On the final competition day of the World Apnea 2026 Depth World Championships in Limassol, Alexey Molchanov descended to 137 metres, setting a new AIDA World Record and becoming the first human to reach this depth in the waters of Limassol.

For Molchanov, the dive marks the seventh time he has broken the world record he has held since 2012, adding another extraordinary chapter to one of the most remarkable careers in competitive freediving.

With more than 40 freediving world records established throughout his competitive career, Molchanov once again demonstrated why he remains one of the defining athletes in the history of the sport.

ut Molchanov’s achievement was not the only world record of these championships.

Earlier in the women’s competition, Zsofia Torocsik of Hungary set a new FIM World Record at 108 metres, becoming the women’s FIM World Champion in the process. Her achievement was another highlight of a championship that has repeatedly seen the boundaries of competitive freediving pushed deeper.

Together, the two world records — Torocsik’s 108-metre FIM performance and Molchanov’s spectacular 137-metre final-day dive — bookend an extraordinary World Championship in Limassol.

Molchanov crowns the final day
Molchanov’s achievement came at the end of a remarkable men’s competition, with Petar Klovar of Croatia taking silver with 125 metres and Brad Stephens of the United States winning bronze with 115 metres.

The result also adds another chapter to the intense rivalry between Molchanov and Klovar. Klovar, who has recently taken some of Molchanov’s long-standing records, once again delivered one of the deepest dives of the competition, reaching 125 metres to secure the silver medal.

Molchanov’s final-day world record also secured him the men’s Overall World Championship title. Across the four disciplines of the competition, he accumulated 484 points, finishing 11 points ahead of Petar Klovar, who took the overall silver medal with 473 points.

Omar Al Ghailani of Oman completed the overall podium with 407 points, while Brad Stephens of the USA finished fourth overall with 399 points. Jihoon Jang of South Korea rounded out the overall top five with 350 points.

The overall results underline the exceptional consistency required to succeed across a full depth championship. Molchanov combined the deepest dive of the event with strong performances throughout all four disciplines, while Klovar remained within striking distance throughout the competition.

National records on the final day
The final day also brought a remarkable collection of national achievements. Omar Al Ghailani set an Omani national record with 111 metres, while Mohamed Aljneibi reached 90 metres for a UAE national record. Yaqoub Benjabal set a Kuwait national record at 85 metres, and Dimas Andika established an Indonesian national record at 85 metres.

Further national records were set by Aleksandrs Maskalenko of Latvia at 80 metres, Marcell Bago of Hungary at 80 metres, and Bora Sarikaya of Türkiye at 78 metres.

A week unlike anything freediving has seen
The 2026 Depth World Championships have produced an extraordinary level of depth across the field.

Freediving has never before seen a World Championship with so many athletes successfully diving beyond 100 metres. On the final day alone, the men’s results included dives of 137, 125, 115, 111, 105, 105, 102, 102 and 101 metres among the leading performances.

These numbers tell only part of the story. Behind every dive was years of preparation, discipline and courage — and a competition that brought together the world’s best depth athletes in one of the most demanding environments in sport.

Eight days of celebrating the sport
Molchanov’s 137-metre world record provided a spectacular finale to eight days of competition and celebration of freediving in Limassol.

From the first dives to the final descent, the championship has celebrated not only depth and records, but also the spirit of the sport: precision, discipline, trust, safety, respect for the ocean and the extraordinary human ability to explore the limits of what is possible.

The championship has also highlighted the evolution of the sport through technology, with live images of athletes transmitted from depths exceeding 130 metres, allowing audiences around the world to witness dives that, until recently, could only be imagined.

And then, on the final day, Limassol witnessed history.
At 137 metres, Alexey Molchanov reached a depth no human had ever reached in these waters before — and once again rewrote the limits of competitive freediving.

The WORLD APNEA 2026 Depth World Championships close with two world records, an extraordinary number of dives beyond 100 metres, new national achievements and a celebration of the people and spirit that continue to drive freediving forward.
The limits are still moving.