23/08/2023
😨😨😨 134m
𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗪𝗧 (𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘)
On August 21st, at the 𝗖𝗠𝗔𝗦 𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 in the Caribbean Sea, Roatan, Honduras, a long-awaited day finally arrived after 11 years. 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘃𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗸𝗼 (𝗜𝗡𝗧) made a bold monofin dive to a depth of 𝟭𝟯𝟰𝗺 (𝟰𝟰𝟬𝗳𝘁), establishing a new absolute World Record in CWT. This achievement is extraordinary because, for the past 11 years, 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗹𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘃 (𝗜𝗡𝗧) solely held the title of World Record Holder in CWT, with no challengers stepping forward.
Congratulations, Andrey, on your courageous and magnificent dive, as well as on achieving your first World Record!
𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘆’𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿
Andrey, originally from Kamchatka, discovered his passion for spearfishing when he moved to the Black Sea coast. However, during the following winter season, he found himself drawn to freediving and began training in a pool. In 2010, he participated in his first freediving competition, where he won an overall bronze medal. This success led Andrey to shift his focus from spearfishing to freediving, both as a competitor and an instructor.
In 2014, Andrey achieved his first gold medal at the AIDA Team Freediving World Championship. During individual competitions, his proficiency lies in the CWT discipline. In 2019, he secured the title of Vice-Champion in CWT at the CMAS World Championship in Roatan and the AIDA World Championship in Villefranche-sur-Mer, reaching with a monofin impressive depths of 𝟭𝟭𝟱𝗺 (𝟯𝟳𝟳𝗳𝘁) and 𝟭𝟭𝟵𝗺 (𝟯𝟵𝟬𝗳𝘁), respectively.
During the 2021 World Championships, Andrey aimed to claim a medal in CWT by diving to a depth of 123m (404ft). Unfortunately, he encountered difficulties with the surface protocol and was subsequently disqualified.
𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀
Andrey, a strong and experienced athlete, is known for his sensitivity to nitrogen narcosis. This condition is typically more pronounced in dark and cold water. In preparation for the 2023 World Championship, Andrey trained in the challenging waters of the Black Sea, successfully reaching a depth of 𝟭𝟮𝟬𝗺 (𝟯𝟵𝟰𝗳𝘁). During his training sessions in the warm and well-lit Caribbean Sea, he further pushed his limits and achieved a depth of 𝟭𝟯𝟯𝗺 (𝟰𝟯𝟲𝗳𝘁).
On the first day of the CWT competition, Andrey made a conservative announcement for a dive to 𝟭𝟯𝟰𝗺 (𝟰𝟰𝟬𝗳𝘁) (the CMAS rules permit athletes to announce a depth 3m deeper than their personal best achieved in the last three months).
There were only a select few who could anticipate Andrey's announcement and foresee his attempt at a new world record. Nonetheless, he executed his dive flawlessly, securing his place in the history of freediving among the esteemed CWT World Record Holders. Congratulations, Andrey!
