In the wake of the medical emergency involving Russian freediver Andrey Matveenko, a series of athlete withdrawals, and mounting concern over safety standards, DeeperBlue submitted a detailed set of questions to CMAS regarding the handling of the 2025 Freediving Depth World Championships in Mytikas, Greece.
CMAS has now provided written responses. These cover timelines of the evacuation, chamber access, the role of the safety team, liability forms, and questions over governance and communication.
While some answers provide clarity, others raise further questions about how freediving’s largest international federation prepares for and manages critical incidents at depth competitions.
At times, CMAS’s replies conflict with testimony from athletes and medical experts, particularly over evacuation delays, the treatment of safety divers, and the introduction of new liability forms mid-event. Despite repeated concerns raised after last year’s championships, the federation’s answers suggest that systemic problems remain unresolved, leaving the freediving community questioning whether lessons have truly been learned.
We did not initially publish the answers as we had followed up with further questions but so far not received any response from CMAS representatives. As CMAS took the decision to publish the answers themselves we are now publishing the full answers for the freediving community to read.
Beyond safety, concerns have also been raised about athlete privacy. South African freediver Talya Davidoff told DeeperBlue she was distressed by CMAS referencing her prescription for benzodiazepines in official communications. While CMAS framed it as a request for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), Davidoff said she had never publicly disclosed her medication and regarded the reference as a violation of her privacy. “They have, no matter how vague, basically disclosed my medication to the world,” she said.
Below is CMAS’s responses in full as published on ScubaDiving.news website
In competitions, deep freedivers constantly push their limits… with the risks that it entails.
At the last CMAS world championship of deep freediving, held in Mytikas, Greece, from September 5 to 18, 2025, three accidents occurred. Rumors are rife on social networks. Here are the official answers from CMAS.
What is CMAS’s official version regarding the medical emergency involving Andrey Matveenko?
During the official training on September 6, athlete Andrey Matveenko declared a dive at 126 meters in the CWT discipline with a target time of 03:50. This declaration was consistent with his known previous performances outside the official program: on 09/04, 123 m CWT; and on 09/02, 110 m FIM. There was no reason to restrict his official declaration, as the safety officer did with other athletes whose dives were considered risky.
The dive line was set according to the declared depth, confirmed by the athlete’s depth gauges. Andrey completed the dive at 126 meters, in the declared time. On the ascent, he was met at 50 meters by the scout safety diver, at 35 meters by the first safety diver, and at 25 meters by the second, who escorted him to the surface. At about 15 m, Andrey lost consciousness. He was immediately secured by the safety team and transported to the surface. He was then handed over to the onsite medical team, who provided the necessary medical care, in full compliance with medical protocols and Greek laws, and transported him to shore.
From there, Andrey was transferred by ambulance to Lefkada public hospital, then to the emergency neurological clinic of Thriassio public hospital in Athens, before being admitted to the naval military hospital where he remains hospitalized and under treatment. He is currently receiving treatment in a hyperbaric chamber and is monitored by the neurological clinic.
We remain in contact with the doctors to receive official medical information on Andrey’s health status. Our thoughts are with him and his loved ones, and we wish him a swift and full recovery.
Did the evacuation proceed according to the official safety protocol?
Yes, the evacuation proceeded according to the official safety protocol.
What are the details of Davide Carrera’s decompression sickness incident and his consecutive withdrawal?
After successfully completing his performance, Davide went to the Deco O2 station to follow the usual decompression protocol after deep dives. As he was about to exceed the maximum allowed time underwater, the medical team was immediately alerted and Davide was escorted to the surface by the safety officer who was monitoring him.
After reporting symptoms of decompression sickness, Davide and the medical team decided he would not participate in this competition. This is not a withdrawal but a decision made in agreement with the athlete for his own safety.
How does CMAS react to reports that safety officer Roberto Butera suffered from decompression-related symptoms during the event?
Roberto Butera, as the safety officer, had already taken the appropriate measures by performing a PFO test before registering for any diving activity. During the competition, he worked according to the applied safety plan, following the safety rotation. After experiencing certain decompression sickness symptoms, he went to a clinic in Athens. He is now in good health and not diving.
The official safety protocol provided for a transfer to a hyperbaric chamber within 2 h 45 to 3 h 20. Why was a helicopter not deployed in Matveenko’s case, and what is CMAS’s explanation for these delays?
From the moment a medical incident is transferred to the hospital, its treatment depends solely on the doctors, the rules of medical science, and the regulations of the national health system.
The local organizing committee and CMAS fully respected the established safety protocol until the athlete was transferred to the Greek national system.
Therefore, the decision to transport a person by ambulance or helicopter and the timing of this transport are up to the medical staff of the health establishment handling the incident.
Were local hospitals and hyperbaric chambers officially informed and prepared to accommodate cases of DCS/CAGE related to freediving before the event started?
As an international federation, CMAS entrusts the organization of competitions to local organizing committees, which are responsible for applying CMAS’s procedures and obligations, in accordance with national laws and regulations. In this case, during the competition preparations, the local organizing committee presented CMAS with the evacuation plan, which included the use of a helicopter. CMAS acknowledged this plan as appropriate and approved it. CMAS naturally expects the local organizing committee to fully comply with it, in cooperation with local authorities and agencies and respecting the standards required for corresponding authorizations, permits, and licenses, which include safety plans and the deployment of safety equipment and operators.
Was in-water recompression (IWR) part of the approved and planned medical protocol, or was it an improvised measure?
In accordance with the regulations of CMAS and the Hellenic State, decompression is available during training and competition for divers diving beyond 70 meters, at a depth of 5 meters for 5 minutes using pure O2. The system allows the simultaneous decompression of two athletes, with a third backup station.
How many dives per day did the safety divers perform and what monitoring or decompression procedures were in place for them?
We have two teams of safety divers per line. Each covers a maximum of 20 competition dives per day. There are two security scouts per line, alternating to ensure a surface rest time between 16 and 20 minutes. Safety divers breathe decompression oxygen at the end of each day for 5 minutes, at a depth of 5 meters.
Did CMAS investigate reports of other safety divers exhibiting symptoms during the event?
No other case has been reported.
The investigation into the CMAS 2024 championship highlighted safety and medical intervention as the weakest areas, with explicit recommendations for improvement. Which of these recommendations were implemented in 2025 and which were not?
The recommendations received in 2024 concerning the organization of competitions were taken into account as much as possible for this year’s competition organization.
We are very grateful to the athletes for their cooperation in this valuable investigation and for providing their feedback, as well as to Simona Auteri for supervising this investigation and doing an excellent job. We have received various proposals and remarks on how to make the competition more enjoyable and safer, and we continue to review feedback from this investigation under the guidance of the new Director of the CMAS Apnea Diving Commission, Ms. Ekaterina Senichkina.
Regarding specific points related to safety and medical intervention highlighted in the survey, namely the management of decompression sickness symptoms and the availability of portable chambers, it should be noted that these issues are not easily resolved, as they primarily depend on the laws and regulations of each host country.
Regarding the safety management within the competition, the safety team is perfectly in place and operating at an excellent level (for instance, it is worth mentioning an impressive 42-meter deep rescue on the first day of the competition, conducted by the head of safety, Mr. Roberto Butera).
In addition, the safety team has decided to implement medical checks also for divers performing open card dives in case of obvious or suspected barotrauma.
Why has no official public statement been made by the CMAS leadership (including the president or organizer) about these incidents and withdrawals?
This statement is inaccurate. In reality, the CMAS leadership (including the president, Mrs. Anna Arzhanova, who has been in Mytikas since September 8) was available on-site to answer all questions from athletes, officials, and team leaders. Meetings were regularly organized in Mytikas with the athletes and/or team leaders to share information about the current situation and listen to all concerns.
We acknowledge and appreciate the role of the media and never refuse to provide explanations about any incident that may occur. However, given that CMAS is an international sports institution, we are reluctant to make “off-the-cuff comments” on facts before having detailed knowledge of what actually happened, allowing CMAS to take an official position. Nevertheless, and as part of its primary obligations when an incident occurs, CMAS is always close to the athletes concerned, the teams, and the officials, and cooperates as much as possible to ensure the incident is resolved well. Meanwhile, our collaborators examine the case, conduct an investigation, and then submit a detailed report to CMAS so that it can take the necessary measures.
A final remark regarding our relations with the media. We were somewhat surprised to read that we had not responded to questions posed by DeeperBlue. In reality, it is quite the opposite, and we have numerous emails to prove it. Deeper Blue contacted us, and we were entirely willing to answer all their questions, which we did. Unfortunately, it was Deeper Blue that decided not to publish our responses.
Does CMAS acknowledge that the lack of timely communication has contributed to a loss of trust among athletes?
This question should be placed in context. As explained, we take our institutional role towards our athletes, teams, and officials (especially the safety team deployed on-site) very seriously and need to be fully informed before making any public statement.
Why were new liability and indemnity forms introduced during the competition, and why were athletes asked to sign them on the boat just before diving?
The liability and indemnity forms are part of the registration forms presented to athletes and national federations (online date on the CMAS competition webpage: May 31, 2025) as a mandatory condition for the registration of all athletes. Several athletes who did not submit the signed document in time were asked by the LOC to sign it on-site during the competition. This document pertains to the notion of “informed consent” given in many circumstances, including in the case of medical treatment in daily life.
Can CMAS clarify if the signatures obtained under these conditions are legally binding?
Several courts have confirmed this.
On September 11, a revised safety protocol was issued. Why was such an important document introduced mid-championship rather than before the event started?
The September 11 document is related to the safety plan that has existed since the beginning of the championship. This document was resubmitted and disseminated to confirm existing procedures. It is a standard “reminder” procedure.
How does CMAS respond to the withdrawal or dropping out of CMAS competitions by top athletes, including Petar Klovar, Davide Carrera, Talya Davidoff, Zsófia Tör?csik, and others, citing safety reasons?
We confirm having received official communication from Petar Klovar, in which he requests his withdrawal from all future CMAS competitions and his removal from the ADAMS out-of-competition doping control program as soon as possible. We do not comment on his personal justifications in this regard, but we sincerely hope that the sanctions imposed on him after what happened in the Bahamas a few years ago have nothing to do with his decision.
However, we would like to clarify that the entire senior Croatian team (Vitomir Maricic, Peter Klovar, and Sanda Delija) did not withdraw from this competition, as none of them finalized their registration for the championship and settled the corresponding fees on time (deadline: September 5, 2025).
Regarding Zsofia Torocsik, we confirm that she officially withdrew from the competition.
Talya Davidoff also officially requested to withdraw from the World Championship and all future CMAS competitions, as well as her removal from the ADAMS out-of-competition doping control program. Regarding her public withdrawal statement, in which she announced her intention to reveal how CMAS treated her concerning health, we note that the only request received from Ms. Davidoff concerned the setup of a TUE for benzodiazepines. We would like to emphasize that CMAS safety rules strictly prohibit the use of benzodiazepines in apnea.
Regarding Davide Carrera, as described above, it is not a withdrawal, but a joint decision made for the athlete’s safety. We appreciate his long-standing contribution to apnea and his efforts in researching new medical protocols worldwide for apneists. We hope to continue working with him in this direction in the future.
What measures will CMAS take immediately to restore trust among athletes and national federations?
This is not only a key moment for freediving but a true turning point. As our sport develops and divers reach depths once considered impossible, the responsibility to guide this progression safely and ethically has never been greater.
Around the world, apneists and doctors are already contributing to valuable research and publications. What our community needs now is action: establishing an official medical protocol, similar to those long-recognized in diving, and having it officially recognized by the international medical community. A protocol that protects athletes and establishes clear standards for the treatment of CAGE and DCS in freediving. Without this, the future of our sport remains vulnerable.
It is now up to CMAS, the sole official body governing underwater sports, to carry out this mission. The CMAS Medical and Scientific Committee for freediving, under the leadership of its new director, Mr. Radoslaw Gaca, invites researchers, doctors, and athletes worldwide to pool their knowledge and experience. Together, we can achieve what has long been lacking: the recognition and implementation of international medical protocols for freediving within the global medical community.
The establishment and recognition of an official medical protocol are a crucial step. This protocol will protect lives, honor athletes pushing the limits of human potential, and ensure that freediving develops not only in depth but also in terms of safety, respect, and unity.
The publication of CMAS’s answers does not close the debate. For many athletes, coaches, and medical professionals, the events in Greece highlight long-standing weaknesses in how freediving competitions are organized and supported. Until clearer protocols, transparent communication, and reliable medical pathways are established, questions over the federation’s commitment to athlete safety will persist. DeeperBlue will continue to investigate these issues and provide updates as further information emerges.
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