2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth

The 2026 freediving competition season continues in Roatán, Honduras, with the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth.

Sports Columnist: Asya Kleshchevnikova
Editor: Kristina Zvaritch

1. Preview of the World Championship
2. Day 2 (August 18): CWT Women
3. Day 3 (August 19): FIM Men
4. Day 4 (August 20): FIM WomenБ
5. Day 5 (August 21): CWT Men
6. Day 6 (August 23): CNF Men
7. Day 7 (August 24): CNF Women
8. Day 8 (August 25): CWT-BF Men
9. Day 9 (August 26): CWT-BF Women

Preview Of The World Championship

Background

On August 15th, the freediving world’s competition season continues with the opening ceremony of the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth. The organizers are the experienced Roatán Freediving School & Training Center managed by Esteban Darhanpe, who is hosting the CMAS World Championship for the third time. Previously, the CMAS World Championships took place at this location in 2019 and 2023.

Diving Conditions and Competition Schedule

Roatán is the largest of the Bay Islands, located in the Caribbean Sea approximately 65km (40 miles) off the northern coast of mainland Honduras. The island stretches about 59km (37 miles) from east to west and reaches a maximum width of 8 km (5 miles), covering an area of approximately 83km² (32 sq mi).

Roatán sits atop the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef—the second-largest coral reef system in the world. The island's population is approximately 110,000, with Coxen Hole serving as the capital and largest settlement.

West Bay is the beach where the event takes place. The diving platform is located 0.70 miles (5 minutes by boat) from the shore. Diving conditions there are favorable for athletes and relatively stable (for the open water):

• Air temperature: 25–30°C (77–86 °F)
• Water temperature: 27–29°C (80–84 °F)
• Thermocline (water temperature decrease): about 2°C at 100m (328ft)
• Currents: null to moderate
• Visibility: 24–40m (80–120ft)

The World Championship follows CMAS regulations (to learn more about the difference between CMAS and AIDA competitions, check out this article). Spanning eight competition days, athletes will showcase their skills in four different depth disciplines of competitive freediving: Constant Weight (CWT), Constant Weight with Bifins (CWT-BF), Free Immersion (FIM), and Constant Weight with No Fins (CNF).

Each athlete will have a single attempt to perform in each discipline. It is crucial for athletes to be mindful of their limits because, under CMAS rules, blacking out during a dive results in disqualification for at least 1 day (and, in more severe cases, from the rest of the competition).

To account for unpredictable weather conditions, the World Championship organizers have designated two reserve days. Additionally, there is a rest day in-between (which is particularly important for athletes competing in all four disciplines). The competition schedule is as follows:

August 15 - Official Training Men and Opening Ceremony
August 16 - Official Training Women
August 17 - Day 1: CWT Men
August 18 - Day 2: CWT Women
August 19 - Day 3: FIM Men
August 20 - Day 4: FIM Women
August 21 - Rest day
August 22 - Day 5: CNF Men
August 23 - Day 6: CNF Women
August 24 - Rest/Reserve Day
August 25 - Day 7: CWT-BF Men
August 26 - Day 8: CWT-BF Women, award ceremony and after-party

Daniel Arias Córdova has been appointed as the Event Head of Safety. Roberto Butera, Head of Safety for CMAS, will be responsible for ensuring full compliance with CMAS safety standards and protocols. From the bottom of our hearts, we wish the safety team luck in their challenging job of keeping the athletes safe.

Competing Athletes

The previous World Championship held at this location—the CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023—was a great success and has been written into freediving history. On August 21, 2023, Andrey Matveenko (INT) dived with a monofin at a depth of 134m and, over the past 11 years, became the first man other than Alexey Molchanov 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). To date, Alexey's 136m remains the absolute world record in CWT.

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

Due to the location's remoteness and the late announcement of the Championship (on May 1, 2026, only 3.5 months before the event), the number of participating athletes is unusually low—about 80.

As a result, most of the top athletes among men are absent. On the bright side, we will see many new faces on the podium.

In 3 out of 4 disciplines, the main contender for the gold is Alexey Molchanov (INT). In Constant Weight (CWT) and Constant Weight with Bifins (CWT-BF), Alexey is the current absolute world record holder with the results of 136m (446ft) and 129m (423ft), respectively. His closest competitor in CWT, Pedro Tapia (MEX, PB 119m / 390ft), is 17m (56ft) behind. But we are at a loss to predict who might become third. In CWT-BF, the gap between Alexey and the next-closest athletes is even larger—24m (79ft). Francisco Quesada (ESP; PB 105m / 344ft), Pepe Salcedo (MEX; PB 105m), and Guillaume Bourdila (FRA; PB 103m / 338ft) will compete with each other for the silver and bronze.

In Free Immersion (FIM), the absolute world record of 137m (449ft) belongs to Petar Klovar (HRV). Petar no longer participates in CMAS competitions, so the main favorite in the discipline and the former world record holder with a PB of 133m (436ft) is Alexey Molchanov, while Piotr Kubiak (POL; PB 118m / 387ft) and Martin Ruman (SVK; PB 114m / 374ft) have the highest chances for silver and bronze.

Constant Weight with No Fins (CNF) is the only discipline among men with potential rivalry for the gold. In the absence of Petar Klovar—the legendary current absolute world record holder with a result of 103m (338ft)—Alexey Molchanov seems to, once again, be the main favorite with a PB of 100m (328ft). However, last year, Alexey announced a dive 1m (3ft) shallower than rising star Piotr Kubiak (PB 91m / 299ft). The latter won the gold with a result of 91m, and Alexey took the silver with 90m (295ft). The fight for bronze also seems promising, as three athletes have comparable PBs: Pedro Tapia (PB 89m / 292ft), Francisco Quesada (PB 86m / 282ft), and Samo Jeranko (SVN; PB 82m / 269ft).

Among women, we are missing Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN), the current absolute world record holder in FIM with a result of 107m (351ft), and Alenka Artnik (SVN), who shares the absolute world record in CWT of 123m (404ft) with Alessia Zecchini (ITA). Nonetheless, the female rivalry should be more intense than the male one.

In CWT and CWT-BF, Nataliia Zharkova (UKR) will be Alessia Zecchini’s main challenger for the gold. Nataliia’s PBs in these disciplines are 117m (384ft) and 112m (367ft), respectively. Alessia, meanwhile, holds both absolute World Records of 123m (404ft) and 113m (371ft). Kateryna Sadurska (UKR; CWT PB 107m / 351ft; CWTB PB 100m / 328ft) is the most likely contender for the bronze.

In CNF, by contrast, Kateryna is the unchallenged favorite, holding the current absolute world record of 88m (289ft). Alessia also had a world record in CNF of 74m (243ft), set 5 years ago, but it doesn’t seem like she has been training CNF lately, while Nataliia Zharkova (PB 70m / 230ft) and Maria Bobela (POL; PB 68m / 223ft) continue to improve their CNF results at competitions.

In FIM, the rivalry is again between the same Italian-Ukrainian pairing: Nataliia Zharkova (PB 106m / 348ft) and Alessia Zecchini (PB 104m / 341ft) will compete for the gold. Kateryna Sadurska (PB 97m / 318ft) and Linda Paganelli (ITA; PB 96m / 315ft) will vie for what remains.

That's it for us—let the show begin! You can support the athletes and cheer them on by watching the online broadcast available on CMASTV.

On all competition days, the first Top Time is scheduled for 8:45 am (UTC−6), which is around 5 pm in Europe and 11 pm in Asia. If you miss the dives, don't worry; we've got you covered. Just check our daily competition reports and congratulate athletes in the comments!

Day 2 (August 18): CWT Women

August 17th was the first competition day at the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Roatán, Honduras. The men were supposed to compete in Constant Weight (CWT), but after the 8th performance of the day, the competition was cancelled because of the strong wind and high waves. Yet, Alexander Kusakin (INT) had enough time to set a new CMAS Para-Freediving World Record, diving to 49m (161ft).

The rest of the male athletes will compete in CWT on August 21st.

Thankfully, on the second competition day, August 18th, everything went on as planned, and the women’s CWT performances were undisturbed. However, the overall course of the events resulted in quite an unexpected podium.

In short:

• 23 athletes participated
• Realized depth ranged from 29m–114m (95–374ft)
• 1 red card was issued
• 6 yellow cards were given

The Red

The first 6 athletes performed their dives successfully and with white cards. But then Maria Bobela (POL), who announced a 104m (341ft) dive, turned early at 100m (328ft). On the surface, judges gave her a red card for an assumed double-grab on the turn. Then the following athletes, Mara Guida (ITA) and Kateryna Sadurska (UKR), both performed beautiful and confident dives to depths of 105m (344ft) and 108m (354ft), respectively.

The two deepest dives of 121m (397ft) were predictably announced by Alessia Zecchini (ITA) and Nataliia Zharkova (UKR). Nataliia dove first, and reached the bottom plate with confidence and a little too much power, knocking her head into it (apparently, the athlete doesn't have an equalisation issue!). The ascent was also confident at first, but closer to the surface, Nataliia looked tired and her technique fell apart. Unfortunately, as she broke the surface, she lost the rope and her consciousness for several seconds, and woke up in the hands of safety divers, receiving the sole red card of the day.

The After-Dive Math

Alessia dove next, and at 114m (374ft) deep, she grabbed the rope and froze for several seconds without movement, giving viewers quite a scare. Finally, the athlete decided to turn and surface, and received a yellow card for an early turn. This became the deepest dive of the day, but would it be enough points for a gold medal after the penalties?

Let's do some calculations: the announced performance was 121m (397ft), and the realized performance was 114m (374ft). This means the target was missed by 7m (23ft), resulting in a 7-point penalty. There's also -1 point for a missing tag, making the total penalty -8 points. Therefore, her 114m realized performance, minus 8 penalty points, equals a score equivalent to 106m (348ft)!

This after-dive math wasn't easy to figure out; therefore, the final medal distribution changed several times, but eventually, it was settled as follows:

Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) - 108m (354ft) - Gold
Alessia Zecchini (ITA) - 106m (348ft) - Silver
Mara Guida (ITA) - 105m (344ft) - Bronze

Congratulations to the winners!

After rewatching the athletes' dives, judges also changed their decision about the dive of Maria Bobela and, instead of red, gave her a yellow card with a 5-point penalty (-4 points for missing the announced depth by 4m / 13ft and -1 point for no tag). This allowed Maria to share fourth place with Isabel Sanchez (ESP), who performed a smooth 95m (312ft) dive.

What a twist! We would have lost a fortune here if we had placed actual money on our bets. Here’s to hoping we break even on the next competition day, where the men will compete in Free Immersion on August 19th — good luck to the athletes!

Day 3 (August 19): FIM Men

August 19th became the first full competition day for men at the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Roatán, Honduras. The athletes competed in Free Immersion (FIM) and, the athletes were kind enough to follow our predictions.

In short:

• 32 athletes participated
• Realized depth ranged from 42–133m (138–436ft)
• 2 red cards were issued
• 8 yellow cards were given
• 3 new CMAS World Records
• 2 new CMAS Continental Records

New CMAS World Records

The day was opened by a successful 65m (213ft) dive by para-freediver Alexander Kusakin (INT). His performance became a new CMAS Para-Freediving World Record in FIM, 2m (7ft) deeper than the previous record he set a year ago. Alexander has been a freediver since 2013. In 2020, he survived a dreadful motorbike accident where he lost both his legs. Nonetheless, Alexander not only recovered but also returned to the sport. What a spirit — congratulations!

Another world record was set in the senior category by Alexey Molchanov (INT). Alexey dived to a depth of 133m (436ft), improving the previous CMAS FIM World Record by 1m (3ft) and repeating his own official personal best (PB) achieved according to AIDA rules in 2023. It's the 44th world record in Alexey's freediving career, so it might just have seemed like just another Tuesday for him. But during the after-dive interview, Alexey mentioned that this was his first dive at this year’s championship, so he wasn't feeling at ease, even losing the rope several times upon surfacing. Fortunately, the athlete managed to focus, do proper recovery breaths, and complete the surface protocol on time. Congratulations to the champion!

And a gentle reminder to all those amateur or soon-to-be amateur athletes making their first competition dives: it's okay to be nervous, you should still go for it!

In the second half of the day, 51-year-old Eugen Goettling (AUT) impressed us with a 106m (348ft) dive. This became a new CMAS World Record in the Masters 1 category. Congratulations!

Top Five

Unlike the women on the previous day, all the men from the top five completed their dives as planned, so there are no surprises here. Piotr Kubiak (POL; PB 118m / 387ft) and Martin Ruman (SVK; PB 114m / 374ft) both performed 116m (381ft) dives and shared second place on the podium. Piotr played it safe, diving 2m (7ft) less than his PB, while Martin pushed his PB 2m further. And the effort paid off! Martin has just won the first World Championship medal of his freediving career.

Because of the shared silver, there is no bronze for this discipline, which could have gone to pool champion Guillaume Bourdila (FRA), who performed a smooth dive to 112m (367ft). Following him in 5th place was Pedro Tapia (MEX) for his 105m (344ft) performance.

Special mention goes to Xiao Kai (CHN) and Harry McCahill (GBR) for their no-fins technique. For both athletes, CNF is the discipline where they achieve the most impressive results. Xiao Kai's CNF PB is 85m (279ft), and Harry McCahill‘s is 81m (266ft). The former used the rope to pull himself at least part of the way to the surface, while the latter completed the entire dive using CNF technique. Both athletes received white cards because, according to the rules, any swimming technique is allowed in FIM, even if an athlete doesn't touch the rope at all.

To sum up, the winners are as follows:

Alexey Molchanov (INT) - 133m (436ft) - Gold and a new CMAS FIM World Record
Piotr Kubiak (POL) and Martin Ruman (SVK) - 116m (381ft) - Silver

Congratulations to the winners!

We’re looking forward to the 3rd competition day, when the women will compete in FIM. Two new CMAS World Records are announced, so make sure you don’t miss it! The online broadcast is available on CMASTV. The first Top Time is scheduled for 8:45 am (UTC−6), which is around 5 pm in Europe and 11 pm in Asia.

Day 4 (August 20): FIM Women

On August 20th, it was the women's turn to compete in Free Immersion (FIM) at the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Roatán, Honduras. The weather finally took pity on the athletes, and the day went on normally.

In short:

• 24 athletes participated
• Realized depth ranged from 45–107m (148–351ft)
• 2 red cards were issued
• 1 yellow card was given
• 1 new CMAS World Record (pending)

The Reds

The day started even more confidently than all the previous ones, with the first eight athletes receiving white cards.

There were only two red cards throughout the entire day, but they were significant. First, Linda Paganelli (ITA), who competes in the Senior category but qualifies for Masters, dived to 100m (328ft). Her dive could have qualified as a Masters 1 CMAS World Record. Unfortunately, after completing the protocol, she leaned backward and the back of her head fell into the water. This is illegal according to the rules, so the judges initially issued a yellow card to review the incident. After the review, the card turned red.

The second red card went to Alessia Zecchini (ITA). As on the first competition day in CWT, she and Nataliia Zharkova (UKR) were tied, but this time, they were both aiming not only for the World Champion title but also for a new World Record. Alessia reached the announced depth and grabbed the tag, but her ascent was too relaxed and slow (dive time of 4:13). Unfortunately, she lost control for just a second at the surface and went underwater, after which she was immediately caught by the safeties. Alas, this is an undisputed red card and disqualification.

The Winners

The other leading athletes performed their dives flawlessly, and the most remarkable thing is that the top four places were taken by the same athletes and in the same order as last year!

Drum roll: the world champion and record holder is Nataliia Zharkova (UKR). Nataliia dived to a depth of 107m (351ft) and back much faster than Alessia, with a dive time of 3:40. The dive was 6m (20ft) deeper than at last year's Championship, and according to Nataliia, it was good, but not exactly easy. Nataliia had a 3-second hang at the bottom plate while trying to locate a tag. Nevertheless, at the surface, Nataliia maintained control and quickly completed the surface protocol. As the athlete herself said after the performance, it was a "redemption dive" after a disappointing first day, when Nataliia lost consciousness at the surface after a 121m (397ft) dive with a monofin.

Second place went to Kateryna Sadurska (UKR), with a dive to 102m (335ft), 4m (13ft) deeper than last year. On the surface, Kateryna looked fresh and cheerful, as if the dive had been a breeze.

Third place went to Isabel Sanchez (ESP), with a successful dive to 96m (315ft), also 4m (13ft) deeper than at the 2025 Championships. It was a very long dive, lasting over 4 minutes, but the athlete surfaced in complete control and performed a clean surface protocol. Fourth place went to Maria Bobela (POL), with a dive to 92m (302ft), 8m (26ft) deeper than last year.

On August 21st, most of the men will perform their CWT dive for the first time, as the first day of CWT was cancelled due to bad weather.

Day 5 (August 21): CWT Men

August 21st was the reserve day at the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Roatán, Honduras. The men finished their performances in CWT, which were cancelled on the first competition day—August 17th. Frankly, it was rather boring (in a good way): a couple of red cards for failed surface protocols, several early turns, and not a single blackout. No surprises and no drama!

In short:

• 24 athletes participated
• Realized depth ranged from 46–131m (151–430ft)
• 2 red cards were issued
• 5 yellow cards were given
• 1 new CMAS Masters 2 World Record (pending)
• 1 new CMAS Continental Record for the Americas (pending)

The winners were defined as predicted. The gold went to (you‘ll never guess it) Alexey Molchanov (INT). Alexey performed a conservative dive of 131m (430ft)—5m (16ft) shallower than his personal best (PB) and absolute World Record of 136m (446ft). Nonetheless, the result was 15m (49ft) deeper than the second-deepest dive of the day. Pedro Tapia (MEX) reached 116m (381ft) of depth (3m / 10ft shallower than his PB) and won silver.

The bronze was given to Guillaume Bourdila (FRA). Diving with bifins, Guillaume reached 113m (371ft) and was so happy to return to the surface, conscious and in control, that he initially forgot about the surface protocol. Fortunately, the athlete remembered it just in time and managed to show it within the 20-second limit.

Kim Dahlgren (SWE) could have placed fourth, but he turned early at 97m (318ft) out of his announced 104m (341ft). So, fourth place was shared between Francisco Quesada (ESP) and Kai Xiao (CHN), who both dived to 103m (338ft). During Fran's performance, a local barracuda made a surprise on-screen cameo, adding some excitement to the day.

61-year-old Gennady Roshchin (ITA) seemed to be the only one (besides the barracuda) who pushed his limits. He touched the 100m (328ft) barrier, improving his official PB by 18m (59ft) and setting a new CMAS World Record in the Masters 2 category. Congratulations on an impressive dive!

Also, we would like to take a moment to remember this day in freediving history. On August 21, 2023, at the CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023, which also took place in Roatán, Honduras, Andrey Matveenko (INT) set a new absolute World Record in CWT diving to 134m (440ft). Since 2012, Andrey has remained the only athlete who, at least for a short while, managed to outperform Alexey Molchanov in his favorite discipline.

August 22nd is a well-deserved rest day at the Championship. The competition will resume on August 23rd, when women will perform in Constant Weight with No Fins (CNF). The current unchallenged leader in CNF and absolute World Record holder of 88m (289ft), Kateryna Sadurska (UKR), is present at the Championship. Make sure you don't miss her dive! The online broadcast is available on CMASTV. The first Top Time is scheduled for 8:45 am (UTC−6), which is around 5 pm in Europe and 11 pm in Asia.

Day 6 (August 23): CNF Men

On August 23rd, the men competed in Constant Weight with No Fins (CNF) at the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Roatán, Honduras. To be honest, we’d like to ask for the previous boring days back—the weather was perfect; there was no visible current, and yet there were still 12 red cards out of 30 dives! The day’s red cards numbered more than all the previous days combined for both men and women. Have the athletes overestimated themselves after a rest day?

In short:

• 30 athletes participated
• Realized depth ranged from 41–95m (135–312ft)
• 12 red cards were issued
• 1 new CMAS Para-Freediving World Record (pending)
• 1 new CMAS Masters 1 World Record (pending)
• 1 new CMAS Masters 2 World Record (pending)
• 1 new CMAS Continental Record for the Americas (pending)

The day launched successfully; Alexander Kusakin (INT) set another CMAS Para-Freediving World Record, diving 41m (135ft) deep. The following two athletes also received white cards. But then, things took a turn for the worse: Ching-Yu Wang (TPE), returning from 65m, experienced a blackout at a depth of 20m (66ft).

Even athletes who performed their earlier FIM dives with no-fins technique failed to execute their CNF dives. They either ascended using the rope or asked the safety team for a ride.

Eventually, the bronze landed in the hands of Francisco Quesada (ESP), whose announcement of 77m (253ft) was the 7th deepest dive on the start list. Samo Jeranko (SVN), who had the 5th-deepest announcement of 83m (272ft), got close to the medal after successfully returning to the surface. Alas, during the surface protocol, he leaned back and dipped his head in the water—red card.

Last year's World Champion in CNF, Piotr Kubiak (POL), announced a 2m-deeper dive than last year—93m (305ft). But like Samo, Piotr didn't complete the surface protocol. So the silver literally slipped through Piotr's fingers and went to Pedro Tapia (MEX). Pedro not only performed a clean and strong dive to 86m (282ft) but also set a new CMAS Continental Record for the Americas! Maybe the secret of his successful dive was a conservative announcement—3m (10ft) shallower than his previous official personal best (PB) of 89m (292ft), which he reached just a month ago at the Deep Dominica Depth Competition AIDA.

Alexey Molchanov (INT), who doesn't usually enjoy CNF, also made a modest bid of 95m (312ft), which is 5m (16ft) shallower than his 100m (328ft) PB. That 100m dive is the current CMAS World Record; it was set in the same place 3 years ago during the 7th CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth, Roatán, Honduras 2023. This year, Alexey's dive was super confident, with impressive technique and clean surface protocol. He even looked fresh on the surface! This is his 3rd white card and 3rd World Champion title at this year's Championship.

In the Masters category, athletes didn't take risks and, therefore, successfully set two new CMAS World Records. Masters 1 athlete Eugen Goettling (AUT) dived to 74m (243ft), while Masters 2 competitor Gennady Roshchin (ITA) performed a 72m (236ft) dive.

To sum up, the podium in the senior category is as follows:

Alexey Molchanov (INT) - 95m (312ft) - Gold
Pedro Tapia (MEX) - 86m (282ft) - Silver and new CMAS Continental Record for the Americas
Francisco Quesada (ESP) - 77m (253ft) - Bronze

On August 24th, it is women’s turn to compete in CNF, and we’re hoping they will get fewer red cards! The online broadcast is available on CMASTV (https://tv.cmas.org/sportitemset/6a5a0635bbeb39066cc5bd51). The first Top Time is scheduled for 8:45 am (UTC−6), which is around 5 pm in Europe and 11 pm in Asia.

Day 7 (August 24): CNF Women

August 24th marked the 7th competition day of the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Roatán, Honduras, and it was a quiet one. The women competed in CNF and were cautious in their announcements, likely impressed by the parade of men’s disqualifications on the previous day (12 red cards out of 30 dives!).

In short:

• 17 athletes participated
• Realized depth ranged from 36–77m (118–253ft)
• 2 red cards were issued
• 1 yellow card was given

Of the three deepest announcements, only one was intriguing: Maria Bobela (POL) was aiming for 70m (230ft), 2m (7ft) deeper than her official personal best (PB). The current absolute World Record holder—Kateryna Sadurska (UKR), who holds the record with 88m (289ft)—announced a 77m (253ft) dive, 11m (36ft) shallower than her PB. And Alessia Zecchini's (ITA) announcement was unexpectedly the 3rd deepest of the day—65m (213ft), 9m (30ft) shallower than her PB.

Unfortunately, Maria's dream didn't come true; she turned early at a depth of 64m (210ft) and received a yellow card. And because of the 7-point penalty, Maria ended up ranking 6th in the discipline.

Kateryna and Alessia predictably and easily completed their dives and received white cards. Congratulations to the Champion and Vice-Champion!

Jade Agboton (FRA) dived to 64m (210ft). Her dive didn't look easy, but the athlete held strong and didn't get confused by the movements of the competition platform on the waves, which caused her airways to dip during the surface protocol. As the dip wasn't the athlete's fault, judges gave Jade a white card. Jade is relatively new to freediving, and this is only her second year competing at the World Championships. And yet, she's already received her first medal. Congratulations!

Last year's bronze medalist, Elena Morozova (INT), briefly lost consciousness on the surface after a dive to 61m (200ft) and received the first red card of the day. The last red card went to Jennifer Brant (USA), who was the only female athlete in the Masters 1 category. Her dive was the last of the day amidst heavy rain, and while she successfully reached her announced 35m (115ft), she blacked out several meters below the surface.

We hope to have a more exciting competition day with more athletes participating on August 25th, when the men will compete in CWT-BF. This is the penultimate day at the Championship; don't miss the broadcast! It is available on CMASTV. The first Top Time is scheduled for 8:45 am (UTC−6), which is around 5 pm in Europe and 11 pm in Asia.

Day 8 (August 25): CWT-BF Men

August 26th was the penultimate day of the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Roatán, Honduras, where the men competed in CWT-BF. It seems like after a complicated CNF day, the men decided to finish the Championship in a calm manner—there were no blackouts the entire day! There was only one (extremely disappointing!) red card and several yellow cards for early turns and dolphin kicks.

In short:

• 29 athletes participated
• Realized depth ranged from 50m (164ft) to 127m (417ft)
• 1 red card was issued
• 5 yellow cards were given
• 1 new CMAS Para-Freediving World Record (pending)
• 1 new CMAS Masters 1 World Record (pending)
• 1 new CMAS Masters 2 World Record (pending)
• 1 new CMAS Masters 3 World Record (pending)
• 1 new CMAS Continental Record for the Americas (pending)

The day was traditionally opened by Alexander Kusakin (INT), who dived to 54m (177ft) of depth and set a new CMAS Para-Freediving World Record, 1m (3ft) deeper than his previous world record in the discipline.

Afterward, the athletes were diving more or less successfully, and there was a strong anticipation that the day’s results would be nearly identical to the start list, but then came a twist. Guillaume Bourdila (FRA) had the second deepest announcement of the day at 117m (384ft). He successfully reached the bottom plate and looked to be emerging fully conscious, yet several meters before the surface, he pulled the rope. So, instead of the attempted silver, he got a red card!

Alexey Molchanov (INT) was diving next. His announcement was 127m (417ft), 2m (7ft) shallower than his recently set absolute World Record of 129m / 423ft (AIDA Asian Freediving Cup 2026 Panglao, Bohol, Philippines), yet equal to his CMAS World Record set in 2025. Alexey successfully reached the bottom plate and headed back to the surface. The athlete was likely tired after four intense competition days, or hadn't trained the discipline for a while, because his kicking technique looked odd. Also, Alexey was so relaxed and slow that, from the side, it seemed like he almost wasn't moving up. Nonetheless, after an enormously long time underwater (a dive time of 5 minutes 25 seconds!), the athlete arrived at the surface slightly shaken by hypoxia. But he pulled himself together and showed the surface protocol for a white card and his fourth gold medal at the Championship! During the after-dive interview, Alexey mentioned that even in his long and glorious career, this was the first time he managed to collect all four gold medals in all the disciplines! Congratulations to the fourfold World Champion—you are the greatest!

The silver went to Piotr Kubiak (POL). He made a confident and beautiful dive to 111m (364ft). This was Piotr's second silver medal at the Championship. Congratulations to the Vice-Champion!

The bronze was shared by Francisco Quesada (ESP) and Samo Jeranko (SVN). Both athletes performed a 104m (341ft) dive with no mistakes!

The Masters athletes also didn’t stay idle and set new CMAS Records in all three categories. Eugen Goettling (AUT), in the M1 category, made a sharp dive to 100m (328ft). Gennady Roshchin (ITA), in the M2 category, dived 88m (289ft). And 72-year-old Sauveur Lococo (FRA) performed an impressive dive to 79m (259ft) of depth—4m (13ft) deeper than his previous PB!

Congratulations to all the winners! For the men, the Championship is over; they can now rest and wait for the after-party. But the women still must perform their last dives in CWT-BF on August 26th. Don't miss the broadcast on CMASTV! The first Top Time is scheduled for 8:45 am (UTC−6), which is around 5 pm in Europe and 11 pm in Asia.

Day 9 (August 26): CWT-BF Women

The 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Roatán, Honduras, was closed out on August 26th by the women’s competition in CWT-BF. There were no attempts at new world records in the Senior category, yet the day was quite eventful.

In short:

• 23 athletes participated
• Realized depth ranged from 17m (56ft) to 110m (361ft)
• 2 red cards were issued
• 4 yellow cards were given

In total, there were 4 announcements of dives to 100m (328ft) or deeper. Nonetheless, the bronze medal was eventually given for a 95m (312ft) dive.

Mara Guida (ITA) and Maria Bobela (POL) were both heading to 95m. Maria Bobela turned early at a depth of 89m and was eventually ranked 7th, while Mara Guida completed her dive as planned, improving her official personal best result by 11m! But at that moment, she probably couldn't have guessed that she would stand on the podium.

Isabel Sanchez Arana (ESP) dived next, on her way to a depth of 99m (325ft). But her ear failed her—Isabel wasn't able to equalize and turned early at 17m (56ft), withdrawing from the race for medals.

A bid for a new CMAS Masters 1 World Record of 100m (328ft) was made by Linda Paganelli (ITA). It's admirable that a 53-year-old athlete not only competes in the Senior category but also keeps claiming medals. Unfortunately, the claim wasn't successful this time. Linda reached the announced depth and even returned to the surface conscious and focused. But likely her recovery breaths weren't enough, so during the surface protocol, the athlete lost consciousness for a second and woke up in the hands of the safety team—a red card and disqualification.

The following two dives of the teammates Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) and Nataliia Zharkova (UKR) to 103m (338ft) and 110m (361ft), respectively, were successful and beautiful. Nataliia only looked a bit tired with purple lips at the surface.

Alessia Zecchini (ITA), with the deepest announcement of 111m (364ft), was diving for a gold medal. She reached the announced depth, then smoothly emerged and confidently showed the surface protocol with a bright smile. However, the judges weren't charmed and showed a yellow card to mark the dive, which would be later reviewed. And after the review, the card turned red! Unfortunately, the replay video showed that after her turn on the bottom plate, Alessia made a pull 5cm outside the allowed 3-meter zone on the rope. Such a heartbreaking disqualification!

As a result, the winners are as follows:

Nataliia Zharkova (UKR) - 110m (361ft) - Gold
Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) - 103m (338ft) - Silver
Mara Guida (ITA) - 95m (312ft) - Bronze

And with that, the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth is officially over! Congratulations to all the athletes! You did your best, and each of you is a winner and an inspiration, regardless of the numbers.

We send our gratitude to the event organizers, Roatán Freediving School & Training Center, Esteban Darhanpe, and head of safety Daniel Arias Córdova for a smooth and safe competition—thank you!

But the competition isn't over just yet. See you in a month at the AIDA World Apnea 2026 Depth Championship in Limassol, Cyprus!