The 2025 AIDA World Freediving Championships in Wakayama, Japan, saw an unforgettable third day with the static apnea event, where 168 athletes from five continents pushed their endurance and concentration to the limit. The Wakayama Akibasan pool witnessed one of the largest turnouts in history for this discipline, with records and personal bests broken in an atmosphere of high anticipation.
In the women’s category, Germany’s Heike Schwerdtner, who had already broken the world record this year, once again demonstrated her superiority with a time of over 9 minutes, retaining her world championship title. Finland’s Iris Ala-Olla took silver and set a new national record, while Japan’s Yuriko Ichihara won bronze and the Asian continental record.
In the men’s final, Sweden’s David Spreitz Elings set one of the best times in AIDA history with 10 minutes and 27 seconds, taking gold and the national record. Aleksandr Maksimov took silver with over 9 minutes, and Ming (William Joy) Jin of China completed the podium with a new national record.
In addition, the static apnea day set a new bar for the sport, with continental records for Asia, Africa, and South America, and up to 11 national records. Among the milestones, Yuriko Ichihara’s 7 minutes and 52 seconds for Asia, Fiona De Sousa’s 6 minutes and 14 seconds for Africa, and Christian Tomas Bown Buron’s 7 minutes and 36 seconds for South America stand out. The event has consolidated the international profile of freediving and the ability of its athletes to surpass themselves.
Day 1: two world records and a historic start
Looking back, the first day of the championship was marked by spectacular performances in the dynamic with fins category. Zsófia Törőcsik of Hungary set a new women’s world record with 259 meters, while Guillaume Bourdila of France broke the men’s record with 298 meters. In addition, numerous continental and national records were achieved, reflecting the high level of competition from the start.
Day 2: Polish dominance and Asian rise in dynamic without fins
The second day was dominated by the dynamic without fins discipline, considered the most demanding on the circuit. Julia Kozerska of Poland was crowned world champion for the fourth consecutive time with a record of 210 meters. In the men’s category, Kai-Hsiang Chan of Chinese Taipei took gold and the Asian record with 240 meters, while the day ended with a wave of national and continental records in both genders, confirming the global expansion of freediving.
