The 35th AIDA Freediving World Championship witnessed another milestone on its third day with the Constant Weight Bi-Fins -CWTB- discipline. With 52 athletes representing 35 countries, the women’s competition delivered historic performances in line with the trend set during the first two days, where numerous national and continental records had already been achieved, further reinforcing the growth and professionalization of freediving.

The event took place in the Eastern Mediterranean under ideal conditions, allowing athletes to perform at the highest level. The presence of established champions alongside new talents highlighted both the depth and the increasing competitiveness of the international freediving scene.

Gold for Ukraine, continental record for the United States

Kateryna Sadurska of Ukraine secured the gold medal with a dive to 97 meters, setting a new national record and claiming her second title in this edition of the championship. Enchante Gallardo of the United States won silver with 96 meters, establishing a new continental record for the Americas. The bronze medal went to Zsófia Törőcsik of Hungary, who reached 92 meters and set a new national record. “I hope this inspires more young Hungarian women to take up freediving,” said Törőcsik.

“This result is a very important step in my sporting career,” stated Sadurska after completing her performance, underlining the historical significance of her achievement for Ukrainian freediving. Gallardo added: “This continental record is a major step for the growth of freediving in the Americas. It is an honor to be part of this evolution.”

Continental and national records on Day 3

Beyond the podium, the day brought several additional milestones. Talya Davidoff of South Africa reached 85 meters, establishing a new continental record for Africa. “It has been a long process of preparation, and this result shows that Africa can also be present on the world freediving stage,” she explained.

At the national level, new records were set by Marine Simonis (Belgium, 91 m), Yulia Marievich (Latvia, 72 m), Natalia Padró (Puerto Rico, 70 m), and Christin Gerstofer (Austria, 70 m). Additional national bests were achieved by Nela Ukropcová (Slovakia, 67 m), Fatemeh Saderi (Iran, 50 m), and Estefanía Dejuk (Costa Rica, 50 m).

The Constant Weight Bi-Fins (CWTB) discipline has become one of the core events in depth freediving. In this category, athletes descend and ascend using bi-fins only, without ropes or propulsion devices. The technique demands maximum energy efficiency, precise control, and strong physical capacity. The current women’s world record is held by Alenka Artnik of Slovenia, who reached 111 meters in 2023.

The competition continues on Thursday with Day 4, streamed live on the official AIDA Freediving YouTube channel.