Ukrainian athlete Sadurska sets freediving world record after diving to 90 meters without fins
The record-breaking dive took place on November 11 during the international AIDA Blue Element November 2026 competition in the Caribbean. Sadurska reached 90 meters on a single breath without fins or additional equipment.
This marks the Ukrainian athlete's tenth world record in this discipline over the past four years. She set her first in 2023 by diving to a depth of 73 meters. Her current result also significantly surpasses the previous mark of her closest competitor, which stands at 79 meters—a difference of 11 meters.
The path to the new record proved challenging. In July of this year, the athlete had already attempted to set a record at a depth of 89 meters. However, due to an injury, required treatment, and a course of antibiotics, she entered the competition in an exhausted state.
During that attempt, Sadurska experienced a blackout at the finish line for the first time in her ten-year sports career, resulting in the disqualification of her attempt.
Organizing her training process amid the full-scale war remains a distinct challenge for Sadurska. According to her, the lack of deep-water diving facilities in Ukraine forces her to constantly relocate between countries to maintain her athletic form and prepare for competitions. Training effectively dictates her daily life and requires her to subordinate personal plans to her schedule.
The athlete dedicated her new world record to Ukrainian defenders.
Background
The 33-year-old Ukrainian swimmer competed in the 2016 Olympic Games and is also an 11-time world champion.
She is a two-time champion and multiple medalist at European Freediving Championships, as well as a multiple world record holder across various freediving disciplines.
In addition, she is a six-time world champion in freediving under the auspices of the World Underwater Federation (CMAS). She won her first gold medal in 2022 in Free Immersion (FIM) and defended her title in 2023 and 2024. From 2022 to 2024, she also triumphed in the Constant Weight Without Fins (CNF) discipline.
It should be noted that Kateryna Sadurska previously became the 2026 freediving world champion. The world championship under the auspices of CMAS opened with the Constant Weight With Fins competition, in which the athlete took first place with a result of 108 meters.
Ukrainian freediver Kateryna Sadurska also won the Blue Element Competition 2025 in Dominica under the auspices of the International Association for the Development of Apnea (AIDA) with a world record, triumphing in Constant Weight Without Fins (CNF).
In 2024, Sadurska set her second world record by diving without fins on a single breath to a depth of 84 meters—equivalent to a quarter of the Eiffel Tower's height.
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- November, 12
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13 of November 2026
