90 meters without fins: Ukrainian Sadurska breaks absolute world freediving record

On November 11, 2026, at the AIDA Blue Element international competition held in the Caribbean, Ukrainian freediver Kateryna Sadurska set a new absolute world record in the Constant Weight Without Fins (CNF) discipline. The athlete descended to a depth of 90 meters without fins, without additional equipment, and on a single breath, becoming the first woman in history to overcome this milestone in this discipline. This was reported by the Ukrainian athlete's team, citing data provided to the Sport RBC.UA publication.

A result 11 meters ahead of competitors

Sadurska's result exceeds that of her closest competitor—whose maximum is 79 meters—by 11 meters. The scale of the achievement is also underscored by the fact that throughout the history of freediving, only six men have ever broken the 90-meter mark without fins. To illustrate: 90 meters is a depth comparable to the height of a 30-story skyscraper, and only 10 meters less than the height of Kyiv's Motherland Monument from the pedestal to the tip of the sword. During such a dive, a freediver experiences a pressure of about 10 atmospheres, lung volume decreases approximately tenfold, and the heart slows its activity. Recovery of the body after a single such dive takes from two to four days.

Tenth world record in four years

This new achievement is Sadurska's tenth world record in the CNF discipline over the past four years. She set her first record in 2023 by descending to 73 meters. Since then, the athlete has improved her result by 17 meters, consistently raising the bar. Sadurska is a participant in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, an 11-time world champion, and a ten-time world freediving record holder. In late August 2026 at the World Championship, she won two gold medals, preceding her record-breaking November dive.

Injury, blackout, and a review of preparation

The new record acquired special significance for the athlete against the backdrop of the difficult experience of the summer of 2026. At that time, Sadurska planned to conquer a depth of 89 meters, but suffered an injury a week before the start. She had to treat wounds and undergo a course of antibiotics. "I still went out to the start, but my exhausted body could not withstand the ultimate load—right at the finish line, for the first time in my 10-year career, I experienced a blackout and was disqualified. It was a difficult experience that forced me to rethink my approach to preparation," Sadurska shared. It was after this incident that she revised her training process, which, according to her, ultimately led to a successful November dive.

The war as a trigger and reason for permanent relocations

Due to the full-scale war and the lack of conditions for deep-water training in Ukraine, Sadurska has been forced to constantly move between countries for several years, effectively changing her place of stay every month. The athlete has consciously subordinated her personal life and comfort to training for international competitions. "The full-scale war became a trigger for me to go to international competitions and put sports as a priority. I have to take resources away from my personal life, but I understand: our guys on the frontline have it a thousand times harder," the freediver emphasized. According to her, with this new result she wanted to remind the world of the resilience of Ukrainians who continue to fight despite constant shelling and the lack of basic living conditions.

"Indomitability and invincible strength"

"My attempt today is a reminder to the world of the indomitability and invincible strength of the Ukrainian people, who continue to fight to the end and do not give up either under incessant fire or in conditions of the complete absence of water, heat, light, and communications," Sadurska concluded. The record-breaking 90-meter dive without fins in the Caribbean became not only a sports achievement but also a symbolic gesture: in conditions where infrastructure in her homeland is destroyed and there is no opportunity for normal training, the Ukrainian athlete proved that even in such circumstances, one can reach ultimate heights—literally.