Beyond a medal or a record, athlete safety is the first priority of any federation. That is why it is difficult to explain what happened at the CMAS Freediving World Championships in Mytikas (Greece), where a serious medical episode and the lack of clear protocols have cast doubt on the organization’s ability to protect participants.

Russian freediver Andrey Matveenko suffered a blackout after an attempted dive to 126.5 meters and subsequently developed severe neurological complications. He was first taken to a hospital without a hyperbaric chamber and later transferred to Athens, where he received specialized treatment. The delay in medical assistance and the lack of resources at the competition site have been pointed out as structural failures in safety.

Athletes’ withdrawal as a clear message

The incident did not go unnoticed by the international community. Top-level athletes such as Talya Davidoff (USA), Petar Klovar (Croatia), Zsofia Torocsik (Hungary), Davide Carrera (Italy) and Sanda Delija (Croatia) chose to withdraw from the championship in protest. A strong statement: prioritizing safety over the chance to compete at a World Championship is, in itself, a public denunciation of the state of affairs.

Adding to the concern was the institutional silence. CMAS did not issue a clear statement on the athlete’s condition or on the protocols activated, further fueling the sense of a lack of transparency.

The contrast with AIDA

The comparison with AIDA is inevitable. That federation has made safety its hallmark, with strict protocols, specialized medical staff on site, and hyperbaric chambers available at its major events. In CMAS, by contrast, improvisation, gaps in the chain of care and poor communication have become evident.

The situation also leaves Greek Sports Minister Yannis Vroutsis in an uncomfortable position, as just days before the championship he had highlighted the organization and safety of the event in meetings with mayors and local federations. The fact that such a serious incident occurred afterwards calls into question not only CMAS, but also the institutions that publicly endorsed the championship. Yet in Greece, very little was reported publicly, reinforcing the perception of opacity surrounding what happened.

A crisis of confidence

Athletes are calling on CMAS for an urgent review of its systems: standardized and public medical protocols, coordination with local authorities, transparency in each incident, and measures to ensure consistent safety at all venues. The absence of these guarantees is leading to a loss of trust that will be difficult to reverse.

Freediving is a sport where risk is inherent to every dive. And it is precisely for that reason that safety cannot be treated as an accessory, but as the foundation of every competition. In Greece, CMAS failed in that principle, and athletes made it clear with their withdrawal. The difference with AIDA—where safety has been consolidated as a priority—is, for many, the factor that explains the current fracture in the international community.

What the freediving community demands

From within the freediving community, the following urgent measures are being demanded:

• Medical protocols defined and published prior to the competition, including availability of a nearby hyperbaric chamber.

• Clear institutional coordination with local authorities (as in Greece in this case) to ensure compliance with health and emergency regulations.

• Full transparency: public reports on incidents, medical evaluations, and decisions taken.

• Fixed safety standards that do not depend on geography, but on the level of the event.

These are precisely the criteria that AIDA, for example, has been promoting in its competitions: pre-event evaluation, emergency drills, participation of specialized medical staff, and immediate communication.