Nick Pelios
Freediver, Creator
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Nick Pelios
Freediver, Creator
Step into the world of exhilarating moments and remarkable achievements as we explore the thrilling 30th AIDA World Championship. From the establishment of new world records, continental records, and national records, this prestigious event not only showcased exceptional talent but also highlighted the evolving landscape and growing popularity of the sport. Join us on this journey as we delve into the electrifying highlights and celebrate the outstanding athletes who emerged as the overall winners of this highly acclaimed championship.
On June 12, 2023, the inaugural day of the 30th AIDA World Championship unfolded in Jeju, South Korea. This remarkable event has already achieved immense success, boasting the highest participation of freediving athletes in the history of AIDA Pool World Championships. A total of 146 athletes from 30 different countries competed on the opening day.
The initial contest of the championship featured the discipline of Dynamic Bifins (DYNB). In this discipline, freedivers swim underwater while holding their breath, aiming to cover the greatest possible distance with the assistance of bifins. Introduced in 2018, it is the newest addition to the repertoire of freediving disciplines. Currently, the women's AIDA World Record for this discipline is held by Magdalena Solich Talanda of Poland, who achieved a remarkable distance of 243 meters.
The first day of the four-day competition proved to be a resounding success. The pool resonated with a lively and supportive atmosphere, as numerous teams brought larger contingents of athletes compared to previous years. Additionally, there were several new teams making their debut in the competition.
On the inaugural day, the trend of surpassing previous achievements continued, as numerous new records were shattered.
Women’s AIDA Continental Records:
Oceania: 177m - Suzanne Malseed (New Zealand)
Africa: 232m - Bevin Reynolds (South Africa)
South America: 175m - Nara Martins Ishikawa (Brazil)
Asia: 220m - Mai Morimura (Japan)
Men’s AIDA Continental Records:
Oceania: 236m - Benjamin Eckert (Australia)
Women’s AIDA National Records:
Philippines: 167m - Tracy Roxanne
Czech Republic: 164m - Zuzana Reitingerova
Sweden: 208m - Paula Johnsson
Indonesia: 154m - Safir Abadi
Japan: 220m - Mai Morimura
Malaysia: 177m - Syafidatul Azua Shafii
Hong Kong: 156m - Chelsea Mo
Finland: 172m - Janita Kulkula
Chinese Taipei: 208m - Yu Fang Liu
Germany: 200m - Heike Schwerdtner
South Korea: 206m - Binna Kang
Men’s AIDA National Records:
Indonesia: 173m - Ernaldo Sanyoto
Singapore: 232m - Xingqiang Fu
United Kingdom: 208m - Adam Drzazga
Hong Kong: 200m - Lap Hing (Chris) Cheung
Philippines: 188m - Nico Guzman
Finland: 202m - Olavi Paananen
Italy: 206m - Federico Buzzoni
Spain: 227m - Inaki Santos
Women’s Podium:
Bevin Reynolds (South Africa) - 232m
Mai Morimura (Japan) - 220m
Julia Kozerska (Poland) - 219m
Men’s Podium:
Yi (Zy) Zhang (China) - 267m
Mikhail Briantcev (International) - 256m
Aleksandr Maksimov (International) - 254m
June 13, 2023 marked the second day of the highly anticipated 30th AIDA World Championship, featuring the intense competition of Dynamic No Fins (DNF). DNF is regarded as the purest form of freediving disciplines. During this event, freedivers propel themselves horizontally underwater using only arm strokes and frog kicks, challenging their breath-holding abilities to cover the longest possible distance without the aid of propulsion devices. Undoubtedly, it stands as the most physically demanding discipline within the realm of pool freediving.
The competition yielded remarkable results, with many athletes achieving new personal bests. However, the most thrilling development emerged when Julia Kozerska from Poland shattered her own women's AIDA World Record, reaching an impressive distance of 213 meters. Remarkably, this marked her seventh AIDA World Record. When asked about her exceptional achievement, Julia displayed humility, admitting that she had been uncertain of achieving such a distance after exerting herself during the previous day's Dynamic Bifins (DYNB) competition. However, at the 200-meter mark, she made a decision to push even further, surpassing her own expectations.
Adding to the excitement of the competition, a notable surprise unfolded when Bevin Reynolds made a remarkable 180-meter dive, establishing a fresh AIDA Continental Record for Africa. Notably, this marked Reynolds' inaugural participation in a formal freediving competition, making them promising athletes to watch in the coming years.
Women’s AIDA World Record:
Julia Kozerska (Poland) – DNF - 213 m
Women’s AIDA Continental Records:
Africa: 180 m - Bevin Reynolds (South Africa)
Asia: 172 m - Mai Morimura (Japan)
Women’s AIDA National Records:
Korea: 162 m – Hyemi (Mimi) Kim
South Africa: 180 m - Bevin Reynolds
Japan: 172 m - Mai Morimura
Men’s AIDA National Records:
Italy: 176 m - Federico Buzzoni
Hong Kong: 128 m - Lap Hing (Chris) Cheung
Women’s Podium:
Julia Kozerska (Poland) - 213m
Bevin Reynolds (South Africa) - 180m
Mai Morimura (Japan) - 172m
Men’s Podium:
Aleksandr Maksimov (International) – 184m
Aleksandr Bogdashkin (International) – 182m
Inaki Santos (Spain)- 178m
The third day of the highly anticipated 30th AIDA World Championship featured the intense Static (STA) competition. In this discipline, athletes undertake the challenge of holding their breath underwater for as long as possible without any additional activities. Remarkably, the AIDA World Record for both men and women in this discipline has stood the test of time. Stephane Mifsud achieved an impressive duration of 11 minutes and 35 seconds in 2009, while Natalia Molchanova recorded an extraordinary time of 9 minutes and 2 seconds in 2013.
On June 15, 2023, Heike Schwerdtner secured a well-deserved gold medal while also setting a new German AIDA National Record with a time of 8 minutes and 45 seconds. Her exceptional performance brings her closer to challenging the world record, positioning her as the second-highest-ranked woman in this discipline.
Yuriko Ichihara from Japan achieved a remarkable feat by surpassing her own AIDA Continental Record with an impressive new time of 7 minutes and 19 seconds.
Women’s AIDA Continental Records:
Asia: Yuriko Ichihara (Japan) - 7:19
Women’s AIDA National Records:
Finland: 7:11 – Iiris Ala-Olla
Chinese Taipei: 6:27 – Lin Hsin Ju
Singapore: 6:12 – Patricia Paige Ong
Germany: 8:45 – Heike Schwerdtner
Poland: 8:03 – Julia Kozerska
France: 8:01 – Sylvie Gilson
Women’s Podium:
Heike Schwerdtner (Germany) – 8:45
Julia Kozerska (Poland) – 8:03
Sylvie Gilson (France) – 8:01
Men’s Podium:
Florian Dagoury (France) – 10:01
Aleksandr Maksimov (International) – 9:10
David spreitz Elings (Sweden) – 8:36
The AIDA Pool World Championship Jeju 2023 concluded after an exhilarating four days of events, marking a successful end to the tournament.
The championship proved to be a thrilling spectacle, showcasing the extraordinary talents of the world's finest freedivers. It served as a testament to the continuous growth and evolution of the sport on a global scale, particularly highlighting the emergence of notable athletes like Bevin Reynolds from South Africa, who secured multiple podium finishes in their debut AIDA World Championship appearance.
The participation and exceptional performances by Asian athletes, particularly from countries such as China, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines, were truly awe-inspiring. The outstanding results achieved by these athletes underscore the growing popularity and enthusiasm for freediving in these nations. We eagerly anticipate the continued expansion and success of the sport in these regions.
One of the highlights of the event unfolded when Julia Kozerska from Poland shattered her own AIDA World Record in the Dynamic No Fins (DNF) discipline, securing her seventh AIDA World Record overall. Additionally, Mai Morimura from Japan emerged as an exceptional athlete, setting three new AIDA Continental Records for Asia.
Another awe-inspiring moment that captivated our attention was the remarkable achievement of Florian Dagoury, who clinched the coveted gold medal in static apnea by showcasing an astonishing display of endurance, remaining submerged beneath the water's surface for over 10 mesmerizing minutes.
The championship witnessed an impressive tally of records being broken, with one new AIDA World Record, 10 AIDA Continental Records, and 60 AIDA National Records.
In recognition of their outstanding performances across all four disciplines, Julia Kozerska (Poland) and Aleksandr Maksimov (representing the International category) accumulated the highest combined points and were crowned the overall winners of the 30th AIDA World Championship.
Women’s Overall:
Julia Kozerska (Poland) – 437.6 points
Bevin Reynolds (South Africa) – 390 points
Ke Tang (China) – 374.9 points
Men’s Overall:
Aleksandr Maksimov (International) – 455.5 points
Ming (William Joy) Jin (China) – 454.5 points
Po-Yen Lee (Chinese Taipei) – 406 points