The 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship, organized by the International Association for the Development of Apnea (AIDA), has begun in Limassol (Cyprus) with a week of open water competition in the Mediterranean Sea. The opening day was dedicated to the women’s discipline of Constant Weight No Fins (CNF), in which athletes descend and ascend without the assistance of fins or the dive line.

The official dive site is located three miles offshore, with surface temperatures around 27°C and a thermocline at 40 meters. These conditions were previously assessed by the AIDA Technical Committee to ensure a safe competition environment.

Kateryna Sadurska leads the women’s podium

The opening day featured 39 athletes from 27 countries, with first-time participation from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Iran, and Lebanon. Kateryna Sadurska of Ukraine, current world record holder with 84 meters in CNF, secured gold with a 75-meter dive. She was followed by Zsófia Törőcsik of Hungary with 72 meters and Sanda Delija of Croatia with 68 meters.

Törőcsik carried over her success from pool disciplines, where she already holds world records, and earned silver with a dive validated by the judges with a white card. Delija completed the podium with a solid performance, reinforcing Croatia’s presence on the international freediving stage.

Continental and national records on opening day

Talya Davidoff of South Africa set a historic African continental record with 63 meters, also recognized as a new national best. In total, ten federations updated official records on Day 1, including Bulgaria, Indonesia, Israel, Finland, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.

These new marks highlight the global growth of freediving and the role of AIDA as the governing body for the ratification of international records.

Safety certified under international standards

The safety system, overseen by the AIDA Medical Committee, includes 12 internationally accredited safety divers distributed across performance and warm-up lines. Each line is equipped with four divers using scooters, a counter ballast system operating at 1.5 m/s, and real-time monitoring through sonar and cameras.

The plan also provides for oxygen at the surface, an evacuation boat with a doctor and emergency equipment on board, and logistical transport from the shore. These measures reflect the most recent AIDA standards, applied comprehensively in Cyprus, underlining the federation’s institutional priority of safety and sports governance.

Live broadcast and official archive

The championship is streamed live on AIDA’s official YouTube channel starting on September 23, 2025. On the federation’s website, the full competition schedule, start lists, daily results, and the official archive of recognized world records are available.