Freediver Molchanov dives 137 m and breaks his own world record

On Thursday, at the freediving world championships near Limassol in Cyprus, freediver Molchanov broke his own 2023 world record by one metre, reaching a depth of 137 metres.

“It was hard, the dive lasted a long time, and the narcosis was strong,” the athlete said after returning to the surface. He felt the effects of so-called deep-water narcosis near the bottom. The condition is caused by gases under high pressure and can affect perception, judgement and coordination. “Almost the entire way up was like a dream. I was ascending, but I don’t think I could really concentrate,” he admitted.

Only when reviewing the footage did Molchanov realise that he had drifted too far from the guide rope on the way up. According to him, the safety lanyard pulled him sideways and slowed him down.

The record was set in the Constant Weight (CWT) discipline: athletes dive and return to the surface under their own power. Molchanov uses a monofin, which joins both feet into one large fin. During the dive, it is forbidden to change the weight or to use the rope to move.

This is already the seventh time Molchanov has improved his own world record in this category. Since the start of his career in 2004, he has set more than 40 records in various freediving disciplines, according to the organisers.

“I set my first world record with a monofin in 2012. For 14 years I have been pushing the boundary. And now, after those 14 years, I am 12 metres deeper,” he recalled. “We’ll see how many more years I keep diving and how many metres I add,” the athlete said.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz