02/06/2026
๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ก๐๐ (๐๐๐๐) ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ข๐ ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐ฃ
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ข๐ณ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ
๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ
On May 31st, the freediving world competition season started with the opening ceremony of the ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ฝ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฎ (๐๐๐๐) ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ผ๐น ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ๐. The organizers are the biggest freediving club in Hungary: the ๐ป๐ข๐
๐๐ด๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฝ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐๐น๐๐ฏ. Despite the fact that they are hosting the World Championship for the first time, they are quite experienced and known for the annual international freediving competition, the Hungarian Open Indoor Freediving Championship, traditionally held in November since 2021, implementing both AIDA and CMAS rules.
๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐น๐ฒ
The competition venue is the ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ pool complex, built in 2015โ2017 to host the World Aquatics Championships. For the Championship, two pools will be used. The pool for the dynamic disciplines has the following conditions:
ยฐDepth: 3m (10ft)
ยฐLength: 50m (164ft)
ยฐNumber of lanes: 10
ยฐWater temperature: 26โ27ยฐC (79โ81ยฐF)
The pool for static is just 1.2m (4ft) deep and the water temperature is warm: 28ยฐC (82ยฐF).
Freedivers will compete in four disciplines according to the following schedule:
๐๐๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฎ - Dynamic with Bifins (DYNB)
๐๐๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฏ - Dynamic without Fins (DNF)
๐๐๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฐ - Rest/training day for freedivers
๐๐๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฑ - Static (STA)
๐๐๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฒ - Dynamic with Fins (DYN)
This year, AIDA is providing a sizeable total prize pool of ๐ฑ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฅ. The monetary prizes will be given for all medals in all disciplines, for overall winners, and additionally, 2,000 EUR will be awarded for world records.
Apart from the monetary prizes, the overall Champions will also be recognized as the most consistent and outstanding athletes across the entire championship by receiving the ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ผ๐น๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ, established in 2015.
If one wins all dynamic disciplines, sets a new World Record, and takes home a bronze in STA (which will most likely also lead to winning overall), then the monetary prize will total 9,250 EUR. However, pushing limits may also lead to mistakes and even blackouts, resulting in lost points. So perhaps one would decide to play it safe and aim for all bronze medals. Either way, the stakes are high, which means that an intriguing rivalry awaits freediving fans.
๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ต๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐
Officially, ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ (125 women and 137 men) from ๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ announced their participation in the Championship.
Among the men, all current world record holders among competitive athletes are present. We are only missing ๐ฆ๐รฉ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ ๐ถ๐ณ๐๐๐ฑ (๐๐ฅ๐)โthe current absolute world record holder in STA with 11 min 35 sec (Individual World Record Attempt - MIFSUD Stephane in 2009). However, Stรฉphane hasn't competed since 2010. Among women, the absentee athlete is more notable, as ๐๐๐น๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ธ๐ฎ (๐ฃ๐ข๐) is the current absolute DNF World Record holder with the result of 222.5m (730ft), achieved during CMAS The World Games 2025, Chengdu, China. Julia is also in the world's top 8 in all other disciplines (including STA), so her absence makes the competition between women much less intense.
But we also have a surprising comebackโ๐๐น๐ฒ๐
๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐น๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐ (๐๐ก๐ง)โwho hasn't participated in the AIDA World Championships in the pool for the past 11 years.
Let's place our bets!
๐๐ฌ๐ก
In DYN (and in all other dynamic disciplines), the current absolute World Record holder is ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ (๐ฃ๐ข๐). His record stands at 326.5m, which he set at the CMAS WORLD FREEDIVING INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP ATHENS 2025. His official personal best (PB), according to the AIDA rules, is still 300m (984ft), and it was achieved in 2016. It seems very likely that Mateusz may now attempt to even out his AIDA and CMAS World Records.
The current AIDA World Record holder in DYN and potentially Mateusz's main contender for the gold is ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ด (๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐) ๐๐ถ๐ป, with 319m (1,047ft). The only consideration is that William doesn't typically perform so well under the pressure of the World Championships, having never won the gold at a competition of this level. Right on their heels is ๐ฅ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐ด๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ (๐๐จ๐) with a PB of 318m (1,043ft), reached at an AIDA competition (UNU Freediving Challenge 2025) in December 2025.
The two athletes with the next biggest PBs are ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐น๐ฎ (๐๐ฅ๐)โwho dived 306.6m (1,006ft) three years ago during the CMAS World Championship, Kuwait 2023โ and ๐๐น๐ฒ๐
๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐น๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐ (๐๐ก๐ง)โ305.5m (1,002ft) achieved during World Games 2025 in China. Itโs important to mention that, in general, Alexey doesn't often compete in pool. Nonetheless, during the World Games 2025, he became the only top athlete who improved his PB, claiming the silver ahead of several athletes with larger PBs who didn't manage to perform at maximum capacity.
Among the women, we are missing ๐ ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ (๐๐ฅ๐ฉ) and ๐๐๐น๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ธ๐ฎ (๐ฃ๐ข๐), who simultaneously set a new CMAS World Record of 284m (932ft) during the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Indoor. So, with a decent level of confidence, we can say that ๐ญ๐รณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐งรถ๐ฟล๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ธ (๐๐จ๐ก)โthe current absolute World Record holder in DYN with 300m from the 2025 World Gamesโand ๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต-๐ง๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ (๐ฃ๐ข๐)โwith a PB of 281m (922ft)โare our Champion and Vice-Champion picks this year. The only uncertainty is that Zsรณfia started this season training hard in depth disciplines, setting a new FIM World Record of 105m (344ft) during the AIDA Mabini Depth Quest. Has the athlete had enough time to also train for the pool disciplines as well? Only time will tell.
The athletes following the main leaders are at least 14m (46ft) behind and won't have a chance at gold or silver unless the favorites make a mistake. But the competition for the bronze will be intense between ๐๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐บ ๐ข๐ต (KOR; PB 267m / 876ft), ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ป๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ (ZAF; PB 250m / 820ft), and ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฟ๐๐ธ๐ฎ (UKR; PB 250m).
๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ก๐
In DYNB and DNF, we have the same top 2 for both men and women: ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ (๐ฃ๐ข๐) and ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐น๐ฎ (๐๐ฅ๐); ๐ญ๐รณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐งรถ๐ฟล๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ธ (๐๐จ๐ก) and ๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต-๐ง๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ (๐ฃ๐ข๐).
In DYNB, their results are quite close, and either of each pair can win the gold. Between Mateuszโthe current absolute World Record holder with a result of 300m (984ft)โand Guillaume, there are only 2m (7ft). Between Zsรณfiaโthe current absolute World Record holder with a result of 265m (869ft)โand Magdalena, the gap is even smaller at 1.34m (4ft).
Among the men, ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ด (๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐) ๐๐ถ๐ป (CHN; PB 287m / 942ft), ๐ ๐ถ๐ธ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐น ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ (INT; PB 266.5m / 874ft), and ๐ฅ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐ด๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ (CUB; PB 266.5m) can also hope to sn**ch a medal. And among the women, the top two will be challenged by ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ด๐บ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ด๐๐ป (TUR; 237m / 778ft), ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ป๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ (ZAF; 233m / 764ft), and ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐บ (KOR; 232m / 761ft).
In DNF, Mateuszโthe current absolute World Record holder with a result of 250m (820ft)โis well ahead of Guillaume, whose PB is 236m (774ft). Itโs important to note that both reached their PBs in DNF a while ago. Mateusz swam 250m during the AIDA Polish Freediving Pool Championships in 2022, and Guillaume covered his 236m distance during the Freediving Indoor European Open Championship in 2019. In 2025, both athletes performed in DNF well below their maximum capacity. Mateusz swam a distance of 239.5m (786ft) and set a new CMAS World Record during the 2025 CMAS World Championship Freediving Indoor, while Guillaume performed a 211m (692ft) dive during the 34th AIDA Freediving World Championship.
Comparing PBs, Mateusz's and Guillaume's competitors are at least 18m (59ft) behind, but they also have fresher PBs. ๐ฅ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐ด๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ (๐๐จ๐) swam 218m (715ft) without fins during the 2025 World Games, and ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ด (๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐) ๐๐ถ๐ป reached 204m (669ft) during the Diving Republic AIDA Pool Series: Diving into 2025.
Among the women in DNF, the gap between the two favorites, Zsรณfia and Magdalena, and the top competitors that follow them is at least 9.2m (30ft). But we haven't seen ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ป๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ (ZAF; PB 200m / 656ft) at the World Championships in 3 years; maybe the athlete is preparing a surprise for her fans? ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฟ๐๐ธ๐ฎ (UKR; PB 183.5m / 602ft) and ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ธ๐ถ (JPN; PB 175m / 574ft) have DNF performances of less than 200m, but fans can still count them in for a medal if the top three avoid pushing their limits.
๐ฆ๐ง๐
Regarding the competition in STA, we have two main questions:
ยฐ Will ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป "๐ ๐ฟ. ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐" ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ (๐๐ฅ๐) nail the surface protocol?
ยฐ Will ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ (๐๐๐จ) attempt a new World Record?
Yes, Florian and Heike are the main contenders for the gold among the men and the women, respectively, as they also were in 2025. But unlike Heikeโthe current absolute World Record holder with a result of 9:30 reached during the CMAS Hungarian Open Indoor Freediving Championship 2025โFlorian was less fortunate at last year's Championship. His PB is 10:41 (AIDA Thailand STA Competition, 2021), and during the Championship 2025, Florian reached 9:31. His performance could have brought him the silver, but alas, according to the judges, he made a mistake during surface protocol and was disqualified. So, the silver went to ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ธ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ผ๐ (๐๐ก๐ง), who made a new official PB of 9:17, and is also present at this Championship.
Florian is followed by several athletes whose breath-holds exceed 9 minutes. Besides Aleksandr, they are ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐๐๐ผ๐ป (SWE; PB 9:28), ๐๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ต๐ถ๐บ ๐๐น ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ถ (OMN; PB 9:22), and ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ด (๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐) ๐๐ถ๐ป (CHN; PB 9:08).
So, among the men, the competition is quite unpredictable, but the same canโt be said for the competition among the women. Objectively speaking, it's unlikely that anyone can really challenge Heike. Her nearest competitor and Vice-Champion 2025, ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐๐น๐ฎ-๐ข๐น๐น๐ฎ (FIN; PB 08:03), holds her breath for 1:27 less than Heike. And Iiris herself is followed by several athletes with PBs just above 7 minutes: ๐๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐บ ๐ข๐ต (KOR; PB 7:32), ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐บ (KOR; PB 7:21), and Fiona De Sousa (ZAF; PB 7:18).
With this list of contenders, the STA day can hardly be considered boring!
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐
๐?
We hope weโve sparked your interest and that you won't miss the broadcast (available on AIDA International's YouTube channel). The show promises to be epic. If you don't have time to watch the broadcastโdon't worry! We'll watch for you and write detailed reports on all the notable performances.
Stay tuned and make sure to catch our updates.
