Russian freediver Alexey Molchanov has set a new world record after plunging 126 metres (413 feet) into the Mediterranean Sea on a single breath during the AIDA Freediving World Championships in Limassol, Cyprus.
Molchanov, 37, descended with only a headlamp, a rope for guidance, and a pair of fins no oxygen tanks, no propulsion equipment in a discipline considered one of the sport’s most technically demanding.
The dive lasted four minutes and 32 seconds, breaking the record of 125 metres that Molchanov himself set in 2024. Spectators erupted as he resurfaced, pulling off his nose clip and giving the “okay” hand signal, the universal confirmation that a freediver has successfully completed an attempt.
Widely regarded as the world’s greatest freediver, Molchanov has now extended his dominance of the sport, where athletes test the limits of human physiology in extreme underwater conditions. His achievement not only adds another entry to his long list of records, but also pushes the boundaries of what was thought possible in competitive freediving.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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