Day 6 of the CMAS Depth World Championships in Greece saw a dominant performance earn a gold medal, while the bronze slipped away from two athletes due to an incorrect surface protocol and an early turn.
Ukraine’s Kateryna Sadurska — the current world record holder for the Constant Weight No Fins (CNF) discipline at 84m/276ft — successfully dove to 76m/294ft on Monday to bring home the gold medal and add to her medal collection from this year’s competition, while Poland’s Maria Bobela earned silver with her 68m/223ft dive.
The bronze medal was potentially in reach for two athletes: Spain’s Isabel Sanchez dove to 61m/200ft — which would have been a national record — but upon surfacing failed to give the “OK” sign within the required time limit and subsequently got a red card. Belgium’s Marine Simonis was gunning for 67m/220ft but had to turn around at 57m/187ft, which resulted in lost points and no place on the podium.
As a result, Russia’s Elena Morozova, competing as an independent athlete, earned her place on the podium with a successful dive to 58m/190ft for the bronze.
In an Instagram post, Sanchez wrote:
“Today I feel a mix that’s hard to put into words. Reaching 61 meters in CNF was a dream come true: my personal best, the Spanish record, and what would have been a bronze medal at the World Championship. But the joy slipped away at the surface: I came up slightly hypoxic and forgot to give the OK within the required timeframe.
“The CMAS rule is clear: you must give the OK within 20 seconds of surfacing. I thought I had done it, but I hadn’t. And although it hurts, the rules are the same for everyone—it’s part of the “game” within the “sport.” That’s what makes it beautiful and exciting; you never know the outcome until the very end. A dive isn’t over until the judge gives you the card.
“I’m left with the sting of what could have been… but also with immense pride for reaching a depth I never imagined without fins. You don’t always win, but you always learn. Mistakes are also part of the journey.”
The Masters M1 Women category saw the UK’s Helena Bourdillon claim a second gold medal with a successful dive to 45m/148ft, while Greece’s Anna Iliad brought home the silver with her 43m/141ft dive and Turkey’s Birgul Erken earned bronze with her 39m/128ft dive.
For the Men’s M1+M2 category, Switzerland’s Christian Langer brought home the gold with a 66m/217ft dive. Russia’s Vladislav Makhonin was gunning for 61m/200ft but despite an early turn at 55m/180ft, was still able to earn the silver. Belgium’s Danny Van Dosselaer rounded out the podium with a 47m/154ft dive for the bronze medal.
Check out the full results below or watch the recaps of each competition day at cmas.org.
