Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Molchanovs Freediving
Topics: Extreme Sports, Russia, Sport, YouTube
Anish Vij
Topics: Extreme Sports, Russia, Sport, YouTube
People were left in disbelief after freediving GOAT Alexey Molchanov broke yet another world record.
The Russian freediver is widely regarded as the greatest competitive freediver in history.
As the son of legendary freediver Natalia Molchanova, Alexey got into the sport as a teenager and got his first world record aged 21.
“I’ve been freediving for 20 years. My first world championship was in 2005,” he told Digital Journal in December. "The first year is always the most exciting.
Advert
"Back then, I was still a beginner, and I came in seventh in the championships in Nice, France. That was a vivid memory because I was an 18-year-old."
He has since broken over 30 world records in his time as a champion freediver. Meanwhile, viewers have been left 'struggling to breathe' after watching Alexey break a terrifying freediving record back in September.
At a veteran age of 37, Molchanov competed in the 33rd AIDA Freediving World Championships off Ajaccio, Corsica, on 10 September 2024.
Advert
He performed a monumental constant weight with bi-fins (CWTB) dive, which means he dove into the ocean using just a pair of fins and no extra weights or air.
All in one breath, he managed to dive 125 meters into the ocean in just four minutes and 23 seconds, breaking his previous world record.
People at home, however, found the achievement an incredibly difficult watch.
Advert
"I passed out 5 times when watching this," one person commented on YouTube, while another added: "Unhuman! Changing the game each dive. Huge fan! Congrats to the GOAT!"
"I thought he stopped for a moment and passed out about halfway, but I realised he was resting his legs as kept going down. I'm glad he made it to the top - superhuman effort!" a third wrote.
As someone else agreed: "This is incredible… into the abyss and back, on a single breath of air, seems superhuman."
Speaking ahead of the release of his Paramount documentary Freediver, he added to Digital Journal: “For me, I love nature, and I love to freedive. My first freedive was when I was five years old, and I’ve been in love with the open water and the sea ever since.
Advert
“I was a swimmer before I became a freediver, so I was able to combine adventure with the sport component to it.
“I really enjoyed it because it was all about consistency and gradual progress.”