very unfortunate red card for beginning to say "I'm OK" before showing the OK sign.

A former world record holder in DNF, Magdalena Solich-Talanda (POL) performed in the 24th heat, and dived precisely the same distance as Bevin—202m! However, Magdalena's announced performance was 62m (203ft), while Bevin announced a 1m dive (3ft). Magdalena's AP was closer to her realized performance; therefore, according to the AIDA rules, she was placed in a higher position than Bevin in the discipline ranking.

But the fate of the medals wasn't clear until the final heat, when Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN; PB 212.5m / 697ft) performed. In DNF, Zsófia seconds only the current absolute world record holder in the discipline, Julia Kozerska (POL; WR 222.5m / 730ft). But Julia isn't participating in this Championship, so Zsófia is our main favorite. Unfortunately, the first competition day wasn't a successful one for Zsófia, when she failed a surface protocol after a 247m (810ft) dive with bifins. Our worries about Zsófia's DNF performance were in vain, however. The athlete focused and nailed the strongest dive of the day, swimming 207m (679ft)! Even among the men, the result would have brought her silver. Congratulations, Champion!

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

Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) - 207m (679ft) - Gold and new AIDA National Record for Hungary
Magdalena Solich-Talanda (POL) - 202m (663ft) - Silver
Bevin Reynolds (ZAF) - 202m - Bronze and new AIDA Continental Record for Africa

Winners among the men

In total, 3 women and 4 men swam further than 200m (656ft), making it feel like not all of the men were performing at their best. Rolando Salgado (CUB) became the first man to perform a 200m+ dive. In the 13th heat, he swam 203m (666ft) and received a white card. However, at that moment, it wasn't clear if the dive would be enough for a medal or a new AIDA Continental Record for North America.

In the 22nd heat, Mateusz Malina (POL) performed the most remarkable dive of the day (and probably of the entire Championship), swimming 252m (827ft)! The dive lasted 4:40 and, as mentioned before, it became a new absolute world record in DNF set in a 50-meter pool. The previous absolute world record of 250m also belonged to Mateusz. It was set 4 years ago during the AIDA Polish Freediving Pool Championships in a 25-meter pool. For DNF, this is an important difference: in a smaller pool, an athlete can push off the pool wall more often and glide afterward, saving energy for a long dive. This difference is so significant that, according to CMAS rules, DNF records set in 25-meter and 50-meter pools are recognized as two different types of records. Congratulations to the superhuman freediver!

Once again, we looked forward to the last heat to confidently know the winners. Alas, Guillaume Bourdila (FRA), the former world record holder in the discipline with an official personal best (PB) of 236m (774ft), was evidently not in top form and finished his dive at the 202m (663ft) mark. Nonetheless, the result seemed enough for a medal, because other contenders swam even less. For example, Ming (William Joy) Jin (CHN; PB 204m / 669ft) stopped at 167m (548ft), and Mikhail Briantsev (INT; PB 192m / 630ft) finished his dive at 178m (584ft).

So, it seemed that with a gap of 49m (161ft) between 1st and 2nd place, our winners among men were Mateusz Malina, Rolando Salgado, and Guillaume Bourdila. But here comes an unexpected twist: during the broadcast, we didn’t see Rolando's surface protocol, and it appears that he dipped his face in the water. So unfortunately, in the final protocols, his performance was marked with a red card and disqualification.

Because of that, Guillaume jumped into second place, and the bronze went to Philipp Heinzelmann (DEU)— the fourth man of the day—with a performance of 200m (656ft) sharp. It seems that Philipp debuted at the World Championship and not only won a medal, but also significantly improved his PB in the discipline, as his previous PB in DNF was 186m (610ft), reached during the AIDA Panglao Pool Championship 2026 in March.

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

Mateusz Malina (POL) - 252m (827ft) - Gold and new absolute world record
Guillaume Bourdila (FRA) - 202m (663ft) - Silver
Philipp Heinzelmann (DEU) - 200m (656ft) - Bronze

Congratulations to all the winners! We wish a very good rest day to everyone on June 4th to get ready for the second half of the Championship, where athletes will compete in STA and DYN.

NEW ABSOLUTE WORLD RECORD IN DNF (Male)

On June 3, 2026, during the second competition day of the World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championships, Mateusz Malina (POL) swam 252m (827ft) on one breath without fins and set a new absolute World Record in Dynamic without Fins (DNF).

The previous absolute World Record of 250m (820ft) also belonged to Mateusz. It was set 4 years ago during the AIDA Polish Freediving Pool Championships in a 25-meter pool. Remarkably, the new record was set in a 50-meter pool. For DNF, this is an important difference: in a smaller pool, an athlete can push off the pool wall more often and glide afterward, saving energy for a long dive. This difference is so significant that, according to CMAS rules, DNF records set in 25-meter and 50-meter pools are recognized as two different types of records.

And with this performance, Mateusz (not for the first time in his illustrious career) has turned a new page in freediving history. In 2008, Alexey Molchanov (INT) set a world record in DYN, covering a distance of 250m with a monofin. Two years later, in 2010, Frederic Sessa (FRA) improved the result and, for the first time in history, made a turn at 250m to complete his dive at the 255m mark (837ft). Now, 16 years later, Mateusz repeated the feat, but without any fins. It's beyond incredible!

The dive lasted 4:40. You might also have noticed that the athlete swam very close to the pool bottom and didn't wear any face gear: no mask, goggles, or even a nose clip. He only wore a thin rubber band that kept his ears pressed against his head. During the post-dive interview, Mateusz explained that purposely keeps his neutral buoyancy close to the pool bottom because, without goggles or a mask, visibility is poor, making it challenging to stay at the same depth during the entire dive. Mateusz also shared that he hadn't expected to set a new record during this Championship. On the first day, he was stressed and anxious, but today, the athlete calmed down, which likely helped him swim that mind-blowing distance.

Congratulations, Mateusz! Once again, you have proven yourself to be the strongest freediver in the pool!

And a small reminder for all athletes just starting out: it's okay to feel stressed and worried during an event of this level. You see, even the most experienced and decorated athletes feel the same. Embrace it and do your best anyway!

Day 3 (June 5): STA

After a rest day, the World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championships resumed on June 5th with competition in Static Apnea (STA). In our pre-competition forecast, we had two questions regarding the STA discipline:

• Would Florian "Mr. 10 Minutes" Dagoury (FRA) nail the surface protocol?
• Would Heike Schwerdtner (DEU) attempt a new World Record?

And we’re happy to confirm that the answer to both is yes! But let’s start from the beginning.

In short:

• 187 athletes participated
• Realized time ranged from 2:24 to 9:39
• 18 red cards were issued
• 4 yellow cards were given
• 1 new AIDA World Record (pending)
• 2 new AIDA Continental Records (pending)
• 8 new AIDA National Records (pending)

Winners among the men

As on the previous days, the first claims for medals were made straightaway in the morning. During the first heat, Mateusz Malina (POL; PB 9:35) showed a modest result (compared to his official personal best) of 8:37. In an interview, the athlete mentioned that he only performed in STA for the overall competition ranking, without an aim to win this particular discipline. And it’s possible his plan might work! At the moment, Mateusz's nearest competitor, Guillaume Bourdila (FRA), is 48.4 points away. If Mateusz gets a white card in DYN, Guillaume would need to outswim him by at least 97m (318ft) to win in the overall ranking.

Also, we can't skip mentioning that during this Championship, Mateusz prepared for his performance with a wool hat in Gryffindor colors!

Unfortunately, Mateusz's result in STA didn't hold on top for long. Already in the sixth heat, Florian Dagoury (FRA) beat it with a breath-hold of 9:01. If you watched Florian's performance at the previous 2025 World Championship in Wakayama, Japan, you might be understandably anxious about his surface protocol. That year, Florian held his breath for 9:31, but when he finished his attempt, he took off his mask, made strong recovery breaths, and began showing the OK sign...with both hands. According to AIDA rules, the OK sign must be shown with one hand only. Once Florian realized the slip, he completed the sign with only one hand. Sadly for the athlete, the judges decided that the mistake was worth disqualification. This year, Florian showed the OK sign with one hand, and then again with the other hand (if you were watching him at that moment, your heart likely skipped a beat!). Fortunately, before he showed the second sign, he managed to say "I'm OK," correctly completing the surface protocol sequence and receiving a white card! But Florian was evidently unhappy with the result, as it was almost 2 minutes less than his PB of 10:41. At that moment, Florian's chance at the World Champion title seemed doubtful.

The suspense stayed high until the final heat, as several of the strongest men performed at the end of the day. However, Rami Bladlav (SWE; PB 10:03) and Romain Jacob (FRA; PB 8:01) finished their performances under 7 minutes, with results of 6:59 and 6:50, respectively.

Aleksandr Maksimov (INT; PB 9:17), who also performed in the final heat, reached 8:54. Just like his fellow competitors in the same heat, his result was noticeably lower than his PB. It was obvious that the athlete was trying to beat Florian's performance, but missed it by several seconds. Aleksandr emerged just in time and showed the correct surface protocol, but looked at the edge of his limits—it seems that if he stayed underwater longer, he would have risked his white card. Nonetheless, Aleksandr also didn't seem happy with his result, as this became the third year in a row he placed second at the World Championship.

The men’s podium:

Florian Dagoury (FRA) - 9:01 - Gold
Aleksandr Maksimov (INT) - 8:54 - Silver
Mateusz Malina (POL) - 8:37 - Bronze

And a special congratulations and happy birthday to Florian, as he gave himself the ultimate birthday present—a World Champion title!

Winners among the women

The indisputable leader in STA among women (and, technically, also among the men at this Championship), Heike Schwerdtner (DEU) performed in the fourth heat. She held her breath for an incredible 9:39 and set a new absolute world record, improving her previous world best result of 9:30. Heike's progress in STA quickly went from 9:07 in 2024 (when she set her first STA World Record) to 9:39 in 2026. What if next year, we witness the Champion holding her breath for 10 mins? It's thrilling to even imagine!

This year, Heike's result is even 38 seconds better than the top men's performance. Once again, congratulations to the superwoman!

Additionally, Heike is now the first in the first in the overal competition ranking. Her nearest competitor, Bevin Reynolds (RSA), is 6.6 points behind. So, to win the title, Bevin needs to outswim Heike in DYN by at least 14m (46ft).

Fiona De Sousa (RSA) performed in one heat with Heike and held her breath for a decent 7:25. The result became Fiona's new PB and new AIDA Continental Record for Africa. Besides, it held second best until the last two heats.

In the penultimate heat, Yuriko Ichihara (JPN; PB 7:52) performed and showed a strong result of 7:41. At that moment, her breath-hold became the second best of the day. But then, in the final heat, Iiris Ala-Olla (FIN; PB 8:03) arrived at the pool’s edge. At the 2025 Championship, Iiris outperformed Yuriko with 8:03—becoming a Vice-Champion and setting a new AIDA National Record for Finland—while Yuriko held her breath for 7:52 and won the bronze. This year, Yuriko's fate shifted, as Iiris finished her attempt at 7:00—41 seconds shorter than Yuriko's performance.

The women’s podium:

Heike Schwerdtner (DEU) - 9:39 - Gold and a new absolute world record
Yuriko Ichihara (JPN) - 7:41 - Silver
Fiona De Sousa (ZAF) - 7:25 - Bronze and new AIDA Continental Record for Africa

Congratulations to all the winners!

And now, we’re ready for the final competition day, where athletes will compete in the spectacular Dynamic with Fins (DYN). Besides the fact that this day will decide the fate of the overall winners, we’re also looking forward to seeing the performance of our hero, Alexey Molchanov, who’s back at the AIDA World Championship for the first time in 11 years. Make sure you don't miss his comeback!

NEW ABSOLUTE WORLD RECORD IN STA

On June 5, the fourth competition day of the World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championships, Heike Schwerdtner (GER) set a new absolute World Record in STA, holding her breath for a mind-blowing 09:39! Congratulations, Heike! What a legend you are!

It's Heike's fifth World Record in STA. Although she had been a swimmer as a child, Heike had not trained freediving seriously until 2015. Despite the challenges of being a single mom, a full-time teacher at a school for nursing staff, and the necessity of taking care of her now-deceased mother with dementia, Heike always found time for freediving. In 2017, she started participating in freediving competitions, first national, then international, and eventually at the World Championships.

The breakthrough happened in 2024, when, at 54 years old, Heike held her breath for 9:07 at the 32nd AIDA Pool Championship in Kaunas, Lithuania, and broke the legendary World Record of 9:02, which had been set more than eleven years earlier by Natalia Molchanova.

In 2025, Heike set three new World Records, improving her own best result from 9:07 to 9:30 within just one year!

And today, we had the honour of witnessing one more incredible performance, when Heike calmly emerged and showed a clean surface protocol after holding her breath for 9:39! And honestly, it looked like Heike could do even more!

And this isn't all. Heike performed on all previous competition days. In DYNB, she covered a distance of 203m, becoming 14th in the overall discipline ranking. And in DNF, Heike placed sixth with a result of 163m. This makes her first in the overall Championship ranking! Tomorrow is the last competition day, when athletes will compete in DYN. And Heike, we are rooting for you! It's your time!

Day 4 (June 6): DYN

The last day of the World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championship, when athletes competed in a Dynamic with Fins (DYN), was probably the most interesting and dramatic day of the event.

In short:

• 213 athletes participated
• Realized distance ranged from 86–325m (282–1,066ft)
• 20 red cards were issued
• 2 yellow cards were given
• 1 new AIDA World Record (pending)
• 5 new AIDA Continental Records (pending)
• 34 new AIDA National Records (pending)

Winners among the women

Just as in previous days of the Championship, all the strong and interesting performances were evenly distributed throughout the day. In the fourth heat, Bevin Reynolds (ZAF) made the first claim for a medal, swimming 256m (840ft) and setting a new AIDA Continental Record for Africa.

Several heats after, Heike Schwerdtner (DEU) performed. To win the overall, Heike needed to swim 243m (797ft), but she finished at 200m (656ft) and placed 23rd in the discipline ranking. This meant that Bevin won in the overall ranking, scoring 420.2 points in total, while Heike became second, earning 398.8 points overall.

And, looking ahead, we’ll also mention that Nara Martins Ishikawa (BRA) won bronze in the overall ranking with 393.8 in total—a small gap.

Thanks to AIDA's efforts, all the winners in each discipline and the overall winners received monetary prizes ranging from 1,000–2,000 EUR and the Natalia Molchanova Memorial Award.

Back to the DYN results: in the middle of the day, Hyegeum Oh (KOR) swam exactly the same 256m (840ft) distance as Bevin. However, Hyegeum's announcement was a bigger number, and closer to the realized performance than Bevin's, so in the discipline ranking, she placed higher than Bevin.

In the penultimate heat, a crowd favorite, Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN), performed. Zsófia didn't disappoint, delivering an impressive 278m (912ft), just 2m (7ft) short of her AIDA DYN World Record. We can't help but mention that the absolute DYN World Record of 300m (984ft) also belongs to her, which was set during the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China.

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

Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN) - 278m (912ft) - Gold
Hyegeum Oh (KOR) - 256m (840ft) - Silver
Bevin Reynolds (ZAF) - 256m - Bronze and new AIDA Continental Record for Africa

Winners among the men

In the seventh heat, Philipp Heinzelmann (DEU), the debutant of the Championship and bronze medalist in DNF, swam 262m (860ft) with bifins, and set a new AIDA National Record for Germany. At that moment, no one could have guessed that this result would bring him the bronze!

Two heats after, the soon-to-be former AIDA World Record holder of 319m (1,047ft) in DYN, Ming (William Joy) Jin (CHN), reached 290m (951ft). It was clearly not an easy dive for William, yet he managed the surface protocol and received a white card. It seems to us that William changed his diving style, swimming the distance more relaxed and slower. Perhaps this finally allowed him to get closer to his own official personal bests (PBs)—which are usually set at local competitions—at the World Championship.

Two heats after William, the hero of this World Championship, Mateusz Malina (POL), entered the water. To win overall, he simply needed to get a white card for this dive. But Mateusz swam 325 meters (1,066ft), a new AIDA World Record, just 1.5m (5ft) shorter than his absolute DYN World Record. Consider that Mateusz competed in all four disciplines, won all dynamic disciplines, and finished third in STA. What incredible endurance!

And for the first time at the Championship, the final heat didn't affect the medal distribution, despite being the most interesting and dramatic. A group of international athletes—Aleksandr Maksimov, Dmitrii Smetankin, and Mikhail Briantsev—showed results under their PBs, and therefore were unable to get onto the podium.

Guillaume Bourdila (FRA) confidently swam 293m (961ft). The result could have placed him in second, however, upon surfacing, Guillaume showed the OK sign and then removed the goggles and nose clip from his face. This is the incorrect sequence for the surface protocol, and the athlete was shown a red card.

Alexey Molchanov (INT) had an even more dramatic performance. Turning at 300m (984ft), Alexey tried to outswim Mateusz and emerged at 323m (1,060ft) seemingly conscious. But he didn’t breathe actively enough and dipped his face into the water, which resulted in a red card. However, after the dive, Alexey shared that he was still happy about his performance, as he managed to stay on the surface without the help of safety divers and significantly improved his previous PB of 305m (1,001ft), reached during the 2025 World Games.

It's also worth mentioning the most unlucky athlete of the Championship: Rolando Salgado (CUB). He had chances to win medals in DNF and DYNB, but didn't manage the surface protocol successfully. Today, Rolando didn't seem to be in top form, and performed a dive of 150m (492ft), far from his PB of 318m (1,043ft).

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

Mateusz Malina (POL) - 325m (1,066ft) - Gold and a new AIDA World Record
Ming (William Joy) Jin (CHN) - 290m (951ft) - Silver
Philipp Heinzelmann (DEU) - 262m (860ft) - Bronze and new AIDA National Record for Germany

The overall winners among men are as follows:

Mateusz Malina (POL) - 539.4 points
Philipp Heinzelmann (DEU) - 441.3 points
Ming (William Joy) Jin (CHN) - 440.7 points

Congratulations to all the athletes—we had an incredible 4 days with you!

Finishing our reporting on the World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championships, we’d like to once again mention the exceptional level of the organization and online broadcast. It was done with such meticulous attention to detail that it was pure pleasure to follow the athletes' performance and root for them! Congratulations to the nOxygen Apnea Club, AIDA International, safety team, judges, and commentators, on setting a new level for the World Championship organization. Thank you for your work and dedication!

NEW AIDA WORLD RECORD IN DYN

On June 6, the last competition day of the World Apnea (AIDA) 2026 Pool World Championships, Mateusz Malina (POL) set a new AIDA World Record in DYN, swimming 325m with a monofin. Congratulations, maestro!

This result is 6m further than the previous AIDA World Record in DYN of 319m, set by Ming (William Joy) Jin during the 2025 AIDA Asian Pool Championship. At the same time, it is 1.5m less than Mateusz's PB and the absolute World Record of 326.5m, set at the CMAS World Freediving Indoor Championship 2025 in Athens, Greece.

For the athlete, it is the second World Record at this Championship. During the Championship, Mateusz performed in all disciplines: he won gold in DYNB, set a new absolute World Record in DNF, and snatched bronze in STA. So, by the last competition day, he was leading the overall ranking with such a significant gap that his nearest competitor would have needed to outswim Mateusz by at least 97m to even dream of victory.

So, Mateusz could have had an easy and relatively short dive with a white card and still won the overall ranking. Nonetheless, he did his best. The dive lasted 4:32, and by the end of it, the athlete looked tired, yet still showed a clean surface protocol.

During the interview right after the dive, the athlete shared that he had never done a long dive after a long breath-hold on the previous day, so he himself did not know what to expect. But he also said he felt happy that his approach to training had allowed him to successfully complete several performances at his maximum capacity in a row. Another exciting piece of news shared during the interview was that the Malina family is expecting a baby in November!

Once again — huge congratulations to Mateusz and his family!