CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Depth

Kalamata, Greece, 2024

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 (October 4): CWT - Men
3. Day 2 (October 6): CWT - Women
4. Day 3 (October 7): FIM - Men
5. Day 4 (October 8): FIM - Women
6. Day 5 (October 9): CNF - Men
7. Day 6 (October 10):
7.1 A new absolute world record
7.2 CNF - Women
8. Day 7 (October 11): CWTB - Men
9. Day 8 (October 12): CWTB - Women

Preview of the World Championship

Background

The CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Depth starts on October 3 with an opening ceremony in the captivating Greek city of Kalamata.

Kalamata will host the CMAS World Championship for the first time; however, it is already familiar with large freediving events. In 2011 and 2013, the AIDA Freediving World Championships took place here. Also, in 2016, the last-to-date AIDA Team World Championship was held in Kalamata.

The Championship has every chance to become the biggest and most representative event in recent freediving history. Over 130 athletes announced their participation in all age categories, and the official organizers and two local freediving schools are hardly managing with the increased number of athletes for pre-competition training.

Diving conditions and competition schedule

Kalamata is attractive for freedivers because of its diving conditions (one of the best in the Mediterranean Sea!), convenient logistics, variety of accommodations, and, of course, its cuisine.

The current diving conditions are as follows:

• Air temperature: 25 - 27°C (77 - 81°F)
• Water temperature: from 25°C (77°F) on the surface to 17 - 19°C (63 - 66°F) at 15m (49ft)
• Visibility: 20 - 30m (66 - 98ft)
• No current
• No waves
• Maximum depth: 160m (525ft)

Athletes will compete in 4 disciplines with one spare day in the middle. Here’s the schedule:

• October 3 - Opening Ceremony
• October 4 - Constant Weight with Monofin (CWT) - Men
• October 5 - Constant Weight with Monofin (CWT) - Women
• October 6 - Free Immersion (FIM) - Men
• October 7 - Free Immersion (FIM) - Women
• October 8 - Day off / Backup day
• October 9 - Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) - Men
• October 10 - Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) - Women
• October 11 - Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB) - Men
• October 12 - Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB) - Women

An awards ceremony and evening closing ceremony will be held at the end of the Championship on October 12.

Competing athletes

The number of current and former world record holders in Kalamata is sky-high. The competition promises to be as hot as ever - trust us, you don't want to miss the show!

Judge for yourself. Among the men, all current and former world record holders are going to compete. Among the women, we are only missing the current and former AIDA World Record holders in FIM, Fatima Korok (HUN) and Sanda Delija (HRV), respectively. Mirela Kardašević (HRV), who once held the World Record in CNF, also isn't present at the Championship.

Nonetheless, the competition among women is intense and can cause some unexpected outcomes. First of all, we are happy to welcome back at the Championship the starry Alessia Zecchini (ITA), who skipped the 2023 competition season due to back surgery. Despite the fact Alessia didn't participate in the Championship 2023, she is still the absolute World Record holder in CWT with a performance of 123m / 404ft (AIDA OCEANQUEST PHILIPPINES 2023) and FIM with 104m / 341ft (CMAS Camotes Freediving Challenge 2024).

In CWT, Alessia is closely followed by Alenka Artnik (SVN), whose personal best (PB) and previous world record in the discipline is just 1m (3ft) shallower than Alessia's. If Alessia and Alenka don’t play it too risky on the first competition day and avoid exceeding their limits, then Hanako Hirose (JPN), Chiara Obino (ITA), and Marianna Gillespie (INT) may only hope for a bronze medal. Their PBs are 111m (364ft), 107m (351ft), and 103m (338ft), respectively.

However, in FIM, Alessia has a significant gap of 7m (23ft). Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) has the second overall competition PB of 97m (318ft) in the discipline at the Championship. That performance brought Kateryna a gold medal at the 2023 Championship. At this current Championship, Katerina would be lucky to win a silver. She has two strong competitors with close results of 96m (315ft) and 95m (312ft) - Linda Paganelli (ITA) and Enchante Gallardo (USA).

In CNF, on the other hand, Kateryna is 4m (13ft) ahead of Alessia. Last year, Kateryna updated CNF world record 4 times - 3 times at Vertical Blue 2023 and 1 time at CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023 - from 74m (243ft) to 78m (256ft). It's not likely that Kateryna will give up the world record and championship title in this discipline. Maria Bobela Klovar (POL) and Enchante Gallardo (USA), who have close PBs of 66m (217ft) and 65m (213ft), respectively, will compete for bronze.

The Championship will end with the same way it will start - with a thrilling rivalry between Alessia and Alenka in another fin discipline - CWTB. But with bifins, Alenka is 2m (7ft) ahead of Alessia and holds the absolute World Record of 111m (364ft) in the discipline. Marianna Gillespie (FRA), with a PB of 100m (328ft) and Alice Modolo (FRA), with a 96m (315ft) PB, will compete for the bronze.

Among the men, there is also one athlete with absolute World Records in two disciplines. You would never guess - it's Alexey Molchanov (INT). In CWT, Alexey, with a performance of 136m (446ft), is 2m (7ft) ahead of Andrey Metveenko, whose result is 134m (440ft), reached at the CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023. If Alexey and Andrey manage to decide who is the first and who is the second without any blackouts, then Davide Carrera (ITA; PB - 130m / 427ft), Arnaud Jerald (FRA; PB - 126m / 413ft), and Mateusz Malina (POL; PB - 123m / 404ft) may only hope for a bronze in CWT.

In CWTB, Alexey Molchanov’s gap is a bit bigger but also not significantly so: 4m (13ft) divide Arnaud Jerald from a new absolute world record in the discipline. Alexey's result is 125m (410ft), and Arnauds' - 123m (404ft). The third may be Abdelatif Alouach (FRA, PB of 119m / 390ft), Mateusz Malina (POL, PB of 113m / 371ft), or Andrey Matveenko (INT, PB of 112m / 367ft).

The most unpredictable competition among the men awaits us in FIM and CNF. In FIM, Petar Klovar (POL) holds the current absolute World Record of 135m (443ft). Alexey is a former World Record holder in FIM, with a result of 133m (436ft). But Alexey is dreaming about the CNF record and might even skip FIM to have enough rest before his most complicated performance. Yet, Mateusz Malina, whose PB is 127m (417ft), has dived 130m (427ft) in training. Is he preparing to overtake the FIM World Record? Besides, the mysterious William Trubridge (NZL; PB 124m / 407ft, who also once held world records in FIM) is also present at the Championship. Hopefully, William won't change his mind and make it to the line to impress us with a very deep dive or even a new world record.

Yet, the most anticipated performance among the men are saved for CNF day. William is the current absolute World Record holder in the discipline since 2016, when he dived to 102m (335ft) during an AIDA Individual World Record Attempt. Alexey currently holds only the CMAS World Record in CNF with 100m (328ft), reached during CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023. The following athletes may also hope for a medal: Petar Klovar (HRV; PB 95m / 312ft), Mateusz Malina (POL; PB 90m / 295ft), Francisco Quesada (PB 86m / 282ft), and Vitomir Maričić ( HRV, PB 84m / 276ft).

And this is how the show begins! Who are you rooting for?

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 (October 4): CWT - Men

The setup

October 4, in Kalamata, Greece, was the first competition day of the CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Depth. Men and women are competing on different days, and the men started first with the deepest discipline: Constant Weight with Fins (CWT). The first start was delayed for 30 minutes due to weather conditions, but then the competition went on as planned.

There were many early turns but not so many red cards, considering the number of participants. Yet, 2 out of 6 red cards were given for blackouts deeper than 15m (49ft). Unfortunately, these athletes are disqualified until the end of the Championship.

In short:

• 68 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 32m - 135m (105 - 443ft)
• 6 red cards were given
• 19 yellow cards were issued
• 15 new CMAS National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 3 new CMAS World Records were gained in Masters 60+ category and Para freediving (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

The Deepest

Our prediction of the top three athletes turned out to be very wrong. However, the only fact you can't mistake is that Alexey Molchanov (INT) is the deepest man. He announced a 135m (443ft) dive - just 1m (3ft) shallower than his current absolute World Record in CWT - and conquered it. This time, no one could rival Alexey; the nearest competitor had a 14m (46ft) shallower announcement. And eventually, the first and second places were divided by 17m (56ft). Yet, there was an impression that Alexey surfaced a little too close to his limits in the discipline; most likely, the athlete didn't train with the monofin much this season. Nonetheless - congratulations, incomparable Alexey, we didn't doubt you for a second!

Missed chances

Mateusz Malina (POL) made the second deepest announcement of 122m (400ft). Andrey Matveenko (INT), who managed to set a World Record in CWT by diving to 134m (440ft) last year, made the third deepest announcement - 121m (397ft).

Mateusz didn't reach the target and turned at a depth of 114m (374ft) - a yellow card and 5th place in the discipline ranking. Andrey, on the contrary, grabbed a tag from the bottom plate. 121m (397ft) depth seemed to be a rather conservative announcement for Andrey - 13m (43ft) shallower than his competition personal best. But several days before the dive, Andrey had a deep blackout, and a day before the dive - a fever. Apparently, the athlete wasn't in his best shape, and right after the touchdown, he started to lose the line, influenced by narcosis. At a depth of 25m (82ft), Andrey completely lost orientation and was delivered to the surface by the safety team while unconscious. Alas, the Championship is over for him.

The silver and the bronze

Emmanouil Giankos (GRE), an experienced athlete and spearfisher who has competed for more than twenty years, announced a 118m (387ft) dive. He confidently completed the dive and became a Vice-Champion - congratulations, Manolis! Another long-liver of competitive freediving - Davide Carrera (ITA) - announced a 116m (381ft) dive. His personal best result is 130m (427ft). This year, he even tried to beat Alexey's World Record by diving to 137m (450ft) but sadly blacked out. So, the 116m (381ft) announcement seemed as a quite modest one for Davide. He completed the dive easily and won the bronze. Congratulations, Davide!

Notable performances

We couldn’t miss the long-awaited performance of William Trubridge (NZL), the legendary world record holder in CNF, who hasn't performed at the World Championships for a while. This time, he announced a modest dive of 106m (348ft), while his personal best result is 122m (400ft). Instead of a monofin, William decided to use a pair of bifins of his personal brand. Alas, the athlete didn't reach the target depth and turned at a depth of 103m (338ft).

Simultaneously, with the senior athletes, men from several master's categories compete. The athletes of the Masters 70+ category, Japec Jakopin (SVN) and Sauveur Lococo (FRA), announced 83m (272ft) and 82m (269ft) dives, respectively.

Unfortunately, Japec had to turn early at a depth of 67m (220ft), and Sauveur experienced a light blackout at the surface. Both were still impressive dives!

And we should celebrate a Para Freediving World Record set by Alexander Kusakin (INT), who dived to a depth of 46m (151ft). Alexander, who has lost both legs, performed the dive using bifins attached to prostheses. What spirit - congratulations, Alexander!

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 CWT competition among the women, who have made several remarkable announcements.

Stay tuned!

Day 2 (October 6): CWT - Women

The setup

The second competition day of the CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Depth, originally planned for October 5, was moved to October 6 due to weather conditions. Unexpectedly, especially for Kalamata, there was strong wind and rain on the previous day, so the starts were cancelled. For this shift, the day off planned for October 8 was used. From here on, we hope the weather will be favorable for freedivers and that everything goes according to schedule, as no other day off is left for an emergency.

As the results show, the women were traditionally more thoughtful with their announcements - only three red cards and no deep blackouts. 5 out of 7 athletes who announced 100m+ (328ft+) dives received white cards. We must draw your attention to the elegant and efficient technique of the women from the 100m+ club. If you missed the broadcast, take some time to watch the recording - it's a specific type of art!

In short:

• 50 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 38m - 116m (125 - 381ft)
• 3 red cards were given
• 11 yellow cards were issued
• 12 new CMAS National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 2 new CMAS World Records were gained in Masters 50+ and Masters 70+ categories

The gold

Alenka Artnik Burghardt (SVN) announced the deepest announcement of the day - 116m (381ft). This is 8m (26ft) shallower than Alenka's personal best and the previous world record in the discipline (122m / (400ft); Vertical Blue 2021 CMAS). Yet, the dive appeared to be challenging for the athlete - Alenka surfaced very close to her limits. Nonetheless, she restrained herself and managed the surface protocol - a white card! This is Alenka's 5th year in a row as the world champion in CWT. Congratulations, Wonder Woman!

The silver

But we must say that the true hero of the day became Hanako Hirose (JPN). In 2018, Hanako mastered 106m (348ft) depth. Yet, since then, that dive remained her personal best, as the following competition seasons were not very successful for her. But with an admirable persistence, Hanako kept trying, and several days before the Championship, she reached an astonishing 111m (364ft) of depth at a competition in Japan. She made a 2m (7ft) deeper announcement for her Championship performance and successfully reached the end of the line. However, influenced by narcosis, Hanako missed the bottom plate and spent a very long 20 seconds at depth looking for the plate and the tag. We assume the safety team was already preparing to launch the counter ballast system to rescue the tag... But eventually, the tag was found by Hanako, the audience resumed breathing, and she headed back to the surface.

Surprisingly, Hanako looked very strong and fresh on the surface, as if she still had a reserve to dive even deeper. She smoothly completed the protocol and received a white card. Congratulations, Hanako, on well-deserved silver and a new CMAS National Record for Japan!

The bronze

Unexpectedly, the third announcement of 109m (358ft) belonged to the current absolute World Record holder in the discipline - Alessia Zecchini (123m / 404ft), AIDA OCEANQUEST PHILIPPINES, 2023). The athlete is most likely still recovering from last year's back surgery and made a modest announcement expecting not-so-favorable weather conditions. Several meters before the surface, Alessia was affected by narcosis and lost the line; then, at the surface, she was attempting to remove her goggles for several seconds rather than starting the protocol. Eventually, the goggles were off, and the protocol was made in time - another white card! Congratulations, Alessia - it's great to have you back!

The fourth

Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) and Marianna Gillespie (FRA) both announced 103m (338ft) dives, aiming for fourth place in the discipline ranking. Kateryna seemingly effortlessly completed the dive. This didn't come as a surprise, as she is the current absolute World Record holder in CNF (78m / 256ft; CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023). Kateryna is probably limited only by equalization, as she obviously has a significant resilience to hypoxia.

Unfortunately, Marianna's dive didn't go as smoothly. A month ago, at the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship, Marianna became the World Champion in CWT, diving to a depth of 100m (328ft). This time, Marianna turned early at a depth of 98m (322ft) but blacked out at the surface regardless. Get well soon, Marianna!

Congratulations to all the athletes - one discipline is over and we are now ready to watch the men compete in FIM on October 7!

Day 3 (October 7): FIM - Men

The setup

October 7 was the third competition day at the CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Depth in Kalamata, Greece. The men competed in Free Immersion (FIM), and it was a dreadfully complicated day for the athletes. The weather conditions remained harsh in the Mediterranean Sea - strong wind and high waves at the surface. Only one out of six of the deepest dives of the day ended in a white card, and in total, there were only 28 white cards out of 66.

In short:

• 66 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 50m to 117m (164ft - 384ft)
• 13 red cards were given
• 25 yellow cards were issued
• 11 new CMAS National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 2 new CMAS Continental Records were set (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 2 new CMAS World Records were secured in Para Freediving (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

Team France

The six deepest athletes began performing after a short break - announced performances ranged from 110m (361ft) by William Trubridge (NZL) to 132m (433ft) by Petar Klovar (HRV). William didn't appear on the line. The next athlete was Thibault Guignes (FRA) with a 112m (367ft) announcement. Thibault reached the depth and was on his way back up, but 20m (66ft) before the surface, he started to lose coordination and the line. In the end, the safety diver brought him to back to the surface. It was the first red card of the day and a disqualification for Thibault for the remainder of the Championship.

Thibault was followed by his teammates - Guillaume Bourdila (FRA) and Abdelatif Alouach (FRA) - with announcements of 113m (371ft) and 117m (384ft), respectively. Guillaume calmly performed the dive with technical precision. But, at the surface, while he was in the middle of recovery breathing, a wave unexpectedly submerged the athlete, causing him to lose consciousness. It was the second (and such an unfortunate) red card.

Abdelatif, though, was more fortunate. The athlete dived in his iconic slow and relaxed manner, performed a surface protocol, received a white card and cried on the line. Yet we’re sure that if Abdel knew his final place on the podium at that very moment, he would have shed even more tears...

Unfortunate reds

The next two deepest dives of the day were alarming to witness. Mateusz Malina (POL) reached his announced depth of 121m (397ft) and grabbed the tag, but then something seemed off. Already at 100m (328ft), the athlete was off rhythm, and at around 70m (230ft), he started to stick out his tongue, possibly in an effort to control narcosis. Then, closer to the surface, Mateusz was seen shaking his head to the safeties. His will somehow eventually brought him back to the surface, yet he unfortunately blacked out - red card.

The deepest announcement of 132m (433ft) belonged to the current absolute World Record holder Petar Klovar (HRV) (135m / 443ft; 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship). Petar reached his target depth (Diveye wasn't working at that moment, but the judge was heard saying "touchdown") and was making his way back up, but began to lose consciousness about 20m (66ft) before the surface. The safety divers brought an unconscious Petar back, resulting in a red card and, alas, disqualification for the remainder of the Championship.

The silver lining was that, once the two deepest athletes were withdrawn from the competition, the gold medal landed in hands of Abdel. Congratulations, Champion - your strong dive was the bright spot of this unusual day!

The silver and the bronze

After a small break, the competition went on. Omar Al Ghailani (OMA) announced and performed a clean 107m (351ft). The depth was only 3m (10ft) shallower than the competition personal best he reached in 2023. A month ago, at the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship, Omar tried to perform a 106m (348ft) in FIM, but turned early at 92m (302ft). It's simply astounding how the athlete remained calm and composed despite the unfavorable weather and two alarming blackouts before his dive. Congratulations, Vice-Champion, on the well-deserved silver medal!

Antonio Mogavero (ITA) almost shared the title with Omar since he was aiming for 107m (351ft) of depth, but he turned at 94m (308ft) and came back to a yellow card.

Highly experienced athlete Emmanouil Giankos (GRE) had just a meter shallower announcement - 106m (348ft). He reached the target depth successfully, performing a confident protocol, and received a white card back at the surface. Congratulations on a new CMAS National Record for Greece and a bronze medal!

This third part of the competition day ended with the dive of Jay Ku (TPE), who reached 103m (338ft) of depth, received a white card, and set a new CMAS Continental Record for Asia. However, among the 12 performances that followed his, there was not a single one ending in a white card. We’ll use this moment to express our gratitude and admiration to the safety team and medics, who passed this endurance test with flying colors. Thank you for being the true heroes of the day!

On October 8, it will be the women’s turn to compete in FIM - we hope they’ll be more cautious than the men! No matter what, we’ll still keep you updated about all the highlights (and we’ve prepared some calming chamomile tea for ourselves).

Day 4 (October 7): FIM - Women

The setup

On October 8, women competed in Free Immersion (FIM) at the CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Depth in Kalamata, Greece. The previous competition day among the men was dramatic and unsuccessful for most of the participants because of the harsh weather conditions and poor-quality start lines. Nevertheless, the competition among the women went on smoothly and without incident, as the Mediterranean Sea had calmed down at last. Throughout the entire day, there was only one surface blackout, eight early turns, and one heartbreaking episode...

In short:

• 37 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 42m to 95m (138 - 312ft)
• 2 red cards were given
• 8 yellow cards were issued
• 10 new CMAS National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 1 new CMAS World Record was secured in master 70+ category (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

The winners

The first athlete who dived deeper than 90m (295ft) that day was Linda Paganelli (ITA). Linda could compete in the masters category and win, but she competed among senior athletes instead and ranked fourth in the discipline with a 91m (299ft) dive.

Talya Davidoff (USA), the captain of the American team, won the bronze. She performed the 92-meter (302-foot) dive with a beautiful technique. On the surface, though, she seemed to hardly be holding herself up, yet still managed to complete the protocol - then used some very colorful language, probably out of emotional overload!

Tayla's teammate, Enchante Gallardo (USA), went 1m (3ft) deeper. Her 93m (305ft) dive was also smooth and efficient, but at the surface, Enchante seemed to have to make an effort to complete the protocol - white card. Congratulations, Vice-Champion!

And now, please welcome the Champion - Kateryna Sadurska (UKR)! Kateryna completed a beautiful 95-meter (312ft) dive and looked very fresh at the surface. Similarly to her previous 103m (338ft) CWT dive in this Championship, this FIM dive seemed to be an easy task for Kateryna - a a sign of remarkable resilience to hypoxia. Congratulations, Champion - we are looking forward to even greater depths!

Heartbreaking mistake

But Kateryna's dive wasn't the deepest one that day. Alessia Zecchini (ITA), the current absolute World Record holder in the discipline (104m / 341ft, AIDA Camotes Freediving Challenge 2024), reached a depth of 96m (315ft). But at the surface, probably affected by narcosis (we know it sometimes hits Alessia hard at depth), she showed the surface protocol with her back to judges. No one could point out this mistake to her for her to correct it, since, according to CMAS rules, an athlete cannot be coached upon surfacing. Once Alessia realized the mistake on her own, she turned to the judges and showed the protocol again, but it was too late; the 20-second limit had expired - red card. It is heartbreaking, indeed. We feel for you, Alessia, and look forward to your performances in the next disciplines.

And now it's time to move forward. October 9 is CNF competition day - stay tuned for news!

Day 5 (October 9): CNF - Men

The setup

October 9 was the CNF competition day among the men at the CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Depth in Kalamata, Greece. It is a complicated discipline, and considering the performances of the men in the previous competition days, we expected a similar amount of dramatic performances. And the men lived up to these expectations, even though some of the strongest athletes had been disqualified since the beginning of the Championship.

The current absolute World Record holder, William Trubridge (102m / 335ft, Individual World Record Attempt 2016), stated that he was disallowed to continue competing at the Championship by the medical team because of tingling in his right foot and ankle that occurred after a 102m CWT dive with bifins on the first competition day. Petar Klovar (HRV), whose competition personal best in CNF is 95m (312ft), was disqualified for the remainder of the Championship because of a deep blackout, which followed his attempt to perform a 135m (443ft) FIM dive on third competition day.

So, in total, there were only five performances to depths of 80m+ (262ft) and only one of these announcements ended in a white card.

In short:

• 52 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 30m - 92m (98 - 302ft)
• 14 red cards were given
• 6 yellow cards were issued
• 12 new CMAS National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 2 new CMAS World Record in Para freediving were set (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

The gold

With the main competitors absent from the start list, Alexey Molchanov (INT) made the deepest announcement of the day - 93m (305ft). The depth is 7m (23ft) shallower than his competition personal best (PB) of 100m (328ft). Yet, even this announcement was quite bold since the weather conditions remained somewhat harsh. There were long and steady waves at the surface and a strong thermocline at depth. The temperature dropped from 24°C (75°F) to 12°C (54°F). Alexey explained that the cold disturbs relaxation, which is essential for CNF dives. Yet, he is used to diving in a thin 1mm wetsuit, which doesn't add buoyancy and allows Alexey to dive without extra weights.

So, knowing that his competitors were at least 6m (20ft) behind, Alexey made the strategic decision not to waste time at the bottom plate grabbing the tag in cold water. Apart from that, the dive was clean and confident. At the surface, Alexey performed the protocol, received a yellow card, and won his second gold medal at this competition. Congratulations, Champion!

Color-changing performances

Abdelatif Alouach (FRA) performed the second deepest dive of the day to a depth of 87m (285ft). It was a smooth dive, and the result was supposed to become Abdel's new PB and bring him a silver medal. However, during the surface protocol, it seemed that the athlete dipped his airways, and the judges, being in doubt, gave him a yellow card. After rewatching the video of the performances, the judges might have changed that card to white if they decided that the airway dipping was caused by waves. Alas, they decided that it was due to the athlete's unstable conditions, and the card turned red. We are sorry for you, Abdel!

Mateusz Malina (POL) and Vitomir Maričić (HRV) announced 85m (279ft) dives and competed dramatically. Mateusz dived first. He reached the announced depth and turned back; but apparently, the athlete didn't fully recover after a stressful FIM dive and didn't have enough energy to surface with only arm and leg strokes. So, at a depth of 20m (66ft), he started to ascend by pulling the rope. Nonetheless, at the surface, Mateusz blacked out. It was his second blackout in the last three days. Before that, he hadn't blacked out at a competition for about a decade.

Vitomir also reached the announced depth and even returned to the surface conscious. At the surface, he tried to manage his emotions and narcosis by roaring during the surface protocol. Vitomir commented later that aggression helps him overcome narcosis and fading consciousness. The judges gave him a white card, but after rewatching the dive video in calmer conditions, they noticed that after the turn, Vitomir grabbed the line higher than the candy cane zone - red card.

So, eventually, the silver medal went to Francisco Quesada (ESP), who dived to a depth of 82m (269ft) and set a new CMAS National Record for Spain. Congratulations, Vice-Champion! Omar Al Ghailani (OMA) completed a strong dive to 77m (253ft) and became third in the discipline ranking. Congratulations, Omar, on your second medal at the Championship and your second new CMAS Continental Record of Asia!

World Records

Para-freediver Alexander Kusakin (INT) dived to 33m (108ft) and set a new CMAS World Record. However, it didn't last long. Next was Alessandro Cianfoni (ITA), who dived 2m (7ft) deeper, and the new CMAS World Record in Para Freedivng became 35m (115ft). Congratulations to both athletes!

David Mellor (GBR) also attempted to set a new CMAS World Record in the category of Masters 60+. He successfully completed a clean 66m (217ft). However, after the surface protocol, he started the celebration too early, leaned too far backward, and touched the water’s surface with the back of his head. Such an unfortunate red card, but we know it will be white next time, David!

October 10 is the CNF competition day for the women. We hope they won't break the tradition of a smaller number colored cards - even with several bold announcements at stake. Good luck to all the athletes!

Photo Credits: Federico Buzzoni (@fed.under.water) and Andec Kazar (@andac.kazar)

A new absolute World Record in CNF

On October 10 at the CMAS 8th Freediving Depth World Championship 2024, located in the Mediterranean Sea in Kalamata, Greece, Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) made history with a dive to 80m (262ft) without fins, setting a new absolute World Record in the Constant Weight with No Fins (CNF) discipline. Congratulations, Kateryna - you did it again!

Kateryna, a former synchronized swimmer, has already showcased her exceptional abilities in water sports before she even began freediving. After winning multiple champion titles at European Championships in synchronized swimming between 2010 and 2014, Kateryna seamlessly transitioned into the world of freediving when she participated in her first freediving competition in 2017.

Kateryna's breakthrough in frediving occurred in 2022 at the CMAS 6th Freediving Depth World Championship, where she dove without fins to a depth of 70m (230ft) and became the CNF World Champion. In 2023, she pushed herself even further, improving her personal best (PB) in the discipline by 8m (26ft) within one competition season, eventually reaching 78m (256ft). This was a significant improvement in the CNF discipline, especially considering the challenges it presents.

Celebrating Kateryna's 78m World Record last year, we expressed hope that her next CNF dive could be 80m deep. And now, it is a 'remember-that-tweet' moment, because just a year later, Kateryna made that dream come true.

At the World Championships, athletes usually announce dives that are several meters shallower than their PB to secure a ranking position and not risk losing out on a medal. This is because they have only one attempt to succeed in each discipline. Kateryna wasn't scared of the harsh conditions of the Mediterranean Sea, its cold water, or the Championship pressure - she not only became a World Champion again but also pushed the world's best result to an incredibly bold depth. Even among the men in freediving, only 17 athletes have ever managed to reach the same depth. Truly mindblowing - congratulations, Kateryna!

Day 6 (October 10): CNF - Women

The CNF competition day for the women of the CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Depth took place on October 10 in Kalamata, Greece. After the previous day, when men competed in CNF and included some complicated performances, we hoped that ladies would be cautious with their announcements and wouldn't exceed their limits. The first five performances went on smoothly. Then, the time for the deepest dives came - who would have guessed that only two of them would finish with white cards and that only the 10th deepest announcement would bring the bronze?

In short:

• 27 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 31m - 80m (102 - 262ft)
• 6 red cards were given
• 2 yellow cards were issued
• 10 new CMAS National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 1 new CMAS World Record was set (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 1 new CMAS World Record in Masters 50+ category was set (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

Bronze and silver

Isabel Sanchez Aran (ESP) completed a beautiful 57m (187ft) dive, set a new CMAS National Record for Spain, and won the bronze. Şahika Ercümen (TUR) was supposed to dive next to a depth of 61m (200ft) but didn't appear on the line. Talya Davidoff (USA) and Yağmur Ergün (TUR) were next with announcements of 62m (203ft). Talya reached the depth, but on the way back, the athlete realized she couldn't manage it and began pulling. The safeties pushed her back up to the surface to help her conserve energy - always heartwarming to see! Similarly, Yagmur reached the announced depth but was also disqualified for a grab and pull.

After a small break, Marine Simonis (BEL) reached a depth of 64m (210ft) with elegant and efficient technique. She surfaced with complete control and showed the protocol - a white card and a new CMAS National Record for Belgium. Marine couldn't hold back tears of happiness. At that moment, she didn't yet know that she would become the Vice-Champion, as five of the deepest announcements followed her performance.

Yellow and red

Just like Marine, Linda Paganelli (ITA) also announced a 64-meter dive. If successful, it would have become a new CMAS World Record in the Master's 50+ category. Linda performed an elegant and confident dive but made an unfortunate mistake on the surface. While taking off her goggles, she let the line go, then tried to catch it but missed, and the back of her head touched the surface. According to CMAS rules, this meant a red card and disqualification. We are so sorry, Linda - you'll get it next time!

Natalie Bruce (USA) attempted to reach a depth of 66m (217ft) but tuned back at a depth of 52m (171ft). She received a yellow card and ended up ranking 15th in the discipline ranking. Maria Bobela Klovar (POL) dived next to a depth of 68m (223ft). She reached the target, but at the surface, she, for a second, lost control and dipped her airways - red card. Next time, Maria, please keep breathing - the skipped recovery breath might have cost her the medal!

Alessia Zecchini (ITA) announced a 71m (233ft) depth. A year ago, that would have been a conservative announcement for her, as Alessia is a former World Record holder in the discipline with a competition personal best of 73m / 240ft (Vertical Blue 2018). Alas, this was too much for her this time. Alessia reached the depth but blacked out at the surface. It was the only blackout of the day.

Gold

And finally, it was time for the deepest and wildest dive of the day. Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) announced a 80m (262ft) dive. Considering all the previous red cards, we anxiously watched Kateryna approaching the depth. The athlete has an impeccable CNF technique, and each of her dives is a pure masterpiece; this one wasn’t an exception. Katerina surfaced being very close to her limits, yet managed the surface protocol and posed with the tag. Congratulations, Champion, on your new absolute World Record! By the way, among the men, Kateryna would have won a bronze at this Championship with the Vice-Champion only 2m (7ft) ahead of her - simply incredible!

After that, the emotional intensity declined, and 11 out of the following 13 dives also finished successfully.

Congratulations to all the athletes!

On October 11, we approach the final discipline of the Championship - Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB). Don't miss it!

Day 7 (October 11): CWTB - Men

October 11 was the last day for the men to compete at the CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Depth in Kalamata, Greece. And finally, the day was uneventful in a good sense, as there were much less incidents and unexpected outcomes. Even the number of colored cards was quite moderate for the men compared to the previous competition days.

In short:

• 59 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 50m - 125m (164 - 410ft)
• 6 red cards were given
• 13 yellow cards were issued
• 18 new CMAS National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 1 new CMAS Continental Records was gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 3 new CMAS World Record in Para freediving, Masters 60+ and Masters 70+ category were set (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

Gold

A former World Record holder in CWTB, Arnaud Jerald (FRA), was absent from the Championship, so Alexey Molchanov (INT) didn't have an equal rival present in this discipline - his nearest competitor of the day announced depths at least 10m (33ft) shallower. Nonetheless, Alexey announced 125m (410ft), which is a typical depth for him - one he can easily reach with bifins. A month ago, at the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship in Ajaccio, France, Alexey set a new absolute world record in CWTB by diving to 125m according to AIDA rules. This time, attempted to repeat the feat according to CMAS rules.

Alexey reached the bottom plate and probably confused it with a lanyard stopper - he was looking for a tag a meter below it. Obviously, the tag wasn't found at that depth, so he emerged without it. At the surface, Alexey performed the protocol, explained that he didn't find the tag, and received a yellow card. The athlete won his third gold medal at the Championship, but a new world record wasn't in the cards. Congratulations, our golden man and inspiration!

 

Silver and Bronze

Two French athletes, Abdelatif Alouach and Guillaume Bourdila, simultaneously announced the second-deepest dive of 115m (377ft). Abdel, in his usual relaxed and slow-motion style, brought the tag from depth to the surface. He emerged, already showing the “OK” sign. Apparently, the dive was too easy for the athlete. Once Abdel received a white card, he unexpectedly didn't cry out of happiness - this has never happened before. Congratulations, Vice-Champion!

Guillaume, unfortunately, didn't make it to the bottom plate. He turned back at a depth of 93m (305ft) and missed the chance to share the Vice-Champion title with his teammate.

Davide Carrera (ITA) performed a 113m (371ft) dive. His swimming technique is very different from Abdel's - Davide swims fast and efficiently. But like Abdel, he easily managed the dive and confidently showed the surface protocol, setting a new CMAS National Record for Italy and winning the bronze. Congratulations, Davide!

Red

The previous two dives were unsuccessful. Emmanouil Giankos (GRE) tried to perform a 110m (361ft) dive. He reached the bottom plate, grabbed the tag, and headed back. But at a depth of 45m (148ft), he surrendered and continued ascending by pulling the rope. A safety diver wanted to help Manouil, but the athlete fought back, showing that he was okay. He only allowed the safety diver to push him to the surface. At the surface, Manouil showed the tag and shook his head, saying, "Didn't manage."

Mateusz Malina (POL), whose personal best is 113m / 371ft (CMAS-TSSF 5th KAS BASKA FreeDiving World Cup Outdoor 2022), announced a conservative 106m (348ft). He reached the target depth, but the way back seemed to be extremely challenging for him. His technique broke, and Mateusz began kicking by pulling his knees to his stomach - then, closer to the surface, the athlete started using a dolphin kick technique. At first, the judges gave the athlete a yellow card. After rewatching the video of his performance, they change the card to red - the dolphin kick is forbidden in CWTB and leads to disqualification. Mateusz probably didn't fully recover after his blackouts in the previous days or isn't in top form at the moment. Get well soon, Matt!

Johnny Carabajal (USA) dived before Mateusz to a depth of 103m (338ft). He reached the target depth and grabbed the tag but, alas, lost consciousness several meters before the surface.

Other remarkable dives

Omar Al Ghailani (OMA) also announced 103m, and managed the dive well. He performed an impeccable and confident dive and set a new CMAS Continental Record of Asia.

Veterans of international freediving also showed remarkable results. David Mellor (GBR) set a new CMAS World Record in the Masters 60+ category diving to 87m (285ft). At the same time, Japec Jakopin (SVN) dived to 77m (253ft). and set a new CMAS World Record in the Masters 70+ category.

Para-freediver Alexander Kusakin (INT), wearing prostheses, dived to a depth of 51m (167ft), which became a new CMAS World Record in para-freediving.

Congratulations to all the winners, awardees, and new record holders! You are all a true inspiration!

The Championship is almost over; October 12 is the final day, when the women will compete in CWTB. Stay tuned!

Day 8 (October 12): CWTB - Women

October 12 was the final competition day at the CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Depth in Kalamata, Greece. This time, it was the women's turn to compete in Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB). Usually, athletes get tired by the last competition day and receive many colored cards. But, on the last competition day, women showed exemplary performances with only five colored cards and no blackouts. Even strong current and choppy weather, which delayed the starts by 30 minutes, didn't cause them any trouble.

In short:

• 39 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 43m - 103m (141 - 338ft)
• 2 red cards were given
• 3 yellow cards were issued
• 8 new CMAS National Records were gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 1 new CMAS Continental Records was gained (all with pending status until doping control results are finalized)
• 3 new CMAS World Record in Masters 50+ and Masters 70+ categories were set (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

Unfortunately, one yellow card went to Linda Paganelli (ITA). Linda competes in the Senior category even though she could win medals in the Masters 50+ category. This time, she aimed for bronze with a 97m (318ft) announcement, but only reached 92m (302ft) and turned back. As a result, she landed in 8th place in the discipline ranking.

The prize-winning top three athletes are as follows: Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) is the third, with a 95-meter (312-foot) performance. Kateryna performed in all disciplines at the Championship. Except for CNF, she appears to have the capacity to go deeper in all the other disciplines as all the dives seemed easy for her. This time, she even had the energy to wave to Diveye.

Alessia Zecchini (ITA) became the second. She performed a 100m (328ft) dive, which was 9m (30ft) shallower than her competition personal best. So, it was an easy and smooth performance for Alessia. She emerged already smiling and showed the surface protocol. The previous competition days weren't very successful for the athlete, with medals slipping through her fingers several times, so we are happy to at last congratulate Alessia with a well-deserved Vice-Champion title.

Alenka Artnik Burghardt (SVN), the current absolute World Record holder in CWTB (111m / 364ft; Vertical Blue 2023), also decided to play it safe and announced a 103m (338ft) dive. Yet, it didn't seem to be an easy performance for her; in the last several meters, she helped herself ascend with arm strokes. Nontheless, at the surface, Alenka looked strong and quickly showed the protocol. Congratulations, Champion!

Enchante Gallardo (USA) missed the bronze by only 1m (3ft), performing a beautiful 94m (308ft) dive, but she did set a new CMAS Continental Record for America.

On this, the Championship and the entire 2024 competition season is finally over. We splash the water for all the organizers, judges, safety and medic teams, and, of course, the athletes! All of you are heroes and examples of true determination and power. Keep going - we can't wait to see you next year at even greater depths!

Photo Credits: Federico Buzzoni (@fed.under.water) and Andec Kazar (@andac.kazar)