At an international freediving competition in the Caribbean Island of Dominica, Kateryna Sadurska the sole representative from Ukraine set a new absolute world record in the discipline of diving without fins at 82 meters.
The six-day AIDA Freediving international competition started on Nov. 25 on the picturesque island of Dominica, with its mountainous landscapes and tropical forests. Three days are allocated for diving, and three more for rest to allow the athletes to recover from their difficult and energy-consuming dives.
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Although Dominica is generally known to provide conditions favorable to setting records, this time the weather tested the participants.
On Nov. 25, as Kateryna prepared to go for the record in the CNF (Constant Weight No Fins) discipline – diving without fins and additional equipment - heavy rain began to fall ten minutes before the start of her attempt and intensified as the start approached.
“It was difficult for me to prepare due to the rain and wind, and to take the correct breath. After all, this is a key moment in freediving. At a depth of 30 meters, I decided not to risk it and returned to the surface,” Kateryna said.
On the second day of competition, Nov. 26, Kateryna repeated the attempt in the same discipline. And although the day was cloudy again, the sky cleared up just before the Ukrainian woman's dive. Kateryna successfully completed the dive, setting the new 82-meter CNF absolute world record!
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“I dedicate this victory to Ukraine, our defenders, and everyone who supports our country in this difficult time,” says Kateryna.
The previous absolute record was the 80 meters that Kateryna set in Kalamata, Greece at the World Championships in October.
This is the sixth time Kateryna has broken the world record with this 2024 mark extending the record depth by seven meters.
The closest rival to her is Mirella Kardasevic from Croatia, who managed to reach a depth of 75 meters.
Kateryna Sadurska is also the mono-fin world champion
In October, Sadurska triumphed for the third time and set a new record in mono-fin diving. In the “free immersion along a rope” discipline, the Ukrainian woman dived to 95 meters winning the gold medal for the third time in a row.
Kateryna Sadurska pictured with her “mono-fin” shortly after setting another new record on July 29, 2023, on Day 8 of the Vertical Blue competition in the Bahamas. Photo: wikicommons
Preparing for the World Cup
On Aug. 7, Sadurska spoke about her preparation for the freediving world championship exclusively to Kyiv Post.
She told us: “Deep diving is always stressful for the body. To avoid this, I prepare myself for the competition not only physically but also mentally.”
She dived to a depth of 97 meters along a rope at the Free Immersion (FIM) World Championship, where she won a gold medal and set a national record having also dived to 100 meters with a mono-fin during one of her training sessions.
Despite the new challenges, certain risks, and the complexity of the preparation, it was important for her to remind the world of the war in Ukraine and prove that Ukrainians are a nation of winners.
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