The 2025 CMAS World Freediving Depth Championships in Mytikas, Greece, have seen a wave of athlete withdrawals following the serious medical incident involving Russian freediver Andrey Matveenko.
Competitors have cited safety concerns, solidarity with Matveenko, and what they describe as a lack of a coherent response from organizers. At the time of publishing, CMAS has not issued an official statement addressing either the incident or the withdrawals.
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Confirmed Withdrawals
Talya Davidoff (USA)
Team USA captain Talya Davidoff announced she was stepping away from the competition, and from CMAS events more broadly — in a public statement.
Petar Klovar (Croatia)
Croatian freediver Petar Klovar, a recent CNF world-record holder, confirmed his withdrawal on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWdOumjABz/
Zsofia Torocsik (Hungary)
Hungarian athlete Zsofia Torocsik also announced her withdrawal in a reel shared on Instagram.
Davide Carrera (Italy)
Italian champion Davide Carrera, one of the sport’s most experienced athletes, shared his decision in an Instagram reel.
Sanda Delija (Croatia)
Croatian athelete Sanda Delija is current AIDA women’s FIM world record holder at 103m (338ft).
Withdrawals Confirmed Privately
In addition to the public announcements, several withdrawals have been communicated directly to DeeperBlue reporters in private messages:
- Vitomir Maricic (Croatia) – long-standing Croatian competitor and coach.
A Competition Under Scrutiny
The withdrawals come only days after Andrey Matveenko’s accident, which saw the Russian athlete transported to Athens for ongoing treatment following a blackout and suspected decompression-related injury. His condition remains serious, with partial paralysis reported.
Athletes stepping back from the competition say their decisions reflect a mixture of concern for safety, solidarity with Matveenko, and a call for clearer event protocols.
The championship continues, but the absence of several high-profile competitors has cast a shadow over one of the calendar’s most important events.
