33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship
Asya Kleshchevnikova, Sports Columnist
Head of Customer Service & International Sales
asya@molchanovs.com
molchanovs.com
Kristina Zvaritch
Editor
1. Preview of the World Championship
2. Day 1 (September 6): CNF - Women
3. Day 2 (September 7): CNF - Men
4. Day 3 (September 8): CWTB - Women
5. Day 4 (September 10): CWTB - Men
5.1 A New Absolute CWTB World Record
6. Day 5 (September 11): FIM - Women
7. Day 6 (September 14): CWT - Men and Women
8. Day 7 (September 15): FIM - Men
Preview of the World Championship
Background
The 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship began on September 3, 2024, with an opening ceremony in the cozy French town of Ajaccio, located in Corsica.
France is famous for its love of freediving. AIDA itself was founded in France in 1992 by French freedivers Roland Specker, Loïc Leferme, and Claude Chapuis. The first-ever AIDA Team Freediving World Championship and the first AIDA Individual World Championship also took place in France (Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer, respectively). Not to mention how many legendary freedivers were born here... Can you remember them? We’ll give you one - Jacques Mayol. Let us know who your favorite French freediver is in the comments!
Yet, it's the first time a World Championship has been hosted in Corsica.
Diving conditions and competition schedule
This is quite surprising as the diving conditions are nearly perfect here. The competition zone is located in the wind-protected harbor Charles Ornano. Tranquil, warm, and crystal depths of 160m (525ft) with a bracing thermocline await freedivers just 10 minutes away by boat from the beach.If you need the specific numbers, the diving conditions in September in Corsica are as follows:
- Air temperature: 25 - 30°C (77 - 86°F)
- Water temperature: 22 - 25°C (72 - 77°F) on the surface to 16°C (61°F) at 80m (262ft)
- Visibility: 20 - 30m (66 - 98ft)
- No current
- No waves
- Maximum depth: 160m (525ft)
Athletes will compete in 4 disciplines with one spare day off in the middle. Here’s the schedule:
- September 6 - Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) - Women
- September 7 - Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) - Men
- September 8 - Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB) - Women
- September 9 - Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB) - Men
- September 10 - Day off / Backup day
- September 11 - Free Immersion (FIM) - Women
- September 12 - Free Immersion (FIM) - Men
- September 13 - Constant Weight with Monofin (CWT) - Women
- September 14 - Constant Weight with Monofin (CWT) - Men
An awards ceremony and evening closing ceremony will be held at the end of the Championship on September 15, when monetary prizes and the traditional Natalia Molchanova Memorial Award will be bestowed on a male and female athlete.
Competing athletes
According to the current information on the AIDA website, around 140 athletes from 40 countries will participate in the Championship.
Predictably, the French national team is the biggest in this championship. However, its strongest members won’t be competing. Abdelatif Alouach (FRA), who set a CMAS World Record in CWTB in 2023 diving to a depth of 119m (390ft), could’ve competed for a medal this year. However, he is among the event organizers and is busy ensuring that everything goes smoothly. Best of luck to you, Abdel!
Arnaud Jerald (FRA) and Guillaume Bourdila (FRA), who could update the current World Record in CWTB or challenge for medals, are now diving in Kaş, Turkey, preparing for the next depth event - the 2024 CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Depth.
So, the main favorite in CWTB among the men is Alexey Molchanov (INT), the current absolute World Record holder (124m / 407ft, CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023). Alexey’s teammate Andrey Matveenko (INT) has the next official personal best (PB) among the competitiors with 111m / 364ft, and Vitomir Maricic (HRV) is next with 110m (361ft).
In fact, Alexey might be the most likely winner in all disciplines, including CWT, FIM, and CNF, if he strategizes effectively. However, this time, he has exceptionally strong competitors. In CWT, Alexey will be challenged by Andrey Metveenko (INT), who, at CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023, performed an exceptional dive to 134m (440ft). For 10 minutes, his result became a new absolute World Record in CWT - this marked the first time in 11 years that someone other than Alexey held the absolute World Record in CWT. But after 10 minutes, Alexey won the record back in his name.
In FIM, Petar Klovar (HRV) holds the current absolute World Record of 135m (443ft). He is 2m (7ft) ahead of Alexey, whose 133m (436ft) competition PB was a previous world record in the discipline. Petar and Alexey are followed by Vitomir, whose official PB is 123m (404ft).
William Trubridge (NZL) holds an 8-year-old absolute World Record in CNF of 102m (335ft). Alexey has already made several unsuccessful attempts to beat the record but got stuck at 100m (328ft), which is his current official PB. William hasn't been seen competing at the World Championships for several years and isn't present at this Championship either. Hence, Alexey's closest competitors are Petar and Vitomir, with official PBs of 94m (308ft) and 84m (276ft), respectively. But considering that CNF is the first discipline in the Championship's schedule, we don't think it's likely that athletes will risk attempting a new world record. A small mistake may lead to a serious underwater blackout and disqualification until the end of the Championship.
If one of the above top athletes skips a discipline or slips, Fabio Tunno (GER), Omar Al Ghailani (OMN), or Alexander Vinogradov (INT) may also steal a medal.
The competition among women is much less predictable. The strongest athletes and current world record holders, Kateryna Sadurska (UKR), Alenka Artnik (SVN), and Alessia Zecchini (ITA), aren't present at the Championship. So, several women with rather close PBs will compete for medals: Sanda Delija (HRV), Enchante Gallardo (USA), Şahika Ercümen (TUR), Maria Bobela Klovar (POL), Marianna Krupnitskaia (Gillespie) (INT). We'd dare make an educated guess that Sanda is most likely to win in FIM and CNF, while Marianna has the best chances in CWT and CWTB.
This is it! Please make your bets and root for your favorite athletes - they’ll need our support on this part of their freediving journeys!
What’s next?
Each day of the Championship, we’ll post official links to the online broadcasts so you can find them easily. If you don't have time to watch the broadcast - don't worry! We'll watch for you and write detailed reports on all the notable performances.Stay tuned and make sure you 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 you check our competition guides:
- International Freediving Federations You Need to Know: CMAS vs. AIDA
- How to Make Sense of a Freediving Competition Broadcast
- Current CMAS and AIDA Freediving World Records
Day 1 (September 6): CNF - Women
The setup
September 6 in Ajaccio, France, was the first competition day of the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship. Traditionally, women and men compete separately on different days at AIDA depth world championships. On the first competition day, the women competed in Constant Weight without Fins (CNF). CNF is the most complicated and demanding discipline; even the slightest amount of current can make diving extremely challenging.
The weather on the preceding two official training days wasn’t promising - there was a storm with strong wind, waves, and currents. Fortunately, the Mediterranean Sea calmed down on the first competition day.
Among the women, 27 athletes dared to compete in CNF, with less red cards than you might expect: in total, there were 7 red cards and 2 yellow cards. Moreover, 4 athletes set new AIDA National Records for their countries and 1 new AIDA Continental Record (all with pending status until doping control results are final).
The realized depths varied from 20 - 66m (217ft).
A time to win and a time to lose
In the absence of former and current World Record holders in CNF, Mirela Kardašević (HRV), Alessia Zecchini (ITA), and Kateryna Sadurska (UKR), Sanda Delija (HRV) had the best chance at winning the World Champion title. Sanda announced the same depth of 71m (233ft) as at the 2023 Championship. A year ago, she won the gold medal and desired title, even though Sanda received a yellow card for a lost tag. This time, the event unfolded dramatically. At a depth of about 55m (180ft), Sanda started to swim down in a spiral because of an injured ear. Nevertheless, she reached the bottom plate to grab the tag and headed back to the surface. However, she lost the line and her orientation. The athlete tried to swim breaststroke, but vertigo prevented her from emerging vertically. Eventually, Sanda started to pull herself by rope and then asked the safety diver with a scooter to help her up to the surface. Such an unfortunate red card! We hope it wasn't a barotrauma, that her ear will heal fast, and that we'll see Sanda competing again very soon!
The second deepest announcement of 66m (217ft) belonged to Maria Bobela Klovar (POL). It was 5m (16ft) deeper than her dive at the Championship a year ago, which ended in a surface blackout. This year, Maria also looked tired at the end of her dive. Nonetheless, the athlete made her way to the surface and performed a clean protocol. White card - congratulations to the Champion! Maria's result has also become a new AIDA National Record for Poland.
A lonely Vice-Champion
Lauren Matevish (USA) was the only woman who announced a 63m (207ft) dive, and it became her lucky number. Lauren is a former competitive swimmer with a beautiful and efficient technique. While this is only her second year competing at the world championships, she has already shown remarkable results. Lauren completed her 63-meter dive confidently and neatly and received a white card. Congratulations, Vice-Champion!
5 contenders for the bronze
Two athletes announced 62m (203ft) dives, and three announced 61m (200ft) dives. Only two of these five dives were eventually successful. Şahika Ercümen (TUR) simply didn’t make it to the line. She was supposed to arrive in Ajaccio one day before the first competition day but missed her flight.
Enchante Gallardo (USA) appeared on the line and successfully reached the announced 62m (203ft) depth. Alas, the athlete blacked out several meters before the surface.
Marine Simonis (BEL), Brigitte Banegas (FRA), and Marianna Gillespie (INT) announced 61m (200ft) dives. Unfortunatelly, we didn’t get to see their dives since Diveye didn't work for five of the performances in the second half of the day. However, according to the official results, Marine's and Marianna's dives were successful. The athletes received white cards and bronze medals. Congratulations!
Special congratulations go to Talya Davidoff (ZAF), who performed a 60m (197ft) dive, became fourth in the discipline’s rankings, and set a new AIDA Continental Record for Africa. Well done, Talya!
Once again - congratulations to all the athletes! Thank you all for the beautiful performances, emotions, and inspiration - it was an incredible day! And now we’re all ready to see the CNF competition among men, who have made several incredible announcements...
Stay tuned!
Day 2 (September 7): CNF - Men
The setup
September 7 was the second competition day of the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship. This time, it was the men's turn to perform in Constant Weight without Fins (CNF), and the weather in Ajaccio, France remained nice and favorable for freedivers. At first, it seemed that the positive trend of a moderate number of colored cards, which started yesterday with the women's CNF, would continue on the second day. However, we soon realized that the emotional roller coaster hadn't been cancelled—merely postponed.
In short:
- 43 athletes participated
- Realized depths ranged from 28 - 93m (92 - 305ft)
- 13 red cards (including 8 red cards for blackouts) were given
- 3 yellow cards were issued
- 4 new AIDA National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
Current World Records in CNF:
- 78m (256ft) - Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) at the CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023 in Roatán, Honduras
- 102m (335ft) - William Trubridge (NZL) at an Individual World Record Attempt in Dean’s Blue Hole, Long Island, Bahamas in 2016
The fight for the gold
The first ten performances went on peacefully, with only one yellow card for an early turn 3m (10ft) before the bottom plate. Alexey Molchanov's (INT) performance was the 11th, and he announced a 100m (328ft) dive. This isn't a new depth for the athlete; Alexey reached this target depth at the CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023, winning the gold and setting a new CMAS World Record in CNF. But he did it in warm waters of the Caribbean Sea near Honduras, Roatán. To repeat the dive in the Mediterranean Sea with a 16°C (61°F) thermocline is a challenge of the next level, which Alexey has yet to accomplish. He ended up reaching the target depth and almost finished his ascent... Alas, the energy seemed to leave him several meters before the surface. He blacked out and received a red card.
After his dive, Alexey mentioned that two training days were cancelled due to bad weather, and that he had six rest days before this competition dive. He thinks that this too long of a rest affected his adaptation to the depth, and therefore, his performance didn't go as planned. Thankfully, the athlete feels fine now and will return to the line for CWTB.
Petar Klovar (HRV) dived next, aiming for 96m (315ft) of depth. Most likely, he already knew Alexey's result and the following athlete's announced depth, so he turned early - 3m (10ft) before the bottom plate - to save energy. The way up wasn't easy for Petar, yet on the surface, he confidently and neatly showed the surface protocol and won the gold! On the previous day, Pater's wife, Maria Bobela Klovar (POL), also won her first World Champion title in CNF. Congratulations to the family of the World Champions!
It's interesting to compare Alexey and Petar's diving styles. Alexey doesn't use weights and kicks longer on the way down, while on the way up, he swims in a more relaxed manner. Petar prefers more weights, and therefore, almost doesn't work on the way down, saving the energy for active kicking on his way back to the surface. Whose approach do you prefer?
Easy silver
The next announcement of 82m (269ft) belonged to Petar's teammate - Vitomir Maričić (HRV). Vitomir's competition PB is 84m (276ft), which he reached at the 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship in 2023. He didn't grab the tag that time, yet even with the one-point penalty, his earned score was enough to make him Vice-Champion of the discipline. This year, Vitomir's contender announced a shallower depth of just 1m (3ft). Knowing that failing to grab the tag could cost him the silver medal, Vitomir seemingly effortlessly brought the tag to the surface and performed a clear surface protocol. Congratulations to the Vice-Champion!
Complicated fate of the bronze
The rivalry for the bronze was intense. Alexander Vinogradov (INT), an experienced pool athlete, quickly gained meters in depth this year, announcing an 81m (266ft) dive. But it seemed to be too much for him, and the athlete blacked out in the last meters before the surface - red card. Omar Al Ghailani (OMA) successfully reached his target depth of 78m (256ft) and even surfaced in a conscious state. Alas, he suffered a loss of motor control for several seconds and dipped his airways in the water - such an unfortunate red card.
Abdelatif Alouach (FRA) has been busy with the Championship organization since his club is hosting the event; we didn't even expect to see him competing this year. But Abdel appeared on the line today and confidently performed a 72m (236ft) dive. It is a modest depth for Abdel, 11m (36ft) less than his competition PB reached at the CMAS World Championship Roatán 2023. Nonetheless, it was enough to get him to the podium. Congratulations, Abdel!
Unfortunate red
Athletes continued to compete, more or less successfully. We can't skip out on mentioning several unfortunate red cards (spoiler: some of them eventually turned white!). Gennady Roshchin (INT) was on his way to performing a 68m (223ft) dive, but right after he began, his neckweight opened, and Gennady couldn't continue.
Minja Marinkovic (GER) and Piotr Błaszczak (POL) performed 60m (197ft) and 66m (217ft) dives, respectively. The judges' opinion was that they both made unrelated hand movements during the surface protocol, and as a result, were issued red cards. But Minja and Piotr protested and won because, in fact, one of them was wiping their nose, and the other was making a dramatic gesture while saying, "I'm OK." Congratulations to both athletes on well-deserved white cards!
And now, it's time to move on to the next discipline. On September 8, the women will compete in Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB). We'll keep you posted - stay tuned!
Day 3 (September 8): CWTB - Women
The setup
On September 8, at the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship, the women competed in Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB). The most likely reason to be disqualified in CWTB is a dolphin kick, and according to AIDA competition rules, no single dolphin kick is allowed. Yet, compared with the previous competition day in CNF, which turned out to be very colorful, the competition in CWTB was quite boring in a good sense - no blackouts and only three red cards.
In short:
- 30 athletes participated
- Realized depths ranged from 24 - 96m (79 - 315ft)
- 3 red cards were given
- 3 yellow cards were issued
- 7 new AIDA National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
- 2 new AIDA Continental Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
Current World Records in CWTB:
- 111m (365ft) - Alenka Artnik (SVN) at Vertical Blue 2023, Long Island, Bahamas
- 124m (407ft) - Alexey Molchanov (INT) at the CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023, Roatan, Honduras
First
Two absolute leaders in the discipline: Alessia Zecchini (ITA) - the former World Record holder - and Alenka Artnik (SVN) - the current World Record holder in CWTB - aren’t participating in the Championship. Therefore, other athletes made quite conservative announcements.
Marianna Gillespie (INT) announced a 96m (315ft) dive, 4m (13ft) less than her competition personal best (PB) at the CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023 in Roatán Island, Honduras. Predictably, she managed the dive easily and gracefully. Congratulations, Champion!
Second
Enchante Gallardo (USA) announced 91m (299ft) dive and nailed it. The result is now her new competition PB and a new AIDA Continental Record for North America. Congratulations, Vice-Champion!
Third
The third announcement of 86m (282ft) belonged to Şahika Ercümen (TUR). The athlete managed her dive confidently, but just several meters before the surface, she made a dolphin kick. Alas, a red card - such an unfortunate disqualification!
Talya Davidoff (ZAF) was the next with an 84m (276ft) announcement. Talya managed her dive without mistakes and got a white card, bronze medal, and new AIDA Continental Record for South Africa - rounds of applause to Talya!
Red
There were 3 red cards for the day and none for blackouts. 𝗠𝗼𝗷𝗰𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 (𝗦𝗩𝗡) made an impressive dive to a depth of 84m (276ft) that could have become the fourth-best result in the competition ranking by discipline if successful. But after surfacing, Mojca showed the OK-sign, lost motor control and began dipping her head though continued breathing. She almost immediately composed herself but then showed another OK-sign before completing her surface protocol so the dive was disqualified. You’ll get it next time, Mojca!
Therefore, Maria Bobela Klovar (POL), the CNF Champion, was ranked fourth with for her dive to 82m (269ft). Her result has also become a new AIDA National Record for Poland. Congratulations, Maria!
On September 9, the men will compete in CWTB, and it might be a very intense and stressful day for the freediving fans as several bold announcements have been made. If you won’t be able to watch it online, don't worry; we will keep you posted!
Photo credit: Daan Verhoeven, Laura Juanmarti, Laura Mommicchi, Maxime Souverain
A New Absolute CWTB World Record
On September 10, at the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship, Alexey Molchanov (INT) set a new absolute World Record in Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB) diving at a depth of 125m (410ft) in the Mediterranean Sea near Ajaccio, France.
Alexey also held the previous absolute world record in the discipline of 124m (407ft). It was set just a year ago at the CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023 in the Caribbean Sea in Roatán, Honduras.
Alexey usually competes in CWTB with Arnaud Jerald (FRA), who’s focused mainly on this discipline. Since 2018, Alexey and Arnaud have chased each other with bifins, improving their results meter by meter. Arnaud isn't present at the Championship, and Alexey's nearest competitor is at least 13m (43ft) away from him. Therefore, Alexey had perfect conditions to get an easy gold medal for a much shallower dive. Yet, the athlete keeps pushing limits and manages to improve the world's top result not only in warm waters of the Caribbean Sea but also in refreshing waters of the Mediterranean.
This record marks the 35th in Alexey's illustrious freediving career. Take a moment to reflect on this incredible number. The athlete is undeniably a true superhero in the world of freediving - congratulations, Alexey!
We’ve written about Alexey's new World Records so many times, so there's probably nothing left to tell you about Alexey that you still don't know.
But what we will do is give you three fun facts about him:
- Alexey says his favorite meal is chicken, but we secretly know his favorite treat is sweet condensed milk
- Alexey's favorite writer is Ray Bradbury
- Alexey can play violin
Let us know if something surprised you and send your congratulations to him!
Day 4 (September 9): CWTB - Men
The setup
September 10 marked the 4th competition day at the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship in Ajaccio, France. Originally, the men's Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB) competition was scheduled as a rest day. However, due to stormy winds and high waves on September 9, that day's events were cancelled. Although the weather on September 10 improved significantly, long, low waves served as a reminder of the previous day's adverse conditions.
However, the main surprise was the thermocline, which was originally at 80m (262ft) of depth but rose to 15m (49ft) and became harsh. According to the final protocol, which looks quite colorful with many red and yellow cards, many athletes weren't ready for this new condition.
In short:
- 43 athletes participated
- Realized depths ranged from 48 - 125m (157 - 410ft)
- 11 red cards were given
- 12 yellow cards were issued
- 3 new AIDA National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
- 1 new absolute World Records was gained (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
Current World Records in CWTB:
- 111m (365ft) - Alenka Artnik (SVN) at Vertical Blue 2023, Long Island, Bahamas
- 124m (407ft) - Alexey Molchanov (INT) at the CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023, Roatán, Honduras
Even though out of the 43 performances, just one ended in a blackout, only 20 athletes eventually succeeded in completing their performances with white cards. Presumably, the shallower thermocline caused 15 early turns, and several other athletes were disqualified for a dolphin kick.
World Record - no matter what
The deepest and boldest announcement of 125m (410ft) belonged to Alexey Molchanov (INT). Alexey is famous for his ability to dive calmly and consistently in nearly any condition.
The athlete performed the dive with a beautiful and smooth technique, and even though he lost a second at the bottom plate, Alexey looked strong at the surface and confidently showed the surface protocol. White card! And the water around Alexey immediately turned white from the splashes of everyone celebrating him and his new absolute World Record!
Alexey improved his own absolute World Record in Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB) by 1 meter (3 feet). This new record dive took 4 minutes and 23 seconds to complete, and it took Alexey a year to achieve this 1-meter improvement over his previous record. This latest achievement marks the 35th world record in Alexey's freediving career.
Congratulations, Alexey! We watch your performances with held breaths and tears in our eyes.
And in case you wonder, Alexey used PRO Hyper Bifins Carbon for the dive, reestablishing the bifins as the deepest ones in the world. You can find them here.
On the edge
The second deepest announcement of 112m (367ft) belonged to Alexey's teammate, Andrey Matveenko (INT). However, Andrey's preparation for the Championship didn't go as planned. During his training dives, Andrey experienced several blackouts, including a deep one. Yet, he risked it and announced a depth one meter deeper than his competition personal best, which he reached at the 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship.
And he reached it.
Seeing Andrey surfacing, our hearts skipped a beat. The athlete showed the sign and said, "I'm OK" with his nose clip on. According to AIDA rules, the surface protocol begins only when an athlete removes facial equipment. Andrey's coach, Tatiana Zemskikh, saved the day. She managed to shout through to Andrey in time, and he composed himself, removed the nose clip, and finished the protocol. White card - congratulations, Vice-Champion!
One out of two
Two athletes simultaneously competed for the bronze: Vitomir Maričić (HRV) and Petar Klovar (HRV), who announced 105m (344ft) dives. Vitomir was diving first but turned early at a depth of 83m (272ft) - yellow card and a missed medal. Petar managed the dive better, reaching the target depth and bringing the tag to the surface. After a clean protocol, he received a white card and became the sole owner of the bronze. Congratulations, Petar, on your second medal at the Championship!
There were also two contenders for fourth place in the ranking: Abdelatif Alouach (FRA) and Omar Al Ghailani (OMA), who both announced 103m (338ft) dives. Abdel prepared for the dive, took his final breath...but didn't begin the dive. However, we 100% understand - as the Championship organizer, the athlete must have much on his plate. Take care, Abdel!
Omar moved a bit further with his dive, yet didn't complete it, either. He turned early at a depth of 90m (295ft) and received a yellow card. Eventually, the fourth place was shared by Nicolas Jaouen (FRA) and Jihoon Jang (KOR) with beautiful announcements of 100m (328ft). For Jihoon, the result also became a new AIDA National Record for South Korea. Well done and congratulations!
Whew, what a day - such a roller coaster of emotions! Congratulations to all the athletes and organizers; you’ve made it through half of the Championship successfully. Thank you for the inspiration and great show - we can't wait to see what's coming next!
On September 11, it's time to move on to the next discipline - Free Immersion (FIM). Stay tuned for news from the line!
Photo credit: Daan Verhoeven, Laura Juanmarti, Laura Mommicchi, Maxime Souverain
Day 5 (September 11): FIM - Women
The setup
The 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship in Ajaccio, France, slowly but steadily moves forward. On September 11, the women competed in Free Immersion (FIM). FIM is considered the least demanding discipline technique-wise, yet, the changed weather conditions made it quite challenging.
At the beginning of the Championship, there was a mild thermocline. The water temperature gradually decreased, starting at around 20m (66ft) and reaching about 15°C (58°F) at 60m (197ft). On September 9, the storm brought cold water, and the harsh thermocline of 12°C (54°F) moved to a depth of around 10-12m (33 - 39ft). Also, it became quite dark at depth, even though the Mediterranean Sea is usually light.
Yet, women performed purposefully, and the whole day passed without a single blackout.
In short:
- 34 athletes participated
- Realized depths ranged from 33 - 94m (108 - 308ft)
- 2 red cards were given
- 8 yellow cards were issued
- 3 new AIDA National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
- 1 new AIDA Continental Record was gained (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
Previous and current World Records in FIM among women:
- 102m (335ft) - Fatima Korok (HUN); Vertical Blue 2023; Long Island, Bahamas
- 104m (341ft) - Alessia Zecchini (ITA); Camotes Freediving Challenge 2024; Camotes, Phillipines
First
Former and current absolute World Record holders in FIM - Fatima and Alessia - aren't present at the Championship. The next favorite in the discipline - Sanda Delija (HRV) - didn't compete because of an injured ear from the first competition day. So, the deepest announcement of 94m (308ft) was made by Enchante Gallardo (USA).
Enchante efficiently reached the target depth, returned to the surface, and confidently showed the surface protocol. White card! The result also became a new AIDA Continental Record in FIM for North America. Congratulations, Champion! For Enchante, it is the second medal at the Championship.
Second
Talya Davidoff (ZAF) made the second-deepest announcement of 90m (296ft). If she was successful, her performance would’ve become a new AIDA Continental Record for Africa. Alas, Talya turned early at a depth of 82m (269ft) - yellow card. With a 9-point penalty, Talya dropped to 8th place in the discipline ranking.
So, the next contender for the silver became Maria Bobela Klovar (POL). She was on her way to reach 87m (285ft) of depth but also early-turned in the candy cane zone, just 3m (10ft) shallower than the target depth. On the surface, Maria looked disoriented, and it took her a while to realize what to do. Once her coach and husband, Petar Klovar, managed to shout through to Maria and bring her back to her senses, it was already too late for the surface protocol. It's an unfortunate red card.
Brigitte Banegas (FRA) announced 81m (266ft) but turned back at a depth of 73m (240ft) - yellow card. Her dive was the third after the Enchante, and the Vice-Champion still had not yet been defined.
Marianna Gillespie (INT) also announced an 81m (266ft) deep performance. But unlike her predecessors, she not only reached the target depth but also managed with the surface protocol. At last, the silver medal found its owner. Congratulations, Marianna!
Third
The next was Şahika Ercümen (TUR) with 77m (253ft) announcement. At this Championship, Şahika has had too many adventures already. She wasn’t able to participate in the competition for CNF because of a missed flight, and received a red card for her 3rd deepest CWTB dive because of a stray dolphin kick... So, we were quite anxious about Şahika's third performance at the Championship. Nonetheless, Şahika reached the target depth, returned to the surface, nailed the protocol, and finally received a white card. Congratulations, Şahika, on a well-deserved bronze!
Finally, the sixth day of the Championship and the men’s FIM competition is ahead of us. The former and current World Record holders in FIM are present at the Championship. Let's see who will become the Champion - don't miss the news from the line!
Day 6 (September 14): CWT
The setup
Two days of the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship in Ajaccio, France, were cancelled because of a storm. On those days, men were supposed to compete in FIM, and women in CWT. The cancellation of one of the days was covered by the one spare day planned in advance, but the cancellation of two days was a challenge. Yet, the Championship organizers managed the challenge promptly and gracefully - they quickly arranged a third competition line. So, on the 6th competition day, the men and women competed in CWT together. The 7th day of the Championship will be devoted to the men’s competition in FIM.
The only disadvantage of this solution was that Diveye could film only two lines, so the athletes performing on the third line weren't shown during the broadcast.
The weather did improve compared to the two stormy days before. Yet, high waves still made an appearance at the end of the competition day. Additionally, the air and water temperatures were significantly colder. At 8 a.m., the outside temperature was only 15°C (59°F), the water at the surface was 22°C (72°F), and the thermocline moved even shallower to 7m (23ft). This complicated the diving conditions, especially for athletes who hadn't trained in cold water before or don't have thicker wetsuits. In the results, there were many blackouts and early turns - only 38 white cards out of 74 performances.
In short:
- 74 athletes participated
- Realized depths ranged from 33 - 131m (108 - 308ft)
- 10 red cards were given
- 26 yellow cards were issued
- 6 new AIDA National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
Previous and current World Records in CWT among men and women:
- 136m (446ft) - Alexey Molchanov (INT); 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship; Limassol, Cyprus
- 123m (404ft) - Alessia Zecchini (ITA); AIDA OCEANQUEST PHILIPPINES; San Francisco, Philippines
- 122m (400ft) - Alenka Artnik (SVN); Vertical Blue 2021 CMAS; Long Island, Bahamas
With Alessia and Alenka absent from the Championship, predicting the winner of the discipline became much more difficult.
Winners among the men
Among the men, there were three rather deep announcements of 120m+ (394ft). The first of this trio to dive was Alexander Vinogradov (INT). His target depth was 128m (420ft), and we know that he reached that depth during the pre-competition training sessions. But at that time, the diving conditions were much more welcoming. On the competition day, Alexander didn't manage with the cold and equalization, turning early at a depth of 109m (358ft). Eventually, this dive remained the third deepest dive in the discipline, yet, because of penalties, the total points allowed for Alexander to rank only 5th in the discipline.
Alexey Molchanov (INT), with an announcement of 131m (430ft), dived next. The target depth was 5m (16ft) shallower than his competition personal best of 136m (446ft). So, throughout the entire dive, Alexey looked very relaxed and confident, even though he was diving in a thin 1.5mm wetsuit (a PRO Wetsuit Inside-Lined by Molchanovs). On the surface, Alexey was fresh and frozen, yet he showed a clean surface protocol and received a white card! It is the second of Alexey's medals at the competition. Once again - congratulations to the Champion!
Alexey was followed by his nearest rival in CWT - Andrey Matveenko (INT). Last year, Andrey set a new CWT World Record by diving to a depth of 134m (440ft), and then Alexey gained it back. Even though Andrey’s record only lasted several minutes, in the last eleven years, he became the first person who managed to beat Alexey's record in CWT.
For this dive, Andrey announced 120m (394ft) depth. The athlete lives and trains by the Black Sea, where the water temperature at depth is around 8 - 9°C (46 - 48°F), so he is used to cold water - he was also diving in a 1.5mm wetsuit. On the surface, Andrey looked a bit confused, and at first, showed the surface protocol with his nose clip on. His coach, Tatiana Zemskikh, again saved the day. She commanded Andrey to take off his nose clip, and he managed the protocol in the right order just in time (the correct sequence of actions during AIDA surface protocol is to remove all facial gear, show the OK sign, and say, "I'm OK"). Congratulations, Vice-Champion!
Then, 3 French athletes performed: Eddy Laffin, Mathieu Maraio, and Nicolas Jaouen. Edyy and Mathieu announced a 108m (354ft) depth while Nicolas diving 1m (3ft) shallower. Eddy successfully reached the target depth, returned to the surface, and, for a brief moment, lost control. But Eddy hung high on the line and kept breathing, eventually composing himself and finishing his dive with the proper surface protocol. A bronze medal for Eddy! Do you see how important recovery breathing is? Sometimes, it can save your medal.
Mathieu and Nicolas were less successful. Mathieu blacked out at about 10m (33ft) before the surface. Nicolas made it to the surface, but lost consciousness there. Sidney Regis (FRA), who announced 93m (305ft), followed the unfortunate example of his teammates and blacked out at the surface. After that, six male athletes in a row turned early without reaching the announced depth, complaining about the cold water. We had to wait a while to see who would become the fourth in the ranking by discipline. Eventually, Vitomir Maričić (HRV) was ranked fourth for diving to 90m (295ft). It is a modest result for the previous World Champion, even though Vitomir was diving with bifins.
Winners among the women
The women appeared to be more resilient to the cold than the men. On the previous competition day, Marianna Gillespie (INT) was diving in a 3mm top and 1.5mm bottoms. For this CWT dive, she changed her pants to 3mm ones and reached the announced depth of 100m (328ft) with a beautiful and efficient technique. On the surface, Marianna neatly completed the protocol and received the white card. Congratulations to the Champion!
We proudly noticed that at this Championship, the deepest dive among both the men and women in CWT were performed in the PRO Monofin 3 Carbon by Molchanovs.
Laia Sopeña Spa (ESP) made the second deepest announcement - 98m (322ft). This is only the athlete’s third year competing, and she quickly progressed in 2024. During the first days of the Championship, she competed in Kalamata, Greece, where she reached 100m (328ft) for the first time. Laia gracefully performed the dive and smiled during the surface protocol, receiving a white card. Congratulations, Vice-Champion!
Her result also became a new AIDA National Record for Spain.
Enchante Gallardo (USA) announced a dive of 93m (305ft). A year ago, she conquered the 100m (328ft) frontier, so 93m is a conservative announcement for her. We assume she took this into consideration due to the diving conditions in Corsica. In the end, she confidently completed her dive and won the bronze. Congratulations, Enchante!
Only the fourth place ranking was clear from the start. Talya Davidoff (ZAF) announced 89m (292ft) but turned at 80m (262ft) and received a yellow card. Diving just a meter shallower, Maria Bobela Klovar (POL) reached the target depth of 88m (289ft) and received her white card! It is worth mentioning that both Talya and Maria were diving in hoodless wetsuits with swimming caps - they must have felt very cold in 12°C (54°F) water.
Once again - congratulations to all the athletes who not only survived in harsh conditions but even managed to show their best! The Championship is almost over. On September 15, the reserve day, the men will compete in FIM. We’ll keep you posted on the final results and overall winners!
Day 7 (September 12): FIM - Men
The setup
September 15 was the final day of the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship in Ajaccio, France. It was scheduled as a backup day, but due to a storm on September 12 and 13, it became the men’s FIM competition day.
Unfortunately, the announcements the men made for September 12 couldn't be changed. Many athletes who were going to compete in CWT made rather conservative announcements in FIM, planning to use the day as a training session before deep CWT dives.
Even though the water and air were quite cold, the conditions overall were acceptable for freediving, and the FIM competition went on successfully.
In short:
- 38 athletes participated
- Realized depths ranged from 26 - 127m (85 - 417ft)
- 3 red cards were given
- 11 yellow cards were issued
- 2 new AIDA National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
Previous and current World Records in FIM among men:
- 133m (436ft) - Alexey Molchanov (INT); Vertical Blue 2023; Long Island, Bahamas
- 135m (443ft) - Pater Klovar (HRV); 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship; Limassol, Cyprus
The Fantastic Four
Even though there were many early turns on this day, the first four deepest athletes performed successfully, and the following competitors didn't even get a chance to stand on the podium - a change from the previous days.
Petar Klovar (HRV) - the current absolute World Record holder in the discipline - predictably made the deepest announcement of 128m (420ft). He turned 1m (3ft) before the bottom plate. On the surface, Petar looked tired and cold but still managed to perform the surface protocol and received a yellow card. He won the discipline with a significant distance from his competitors. Congratulations, Champion!
Abdelatif Alouach (FRA) - the great host of this challenging Championship - made the second deepest announcement of the day: 111m (364ft). He performed the dive confidently, quickly showed the surface protocol, and received a white card. Then he shouted, roared, and tried to compose himself.... But, eventually, emotions overwhelmed him, and Abdel cried, celebrating the successful dive and conclusion of the Championship. Congratulations, Abdel, we feel you - the last week was such a rollercoaster!
Vitomir Maričić (HRV) became third in the ranking. He completed a clear and seemingly effortless dive to 109m (358ft) of depth. He didn't even seem to do proper recovery breaths at the surface, yet he still nailed the surface protocol and threw the tag to the judges. You made it look easy, and the bronze is yours; congratulations, Vitomir!
Andrey Matveenko (INT), who you might remember not only because of his remarkable results in CWTB and CWT, but also because of his forgetfulness with his nose clip during the surface protocol (and, of course, his strict coach, who reminded all of us about Andrey’s nose clip). Andrey reached 106m (348ft) of depth, grabbed the tag, and tried to place it inside his hood. Unfortunately, we saw how the lonely white tag slipped through the athlete's fingers and fell into the abyss. Andrey seemed not to notice, and after his surface protocol, he first tried to offer his ear instead the tag, then offered the judges to look for the tag inside of his hood. Sadly, all was in vain - he received a yellow card and one penalty point.
It could have cost Andrey his position in the ranking since the next athlete, Omar Al Ghailani (OMA), also announced 106m (348ft). But Omar turned early at 92m (302ft), so Andrey’s result, despite the one lost point, remained fourth in the ranking.
The overall winners
At the AIDA World Championships, we also look at the overall winners because they are granted monetary prizes and the traditional Natalia Molchanova Memorial Award.
The Natalia Molchanova Memorial Award was established in 2015 in memory of Natalia Molchanova, who was nicknamed the “queen of freediving” by the freediving community for her outstanding achievements in sports and tremendous contribution to the development of freediving. The award is presented to the most worthy male and female athletes. The awardees are usually chosen by AIDA World Championship judges; however, most of the time, the award is given to the overall winners of the competition. In 2018, AIDA International decided to include a monetary prize to the recipients of this honorable award.
This year, the overall winners and awardees of the Natalia Molchanova Memorial Award are Petar Klovar (HRV), with a total score of 399, and Marianna Gillespie (INT), with a total score of 338. Despite the harsh conditions and extra stress due to the changed schedule and postponed competitions, the winners performed successfully in all four disciplines. This is Marianna’s 3rd time winning the award, with two gold (CWTB and CWT), one silver (FIM), and one bronze medal (CNF). Petar won the award for the first time, with two gold (CNF and FIM) and one bronze medal (CWTB).
Talya Davidoff (ZAF), with 287 points, is second in the overall ranking, and Enchante Gallardo (USA) is third with 278 points. The second among the men is Jihoon Jang (KOR), scoring 352 points, and Vitomir Maričić (HRV) is third with 341 points.
With this, the challenging yet exciting 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship in Ajaccio, France, is officially over! We send out tons of appreciation and a big round of applause to the organizers, judges, safety team, medics, and photographers, who together overcame all of the unpredictable issues that fell into their laps. Thank you - it was truly remarkable!
Now, let’s all enjoy a break - but we’ll be seeing you once again in a month in Kalamata, Greece, at the 8th CMAS Freediving World Championship.
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