In early October 2026, at the world apnea championship in Limassol, Cyprus, Hungarian freediver Zsofia Terechchik dived to 108 meters in the free immersion discipline — without fins, using only the rope. The dive took four minutes, and she returned to the surface with a depth tag, which she immediately threw high into the air.
That is one meter deeper than her own record of 107 meters, set in August at a competition in Croatia on the island of Lastovo. The record is still awaiting official ratification, but it has already been recognized in the community.
Terechchik also claimed the title of absolute champion among women — for the second year in a row. Her main rival, Ukrainian Nataliia Zharkova, this time settled for 103 meters and took silver.
The 2026 season turned out to be intense: the free immersion record changed five times. Zharkova held it for a little over two months in the summer before Terechchik reclaimed the lead.
Video of her ascent and celebration quickly spread online — it was even shown in The Washington Post. "My happiness was in the heavens today," the athlete said after the dive.
What makes a person challenge the darkness and pressure at such depths again and again? For Terechchik, each such dive is a step toward an inner voice that finally says: "Yes, you are capable."
Her path began not so long ago: in just a couple of years she moved from triathlon to freediving and is already collecting titles. In 2025 she set several records in dynamic disciplines, and now she dominates in depth disciplines as well.
The rivalry with Zharkova adds intrigue: the two strongest athletes alternately raise the bar, pushing each other to become better. For spectators, it is a spectacle not only about records, but also about how far the human body and mind can go underwater.
While the record awaits confirmation, Terechchik is already preparing for new starts. Her story shows that in freediving there is no finish line — only the next depth still to be conquered.
