Klovar and Molchanov deliver perfect dives as world championship race tightens

The battle for the World Apnea 2026 Overall World Championship title could hardly be closer. In another spectacular encounter between Petar Klovar (Croatia) and Alexey Molchanov (AIN), both athletes delivered flawless dives and perfect surface protocols today in the Men’s Free Immersion (FIM) competition — leaving just one point separating them in the Overall Championship standings. Klovar took the FIM World Championship title with a spectacular 132-metre dive, completed after a 3:55 breath-hold. Molchanov followed with an equally impressive 128-metre dive, spending 4:49 underwater. Both returned to the surface in complete control, successfully completed the required surface protocol and received white cards. Neither champion, however, appeared ready to reveal everything just yet. Both Klovar and Molchanov made it clear after their dives that they still have more to say. With only one point now separating them in the Overall Championship standings, the anticipation surrounding tomorrow’s start list is reaching its highest point. One final discipline remains for the men, and every metre, point and performance could decide who leaves Limassol as the 2026 Overall World Champion. he bronze medal was shared between Martin Ruman of Slovakia and Omar Al Ghailani of Oman, both completing dives to 113 metres. For Omar Al Ghailani, the dive also established a new Asian Continental Record, adding another major achievement to an already exceptional day of competition. The field produced further national and continental records, including Jan Knutzen of Germany at 111 m, Brad Stephens of the USA at 108 m, Kim Dahlgren of Sweden at 101 m, Christian Brauchli of Switzerland at 94 m, Marcell Bago of Hungary at 90 m and Amin Jadidi of Iran at 90 m. Additional national records were recorded by Yaqoub Benjabal of Kuwait (84 m), Privilean Vitalie of Moldova (83 m), Marc Bou Mansour of Lebanon (81 m), Alexandros Polemitis of Cyprus (78 m), Aleksandrs Maskalenko of Latvia (75 m) and Mohamed Aljneibi of the UAE (75 m). The pressure now moves to the final stages of the Championships. Tomorrow, the women return to the line for the final discipline of the Championships — Constant Weight (CWT). It promises to be one of the deepest and most decisive days of competition, with Zsófia Törőcsik and Nataliia Zharkova set to lead the field into the depths. A total of five dives deeper than 100 metres have been announced, setting the stage for some of the deepest performances of the entire Championships. But tomorrow’s competition will be about much more than the CWT World Championship title: the final dives will also determine the podium for the Overall World Championship, For the fifth time, Cyprus welcomes an AIDA World Championship, reinforcing Limassol’s established connection with international freediving and depth training. The Mediterranean waters surrounding Limassol will become the setting for one of the most important events on the international freediving calendar, with athletes and teams arriving from more than 50 countries. For almost two weeks, Limassol will host an international community of athletes, coaches, judges, safety divers, medical professionals, media and event personnel, combining elite sport with the unique environment of Cyprus.