2025 CMAS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FREEDIVING DEPTH

The world’s best freediving athletes have gathered in Mytikas, Greece, to battle it out in the depths.

Sports Columnist: Asya Kleshchevnikova
Editor: Kristina Zvaritch

1. Preview of the World Championship
2. Day 1 (September 9): CWT Men
3. Day 2 (September 10): CWT Women
4. Day 3 (September 12): FIM Men
5. Day 4 (September 13): FIM Women
6. Day 5 (September 14): CNF Men
7. Day 6 (September 15): CNF Women
8. Day 7 (September 16): CWTB Men
9. Day 8 (September 17): CWTB Women

Preview Of The World Championship

Background

After last year's CMAS 8th World Championship Freediving Outdoor, which took place in Kalamata, and this year's the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Indoor, which took place in Athens, Greece is welcoming freedivers yet again at the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Outdoor. This time, the Championship will take place in a small fishing village on the Ionian coast in Western Greece—Mytikas.

Diving Conditions and Competition Schedule

Mytikas is built on a small peninsula at the front of Kalamos island that projects into the sea like a nose. The two bays on either side of the nose create peaceful conditions for freediving. Convenient logistics (with three airports located 45–130km / 28–81mi from the village), a variety of accommodations, and, of course, its cuisine make the location particularly attractive.

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 70m (230ft)
• Visibility: 20–30m (66–98ft)
• No current
• No waves
• Maximum depth: 160m (525ft)

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

• September 8 - Opening Ceremony
• September 9 - Constant Weight with Monofin (CWT) - Men
• September 10 - Constant Weight with Monofin (CWT) - Women
• September 11 - Free Immersion (FIM) - Men
• September 12 - Free Immersion (FIM) - Women
• September 13 - Day off / Backup day
• September 14 - Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) - Men
• September 15 - Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) - Women
• September 16 - Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB) - Men
• September 17 - Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB) - Women

An awards ceremony and evening closing ceremony will be held at the end of the Championship on September 17.

Competing Athletes

About 120 athletes from 30 countries will compete at the Championship. Among the participants are world record holders and almost all the winners of the last several years. Besides, several outstanding results were also achieved during the local competitions this year, which led to a shift among record holders; some of the athletes will surely attempt to regain their status. For example, Alexey Molchanov (INT) mentioned on social media that he is hoping to set at least one new record. The competition promises to be as hot as ever - trust us, you don't want to miss the show!

CWT

Among men, the clear favorite, seemingly with an obvious advantage and without even needing to set records, is Alexey Molchanov. His personal best (PB) and absolute World Record in CWT is 136m (446ft). Alexey achieved this result twice: in 2023 at the CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023 and then at the 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship.

Second place could have been contested by Davide Carrera (ITA; PB – 130m / 427ft) and Andrey Matveenko (INT; PB – 134m / 440ft). But during official training on September 6th, Andrey Matveenko suffered a deep blackout with suspected pulmonary barotrauma and possible DCS. Davide was also suspected of having DCS. Both athletes were transported to the hospital. Davide was confirmed to be well and was discharged from the hospital on the same day. Andrey was transported to Athens. And only there, 21 hours after the accident, he received the treatment in a decompression chamber in Athens. He is alive and his condition is stable. If we receive any updates about the athletes’ condition, we will share them in the following articles.

Alexey’s only competitor in CWT is Mateusz Malina (POL; PB – 113m / 371ft). Last year, he attempted 122m (400ft) but turned early. Maybe this time he is in better shape.

Among women, Alessia Zecchini (ITA) and Alenka Artnik (SVN) both hold the CWT World Record of 123m (404ft). Alessia achieved this result in 2023 according to AIDA rules, while Alenka reached the same depth in 2025 under CMAS rules. However, Alenka is not participating in this Championship, so Alessia seems to be the undisputed contender for gold.

Most likely, second place will go to Hanako Hirose (JPN; PB – 111m / 364ft), while third will be contested by Chiara Obino (ITA; PB – 107m / 351ft) and Kateryna Sadurska (UKR; PB – 103m / 338ft). However, considering last year’s Championship results and other disciplines, we would bet that Kateryna is the most likely to win a medal.

FIM

The current absolute world record holder in FIM is Petar Klovar (CRO), with 135m (443ft) among men. But it’s likely that Alexey may want to take the record back, his current official best and former absolute record in this discipline is 133m (436ft). Petar and Alexey are followed by Mateusz (of all depth disciplines, he is strongest in FIM; PB – 127m / 417ft), Vitomir Maričić (CRO; PB – 123m / 404ft), and Abdelatif Alouach (FRA; PB – 118m / 387ft).

Among women, the deepest is Alessia (CMAS WR – 104m / 341ft), but only one meter behind is Sanda (AIDA WR – 103m / 338ft). Knowing Sanda’s competitive style, we can assume she will try to out-dive Alessia. Enchante Gallardo (USA) and Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) are steadily progressing in FIM, both with PBs of 97m (318ft), and it’s expected they will dive deeper and also fight for the podium.

CWTB

The absolute world record holder in CWTB is Arnaud Jerald (FRA) with 126m (413ft). But he is not participating in the Championship. So, the leader, with the nearest competitor 6m (20ft) behind, is Alexey Molchanov (INT). Alexey’s current PB and former world record in CWTB is 125m / 410ft (33rd AIDA Freediving World Championship). The only question is whether Alexey will try to reclaim his world record holder status in CWTB. Also in the medal fight are Abdelatif Alouach (FRA; PB – 119m / 390ft), Mateusz Malina (POL; PB – 113m / 371ft), and Vitomir Maričić (CRO; PB – 110m / 361ft).

Among the women, the undisputed favourite is Alessia (absolute CMAS WR – 113m / 371ft). Behind her, with a big gap, is a group of athletes: finally returning to competition, Natalia Zharkova (UKR; PB – 97m / 318ft), and steadily improving Kateryna Sadurska (UKR; PB – 95m) and Enchante Gallardo (USA; PB – 95m / 312ft).

CNF

It seems the main intrigue awaits us in the last discipline—CNF. The current absolute world record holder in CNF among men is Petar Klovar (CRO), with 103m (338ft). Petar’s journey to this record deserves a separate book or maybe even a Netflix thriller. However, Alexey has been chasing this record even longer and still hasn’t set it. His personal best in the discipline is 100m / 328ft (CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 2023). So, both athletes will compete for gold. Who would you bet on?

Other medal contenders are Mateusz Malina (POL; PB – 90m / 295ft), Francisco Quesada (ESP; PB – 86m / 282ft), and Abdelatif Alouach (FRA; PB – 85m / 279ft).

Among women, Kateryna Sadurska (UKR) is the clear leader. Since 2023, she has updated the CNF WR seven times. The current absolute world record in CNF is 84m (276ft), set by Kateryna in 2024 at the Deep Dominica Depth Competition under AIDA rules. Alessia Zecchini (ITA; PB – 73m / 240ft), Sanda Delija (CRO; PB – 71m / 233ft), Lauren Matevish (USA; PB – 71m), Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN; PB – 70m / 230ft), and Natalia Zharkova (UKR; PB – 70m) will also compete for medals.

Of course, it should be kept in mind that some leading athletes may focus on certain disciplines and skip others. In that case, the winners could turn out to be completely unpredictable.

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 9): CWT - Men

The Setup

September 9th, on Mytikas, Greece, saw the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth’s first competition day. Men competed in the deepest discipline—Constant Weight (CWT), diving to depth with monofins and sometimes with bifins.

Diving conditions seem to be favorable. The Ionian Sea welcomed athletes with exceptional visibility and light, even at maximum depths, accompanied by calmness on the surface and an absence of current. According to the temperature graph shown during the broadcast, the water temperature of 26°C (79°F) at the surface gradually lowered to 18°C (64°F) at 90m (296ft). Apart from that, luck seems to be in short supply at this event.

In short:

• 46 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 40m - 130m (131 - 427ft)
• 6 red cards were given
• 9 yellow cards were issued
• 2 new CMAS World Record was gained in Masters 60+ category and Para Freediving (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

Notable Competitor Absences and Withdrawals

During official training on September 6th, Andrey Matveenko (INT; PB – 134m / 440ft) suffered a deep blackout with suspected pulmonary barotrauma and possible DCS. Davide Carrera (ITA; PB – 130m / 427ft) was also suspected of having DCS. Both athletes were transported to a nearby hospital. Davide was confirmed to be well and was discharged the same day, but wasn't cleared to compete. Andrey was transported to Athens. Only there, a full 21 hours after the accident, did he receive treatment in a decompression chamber in Athens. He is alive and his condition is stable, but he remains partly paralyzed and his neurological condition is unclear.

This is how two of the strongest athletes became absent from the Championship.

Additionally, the accident with Andrey and the prolonged period of time he waited for the proper treatment in a decompression chamber indicate that the competition organizers didn't have an emergency plan for this kind of injury. This raised significant safety concerns that the competition organizers did not address, prompting several other top athletes, including Petar Klovar (HRV), Zsófia Törőcsik (HUN), and Talya Davidoff (USA), to withdraw from the competition, with Talya stating that she is retiring from CMAS.

Eerie Reds

The accident and the following events inevitably cast a shadow on the Championship, and the general mood seemed to be tense and uneasy, which resulted in a large number of red cards and early turns. In particular, Mete Mordag (TUR), who announced 103m (338ft), plunged to a depth of 10m (33ft) and remained there. For several seconds, the athlete was moving neither down nor up. It looked unusual to say the least, and the safety diver rushed to drag Mete to the surface. However, the athlete signaled that he was fine, only that he failed to equalize.

Mathieu Maraio (FRA; PB - 110m / 361ft) was less fortunate. He announced a conservative dive of 108m (354ft) and successfully reached the target. But on the way up, already at about 50m (164ft) depth, he tried to ascend by pulling up on the rope. Fortunately, the safety diver with a scooter, who was waiting for the athlete at a depth of about 40m (131ft), noticed that and descended to help Mathieu, who was already losing consciousness.

The athlete was swiftly delivered to the surface, where he recovered quickly, even going to the medical boat on his own. The boat was sent to the shore, and the competition was delayed by 30 minutes.

Yet another heartbreaking performance was shown by Christos Karelos (GRE; PB - 117m / 384ft). He announced a 123m (404ft), which was a solid bet for silver. But the athlete's neck weight opened up during packing and it fell from his neck right after the duck dive. Christos couldn't continue the dive and had to return to the surface.

The Winners

There was one nice surprise, however: the Greek team is very well represented at this championship; we missed this in our forecast article and didn't include the Greek athletes in the contenders for medals. This mistake is on us.

Nonetheless, on the first day, we had a chance to witness a performance of a legendary veteran of freediving - Emmanouil Giankos (GRE; PB - 118m / 387ft). Since childhood, Emmanouil was a spearfisher and was a competitive swimmer until age 17, and his transition into freediving 25 year ago was smooth and natural. Already in 2008, Emmanouil reached 100m (328ft) for the first time. On the first day of the Championship, he announced a 125m (410ft) dive, smoothly reached the depth, and nailed the surface protocol—white card and white-water celebrations!

Alexey Molchanov (INT; WR - 136m / 446ft), being under stress due to his teammate and friend, Andrey Matveenko's (INT) severe conditions, announced a moderate depth of 130m (427ft). Alexey, with no surprise, brought the tag from the announced depth and celebrated the white card.

The third deepest dive of the day was performed by Mateusz Malina (POL; PB - 123m / 404ft). As the absolute world record holder in dynamic disciplines, Mateusz has a tremendous resistance to hypoxia. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to train for depth this year, so he didn't push his limits too far. He easily reached the announced 120m (394ft) of depth and received a white card at the surface.

To sum up:

Alexey Molchanov (INT) - 130m (427ft) - World Champion
Emmanouil Giankos (GRE) - 125m (410ft) - Vice-Champion
Mateusz Malina (POL) - 120m (394ft) - Bronze medal

Congratulations to the top three!

Comparative dive profiles of the deepest athletes of the first competition day, CWT Men.

Special Mentions

Special mention goes to the online broadcast hosts! Big thanks to Anas Chair (MOR) and Angeliki Kollia for doing their homework and telling us tons of information about the athletes. Another great invention was to show on the screen the comparative dive profiles of the deepest athletes from Diveye. That was interesting and informative!

Additionally, Anas is a competitive athlete himself (CWT; PB - 51m / 167ft) and even performed at the end of the day. He announced a 43m (141ft) dive but turned early at a depth of 38m. Multi-tasking isn't easy!

Thank you for your job, commentators!

Be sure to watch the broadcast on September 10th, the second competition day, where the women will compete in CWT. Check the link to the online broadcast and stay tuned for our report!

Day 2 (September 10): CWT - Women

The Setup

September 10th, in Mytikas, Greece, was the second competition day of the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth. It was the women's turn to compete in Constant Weight (CWT), diving to depth with monofins and sometimes with bifins.

They started on two lines with a 5-minute interval between each dive. The dives traditionally were arranged from shallow to the deepest and back to shallowest. At the end of the day, the athletes from the Masters categories performed. The weather conditions remained the same, mild and favorable as on the first competition day, and overall, the day was much less stressful than the previous competition day and the official training days. But we must admit that most of the women were especially cautious with their announcements and didn't gamble.

In short:

• 28 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 31m - 113m (102 - 371ft)
• 3 red cards were given
• 6 yellow cards were issued

The Colorful Cards

Among only three red cards, there were no deep blackouts. Simona Auteri (ITA; PB - 92m / 302ft) performed a 90m (295ft) dive, but the energy left her only 3 - 5m (10 - 16ft) before the surface. Safeties helped her to the surface, where the athlete quickly returned to her senses.

Sahika Ercumen (TUR; PB - 100m / 328ft) got even closer to a white card. She performed a 97m (318ft) dive, surfaced, showed the surface protocol with a smile and, thinking that the job was done, forgot to keep recovery breathing. As a result, she had a short rest in the hands of the safeties and a red card.

Next was Katerina Sadurska (UKR; PB - 107m / 351ft) with the first 100m+ (328ft+) dive of the day. Aiming for 105m (344ft), Katerina, however, missed the plate by 3m (10ft) and turned back. She looked fresh at the surface and showed a clean protocol, which resulted in her placing 4th in the overall ranking by discipline.

The Winners

Fortunately, the three colorful performances didn’t affect the top three performances of the day, which ended up being quite unexpected.

Alessia Zecchini (ITA), the current absolute CWT World Record holder with a dive to 123m (404ft), who we considered as the main contender for the gold, announced a modest dive of 109m (358ft). Alessia easily completed the dive and showed the surface protocol with a bright smile—white card!

The deepest announcement of 113m (371ft) belonged to Natalia Zharkova (UKR). Natalia is an experienced and decorated athlete who began her career in freediving alongside Natalia Molchanova (INT). Still, due to personal matters, she hasn't been competing at the Championships for four years. We were very excited to see her back, and honestly, a bit anxious about her dive—9m (30ft) deeper than her official personal best! Natalia was already on the line when, all of a sudden, the start was delayed. If your heart didn't skip a beat at that moment, then you must not have a heart. But 20 minutes later, the competition resumed, and Natalia returned to the line. The athlete seemed to easily reach the depth and returned to the surface with a smile. What a dive and what a comeback—congratulations to the Champion! It's great to have you back, Natalia.

The bronze medal eventually went to 49-year-old Chiara Obino (ITA; PB - 107m / 351ft), who has been competing since 2014. This time, Chiara performed a smooth 106m (348ft) dive - congratulations!

We can't skip mentioning that all the winners among the women dove with a beautiful and efficient technique. It seems that, compared to the men of freediving, women rely on a honed technique rather than brute force.

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

Natalia Zharkova (UKR) - 113m (371ft) - World Champion
Alessia Zecchini (ITA) - 109m (358ft) - Vice-Champion
Chiara Obino (ITA) - 106m (348ft) - Bronze medal

What's Next?

September 11 was declared a day off, as organisers need to address safety issues. On September 12th, a new discipline - Free Immersion (FIM) - will be unlocked by the men. In FIM, we are missing several top athletes, including the current world record holder in FIM, Petar Klovar (HRV), who withdrew from the Championship in protest against the mishandled safety incident with Andrey Matveenko (INT), who remains hospitalized. However, we can still expect to see several extra-deep dives. Check the link to the online broadcast and stay tuned for our report!

Day 3 (September 12): FIM - Men

After a day off on September 11th, the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth resumed in Mytikas, Greece. September 12th was the third competition day, where the men performed in Free Immersion (FIM).

The weather remained fine as on the previous days. However, the competition boat sits tall above the water, and the beam with the dive line moves up and down with the motion of the water. This is a crucial point, as athletes in this discipline rely on dive line stability for effective pulls.

In short:

• 43 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 25m - 118m (82 - 387ft)
• 3 red cards were given
• 8 yellow cards were issued
• 1 new CMAS World Record was gained in Para Freediving (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

Missed Chances

As we mentioned in the previous days, Andrey Matveenko (INT) still remains in the hospital due to an accident during the official training on September 6th; no significant improvements in his condition have been reported. In protest to the way the organizers handled the accident and because of safety concerns, several athletes refused to participate in the event, including Petar Klovar (HRV)—the current absolute world record holder in the discipline—with an official personal best (PB) of 135m (443ft) achieved at the 31st AIDA Freediving World Championship.

The start list for this discipline didn't contain any surprises. Alexey Molchanov (INT) made the biggest announcement of 128m (420ft), 5m (16ft) less than his PB, and 10m (33ft) deeper than the following announcement of Mateusz Malina (POL). But an unpleasant surprise awaited us in the final protocol. The dive was not easy for Alexey, according to his comment in the broadcast chat, because of the high side of the boat; the dive line moved up and down significantly during the dive, which disrupted his rhythm on the way up. Apparently, due to this, his dive time increased to a colossal 5 minutes and 7 seconds! After the dive, Alexey was not focused enough at the surface and showed the OK sign to the safety team, with his back to the judges and the boat. Unfortunately, this resulted in a red card.

Among other unfortunate dives, there were the performances made by Dawid Tran Van (POL) and Nicholas Carleton (USA). Dawid was the first to perform a 100m (328ft) dive of the day. He managed the dive well and even grabbed the tag, but lost it during the first meters of his return. Luckily, the yellow card and one-point penalty didn't influence his position in the overall discipline ranking—5th place. Nicholas also reached the target depth of 92m (302ft) and even saved the tag, but lost consciousness 10m (33ft) below the surface. He was brought up by the safety team and transported to a boat that headed to shore; because of this, the competition was delayed by 20 minutes.

Gained Opportunities

Fourth place was realized by Dawid's teammate, Piotr Kubiak (POL). He announced a 111m (364ft) dive and nailed it—a well-deserved white card just one step away from the podium! It was Piotr's debut at the Depth Championship. He's a former swimmer and has competed in freediving for only 2 years in total. However, this year, he has already won a bronze at the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Indoor, diving 225.5m (740ft) in DNF.

Two experienced athletes, Emmanouil Giankos (GRE) and Omar Al Ghailani (OMA), were just 2m (7ft) deeper than Piotr. They both successfully performed 113m (371ft) dives and will both bring home silver medals. Yet, the two of them have very different approaches. Emmanouil was absolutely relaxed and didn't hurry; his dive time was 4:35. Even at the surface, the athlete took his time, and we waited quite a while for him to complete his surface protocol. Omar managed the same depth in 4:09, yet quickly showed the surface protocol. Both received white cards—congratulations, Vice-Champions!

It’s time for a drum roll, as we announce the winner: Mateusz Malina (POL). Mateusz completed a 118m (387ft) dive (9m / 30ft shallower than his PB) and received a white card at the surface. However, it wasn't an easy performance. He flew past the bottom plate and lost several precious seconds searching for a tag. Closer to the surface, the athlete also looked a bit tired, but nevertheless, everything was under control. Congratulations to the Champion!

The most remarkable fact is that, this year, Mateusz is the world champion in both dynamic and depth disciplines. Very few athletes have achieved this feat during their careers. Let us know in the comments if you can name others who managed to become a world champion in pool (dynamic disciplines) and in the open water (depth disciplines) in the same year!

What's Next?

Be sure to watch the broadcast on September 13th, the fourth competition day, where the women will compete in FIM. Check for the link in the comments and stay tuned for our report!

Day 4 (September 13): FIM Women

On September 13th, in Mytikas, Greece, the women competed in FIM at the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth. Surprisingly, the events unfolded similarly to the previous day in men’s FIM. Additionally, men from the masters categories M1 (50+) and M2 (60+) performed.

In short:

• 34 women and 16 men participated
• Realized depths ranged from 30m - 101m (98 - 331ft)
• 3 red cards were given
• 14 yellow cards were issued
• 1 new CMAS World Record was gained in Masters 60+ category (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

First Five

The current absolute world record holder in FIM among women is Alessia Zecchini (ITA). Her record is 104m (341ft), which was reached during the Camotes Freediving Challenge 2024 according to the CMAS rules. Her nearest competitor in this discipline until this Championship was Sanda Delija (HRV) with 103m / 338ft (also an AIDA World Record) and Fatima Korok (HUN) with 102m / 335ft (the previous AIDA World Record). Sanda (who withdrew from the competition in protest against the mishandled safety incident with the still-hospitalized Andrey Matveenko) and Fatima aren’t participating in this Championship, so we expected Alessia as the main contender for the gold. The start list for the day seemed to prove us right. Alessia made the deepest announcement of 102m - 2m (7ft) shallower than her official personal best (PB) and, surprisingly, only 1m (3ft) deeper than the following athlete, Natalia Zharkova (UKR), who’s fresh back onto the competition scene.

The surprise awaited us in the final protocols. Similar to yesterday’s competition with the main favorite among the men, Alexey Molchanov (INT), Alessia received a red card for her dive. However again, nothing dramatic happened. Alessia confidently performed her dive, but at the surface, she seemed a bit unfocused and submerged underwater for several seconds. The safety diver helped her, and Alessia quickly regained her senses. Despite the failed dive, she was smiling brightly and grateful to the safety team for their help. That's the spirit!

Meanwhile, Natalia dived neatly, focused, and fast - faster than her competitors. At the surface, she looked a bit tired, yet confidently showed the surface protocol, earning herself a white card and her second gold medal. Congratulations, Natalia!

Natalia's teammate, Katerina Sadurska (UKR), made the same bid - 101m. But, similar to her dive with a monofin, Katerina missed the bottom plate several meters too early, turning back at 98m (322ft). Even with a yellow card, Katerina became the Vice-Champion. Congratulations!

The bronze eventually went to Isabel Sanchez (ESP), who reached a depth of 92m (302ft). Interesting fact: it took her almost 30 seconds more than Natalia to reach a depth 9m (30ft) shallower.

Maria Bobela (POL) and Sahika Ercumen (TUR) ranked fourth and fifth in the overall discipline with results of 88m (289ft) and 83m (272ft), respectively.

Special Mentions

An athlete from Saudi Arabia, Salma Shaker (KSA), created quite the scare. On her ascent, it became obvious that she had no strength left to reach the surface and needed the assistance of the safety team. At first, everyone decided that it was a deep underwater blackout, but fortunately, Salma was conscious; she was just tired.

In the Masters category M1 (50+), Andrey Zhdanov (CMAS1) made an impressive dive of 97m (318ft), and it took him more than 4 minutes and 10 seconds to reach the depth. The result became a new world record in this category. It must be said that even in the men's senior ranking, this result would have been 6th place.

What's Next?

On September 14th, men unlock the next level and next discipline—Constant Weight without Fins (CNF). In CNF, similar to FIM, we are missing several top athletes, including the current world record holder in CNF, Petar Klovar (HRV), who also withdrew from the Championship due to Andrey Matveenko’s accident. However, we can still expect to see several extra-deep dives. Check for the link and stay tuned for our report!

Day 5 (September 14): CNF - Men

On September 14th in Mytikas, Greece, the fifth day of the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth competition took place. Men competed in the most technically demanding discipline - Constant Weight without Fins (CNF).

This year, the competition in CNF among men was expected to be particularly thrilling, as the nine-year-old world record of 102m (335ft) set by William Trubridge (NZL) during a 2016 Individual World Record Attempt was finally broken. Initially, attempts to beat this longstanding world record were made by Alexey Molchanov (INT), but in 2021, Petar Klovar (HRV) entered the race. After several years of intense training and numerous failed attempts, the target depth was achieved in May 2025. During the AIDA Freediving World Cup in Sharm El-Sheikh, Petar reached 103m (338ft) and successfully resurfaced, completing a challenging AIDA surface protocol and ending in a white card. This marked a new chapter in freediving history. And what about Alexey? Well, for him, the CNF World Record became even more coveted than before. By far, CNF remains the only depth discipline in which he has not yet held an absolute world record during his 22-year freediving career and 39 other world records.

We anticipated seeing Petar and Alexey competing together. Unfortunately, that wasn't destined to happen, as Petar withdrew from the Championship in protest against the mishandled safety incident with Andrey Matveenko (INT), who remains hospitalized.

However, even a more unexpected surprise awaited freediving fans on the CNF day...

In short:

• 31 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 35m - 91m (115 - 299ft)
• 6 red cards were given
• 3 yellow cards were issued
• 1 new CMAS World Record was gained in Para Freediving (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

The Winners

The surprises began with the start list, where everyone expected to see the deepest announcement from Alexey Molchanov (INT). Yet, to everyone’s astonishment, Alexey made a modest 90m (295ft) announcement - 10m (33ft) shallower than his PB of 100m / 328ft (CMAS World Record) and 1m (3ft) shallower than the bid of another athlete! The top announcement, 91m (299ft), came from Piotr Kubiak (POL), who’s competing in the depth championship for the first time. The third announcement of 88m (289ft) was made by the champion of FIM - Mateusz Malina (POL).

All medal contenders completed their dives cleanly with white cards. The hardest dive appeared to be for Mateusz, who at one moment seemed close to losing control. Fortunately, he eventually managed to focus and hold himself above the surface, showing a clean protocol. Alexey, as expected, had plenty left in reserve and probably regretted announcing “only” 90m. Piotr showed both speed and power, completing his dive almost a full minute faster than Mateusz and Alexey. Piotr's dive time was about 3:10, while it took Alexey and Mateusz about 4:10 to reach almost the same depth.

Earlier this year, Piotr already won a bronze medal in DNF at the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Indoor, diving 225.5m (740ft). At this Championship, he placed fourth in FIM with 111m (364ft). Little is known about him apart from his background as a swimmer and the fact that this is only his third year competing in freediving.

Congratulations, Piotr, on an extraordinary debut at the Depth Championship!

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

Piotr Kubiak (POL) - 91m (299ft) - World Champion
Alexey Molchanov (INT) - 90m (295ft) - Vice-Champion
Mateusz Malina (POL) - 88m (289ft) - Bronze medal

Special Mentions

Fourth place was shared by Omar Al Ghailani (OMA) and Samo Jeranko (SVN). Both athletes successfully performed a 76m (249ft) dive.

Mete Mordag (TUR) attempted to reach a 73m (240ft) depth, which could have become sixth place. A notable fact about his performance: the athlete was using only one leg for the dive (his left leg below the knee doesn’t engage). Unfortunately, he could not keep control on the surface, dipped under for a few seconds, and received a red card.

Ninth place went to 63-year-old David Mellor (GBR), competing as a Masters athlete. His 67m (220ft) dive set a new world record in the Masters 2 (60+) category.

In the Masters 3 (70+) category, the sole competitor, Francois Lusignan (FRA), also set a new record with a 40m (131ft) dive.

Alexander Kusakin (INT) set yet another world record in Para Freediving, diving to a depth of 37m (121ft) using only his arms.

What’s Next?

Be sure to watch the broadcast on September 15th, the sixth competition day. It will be the women's turn to compete in CNF. Check for the link and stay tuned for our report!

Day 6 (September 15): CNF - Women

September 15th, in Mytikas, Greece, saw the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth’s sixth competition day. Women of all categories and the men of Masters 1 (+50) and Masters 2 (+60) competed in CNF.

The absolute world record holder in this discipline is Katerina Sadurska (UKR). She set her first world record in CNF of 74m (243ft) during Vertical Blue 2023 and then updated the result 6 times in total (4 times according to AIDA rules and 2 times according to CMAS rules), pushing it to an unimaginable 84m (276ft). Katerina's nearest competitor in this discipline—Mirela Kardašević (HRV)—is 9m (30ft) behind with an official personal best (PB) of 75m (246ft). Unfortunately, she is not competing at this Championship.

Additionally, other athletes who might compete on equal footing with Katerina aren’t participating in the Championship (Sanda Delija and Zsófia Törőcsik) or didn't perform in this particular discipline due to old injuries (Alessia Zecchini and Natalia Zharkova). The real competition today was for the silver and bronze medals.

In short:

• 38 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 35m - 76m (115 - 249ft)
• 7 red cards were given
• 5 yellow cards were issued

The Winners

As expected, Katerina Sadurska (UKR) completed a confident and stoic 76m (249ft) dive. We couldn’t stop admiring the efficiency and technical precision of her breaststroke. The second announcement of 68m (223ft) belonged to Maria Bobela (POL), who also completed it solidly.

However, the two athletes contending for bronze were less fortunate. Marine Simonis (BEL) turned early at 57m (187ft) of her announced 67m (220ft), while Isabel Sanchez (ESP) failed to show the OK sign within the required 20 seconds. Initially, the judges issued her a yellow card to review the surfacing, but after confirming the absence of protocol, it was changed to a red card.

As a result, the bronze medal went to Elena Morozova (INT) with 58m (190ft).

Special Mentions

Fourth and fifth places went to Czech divers: Irena Vanova (CZE) with 55m (180ft) and Jarmila Slovenčíková (CZE) with 51m (167ft).

In the Masters categories, there were no new world records. However, Gennady Roshchin (ITA) came very close to surpassing the M2 (60+) record, which was set just the day before by David Mellor (GBR) with 67m (220ft). Gennady surfaced from an impressive 70m (230ft), but could not maintain control on the surface and had a short blackout, followed by a red card.

What’s Next?

We’re approaching the last discipline of the Championship - Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB). On September 16th, the men will try to dive as deep as possible with bifins; be sure to watch the broadcast. Check the link and stay tuned for our report!

Day 7 (September 16): CWTB - Men

September 16th was the penultimate competition day of the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth in Mytikas, Greece. The men were performing in a tricky discipline—Constant Weight with Bifins (CWTB). The trick—dolphin kicks aren’t welcome here. Previously, dolphin kicks would lead to disqualification, but the current rules are a bit more tolerant, and athletes get a 1-point penalty for each dolphin kick during their dives.

Additionally, the weather has slightly cooled, and the water temperature on the surface dropped to 24°C (75°F).

In short:

• 40 athletes participated
• Realized depths ranged from 40m - 121m (131 - 397ft)
• 3 red cards were given
• 13 yellow cards were issued
• 1 new CMAS World Record was gained in Para Freediving (with pending status until doping control results are finalized)

The Winners

The current absolute world record holder in this discipline is Arnaud Jerald (FRA). The last time the world's best result was updated was during Vertical Blue 2025 CMAS, when Arnaud dived to a depth of 126m (413ft) with bifins.

But Arnaud isn’t participating in the Championship, so Alexey Molchanov (INT) was considered the main contender for the gold. He still holds the AIDA World Record in CWTB with 125m (410ft), but there was some speculation about whether Alexey would want to outdive Arnaud and return the absolute record to himself in this competition.

He decided not to and announced a 121m (397ft) dive. The announcement was 4m (13ft) less than Alexey's official personal best (PB), yet he seemed tired on the way back, and his bifin technique was varied throughout the dive. Then, 35m (115ft) before the surface, Alexey performed a dolphin kick... Fortunately, today, this didn't mean a disqualification—only a 1-point penalty and a yellow card.

The next deepest announcement was made by Mateusz Malina (POL), who announced 5m (16ft) shallower than Alexey. Even with a penalty, Alexey became this year’s world champion. Congratulations, Alexey!

Mateusz relies on his tremendous hypoxic resistance rather than on perfect technique, so his ascent didn't look particularly elegant either, but he managed it without a dolphin kick and received a white card. Congratulations to the Vice-Champion!

The third deepest bid of 115m (377ft) belonged to the most relaxed diver at this championship, Emmanouil Giankos (GRE). He dived unhurriedly, and his dive time was about 4 minutes and 50 seconds, which is roughly 5 seconds longer than Alexey's 6m (20ft) deeper dive.

Special Mentions

4th place went to another Greek athlete, Christos Karelos (GRE). He’s also a spearfisher like Emmanouil, but his style is very different with a beautiful and powerful technique. It took Christos less than 3:20 to smoothly reach a depth of 108m (354ft) and return to the surface. Judging by this neat dive, there is no doubt that the athlete was in good enough shape to reach 123m (404ft) with a monofin on the first competition day and win the bronze. But, as you may remember, his neck weight opened up while he was packing and fell to depth after the duck dive, leaving the athlete no choice but to stop his attempt. This time, Christos had his neck weight fastened during packing—a hard-learned lesson.

5th place went to Omani Omar Al Ghailani for a smooth dive at a depth of 104m (341ft). The only blackout of the day was that of Nicolas Jaouen (FRA), who was aiming for 6th place with a dive to 103m (338ft). Several meters below the surface, the athlete began pulling himself up using the dive line and briefly passed out in the arms of his safety divers.

Jesper Stechmann (DEN) is eligible to dive in the Masters 1 (50+) category, but is competing in the senior category. So, with his dive to 95m (312ft), Jesper finished 8th overall in the discipline. This impressive dive could also have set a new World Record in the M1 category. But unfortunately, the athlete performed one dolphin kick on his way back and received a yellow card, and a world record is only recognized for dives that end in a white card.

The only world record today was set by Alexander Kusakin (INT), diving 53m (174ft) in the Para Freediving category.

What’s Next?

September 17th is the last day of the Championship. Women and men of the Masters 1 (50+) and Masters 2 (60+) categories will compete in CWTB. Check for the link and stay tuned for our report!