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Alexey Molchanov

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Alexey Molchanov
Personal information
Native nameАлексей Молчанов
Born (1987-03-06) 6 March 1987 (age 37)
Volgograd, USSR
Sport
SportFreediving

Alexey Molchanov (Russian: Алексей Олегович Молчанов, born 6 March 1987) is a Russian champion freediver, multiple world champion (AIDA and CMAS), world record holder, and freediving promoter. He is also president of the "Freediving Federation" association, head of freediving school named in honor of Natalia Molchanova, and designer and engineer of the freediving equipment brand Molchanovs. Alexey is a son of Natalia Molchanova – multiple champion and world record holder in freediving.[1]

Career

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Molchanov achieved his first world record in 2008 in a pool discipline called Dynamic Apnea, in which he swam 250m underwater with a monofin on one breath. Since then he focused on the depth disciplines and began to compete in the open water.

In 2012, Molchanov set a world record in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, when he dived to 125m using a monofin. Later that year, Alexey broke his own world record with a dive to 126m in Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas. Alexey broke this record again at the 2013 AIDA World Championships in Kalamata, Greece, where he dived on one breath to 128m and returned to surface under difficult conditions. He extended that record to 129m in Baja in 2016. In 2018, Alexey dived 130m in the Bahamas and set a new world record.

In August 2023, at the CMAS World Championships, Alexey set another absolute record in competitive freediving in depth - 136 meters. In September, he confirmed this status at the World Championships according to AIDA rules.

Overall, Molchanov has set 34 world records (according to AIDA and CMAS rules, and 1 Guinness record) and earned 34 combined gold, silver, and bronze individual and team medals at world championship events.

A former nationally ranked swimmer, Alexey took up freediving as a teenager when his mother, the late Natalia Molchanova, fell in love with the sport. She would go on to develop a branded training program, which included meditative techniques. Alexey has followed her footsteps and in addition to running the Russian Freediving Federation, he is developing Molchanovs brand, which produces free-diving gear.

An entrepreneur athlete, Molchanov splits his time between his homes in Moscow and Dahab, runs regular training camps in Turkey, Mexico, on Lake Baikal and even in the Kingdom of Tonga, and competes all over the world. Alexey is actively involved in environmental issues and water purification all over the world. He often brings his camera and drone along with him and one may find his underwater photos in online galleries and exhibitions.

In 2020, Molchanov pushed the bifins depth still further and earned a Guinness World Record for longest recorded dive – nearly 600 feet under ice (181 m).[2][3][4]

In March 2021, Molchanov dived 80 meters,[5] or approximately 262 feet, beneath the one-meter-thick icy surface and back up on a single breath. In the process, he broke another world record: the deepest free dive under the ice with fins.[6] He also became an ambassador of the Lake Baikal Foundation.

In July 2021, Molchanov was a competitor of the nine-day international competition Vertical Blue at Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas. He made three world record dives in different disciplines. He also set two records in CMAS: 87 and 90 metres in the CNF discipline.[7]

In 2023, Alexey set 7 world records in different disciplines and one record according to the rules of the Freediving federation.

Alexey is called an “ocean ambassador”, as he is actively involved in environmental issues and water purification around the world. In the last few years, Alexey has become interested in underwater photography, his work can be seen at exhibitions and on the Internet.

Alexey Molchanov also acts as a speaker and conducts master classes on freediving technologies for working with stress, as well as self-control and the use of breathing practices in everyday life to form an internal state.

Personal life

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Molchanov has been married to Elena Sokolova since 2016. Elena is a Russian swimmer, a winner of the World Universiade (2013), a participant of the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, and an international-class Master of Sports of Russia.

Their son was born in 2021.

Records and medals

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Apnea [1] Date Place Event Record Stands as
DYN 19.04.2004 Moscow freediving Russian Championship 158 m Russian record
FIM 23.11.2004 Egypt Open Swedish freediving competitions 66 m Russian record
VWT 30.11.2004 Egypt Registration of records in Blue Hole 76 m Russian record
DNF 23.04.2005 Moscow freediving Russian Championship 107 m Russian record
DYN 24.04.2005 Moscow freediving Russian Championship 171 m Russian record
DYN 25.08.2005 Lausanne, Switzerland first individual freediving World Championship 199 m Russian record, bronze medal
STA 26.08.2005 Lausanne, Switzerland first individual freediving World Championship 6 min. 31 sec. Russian record
DNF 27.08.2005 Lausanne, Switzerland first individual freediving World Championship 124 m Russian record
DNF 27.08.2005 Lausanne, Switzerland first individual freediving World Championship 131 m Russian record, silver medal
CWT 1.09.2005 France, Nice freediving World Championship 82 m Russian record
CNF 7.11.2005 Egypt, Dahab Triple Depth 52 m Russian record
DYN 23.04.2006 Moscow Russian Championship 200 m Russian record
CNF 30.05.2006 Egypt, Dahab Triple Depth 60 m Russian record
CWT 07.12.2006 Egypt, Hurgada Team World Championship 83 m Russian record
DYN 09.12.2006 Egypt, Hurgada Team World Championship 207 m Russian record
STA 9.06.2007 Moscow Russian championship 6 min. 59 sec. Russian record
DYN 5.07.2007 Slovenia, Maribor freediving World Championship 213 m Russian record, silver medal
DNF 7.07.2007 Slovenia, Maribor freediving World Championship 157 m Russian record, silver medal
CNF 3.11.2007 Egypt, Sharm-el-Sheikh 4th individual freediving World Championship 65 m Russian record, bronze medal
DYN 27.04.2008 Moscow open Moscow Cup 222 m Russian record
CWT 25.07.2008 Greece, Crete, Sugia International freediving competition: Mediterranean Cup 91 m Russian record
CWT 27.07.2008 Greece, Crete, Sugia International freediving competition: Mediterranean Cup 101 m Russian record
FIM 1.08.2008 Egypt, Dahab International freediving competition 90 m Russian record
STA 4.10.2008 Italy, Lignano-Sabbiadoro European Cup 7min. 31sec. Russian record
DYN 5.10.2008 Italy, Lignano-Sabbiadoro European Cup 250 m World Record, Historic Record
STA 20.08.2009 Danmark, Aarhus 5th Individual freediving World Championship 8 min. 02 sec. Russian record
STA 21.08.2009 Danmark, Aarhus 5th Individual freediving World Championship 8 min. 31 sec. Russian record, silver medal
CNF 25.09.2009 Egypt, Sharm-el-Sheikh International competition Ruler of the depth 80 m Russian record
CNF 27.09.2009 Egypt, Sharm-el-Sheikh International competition Ruler of the depth 83 m Russian record
CWT 1.12.2009 Bahamas, Long Island 6th individual freediving World Championship 102 m Russian record
CWT 3.12.2009 Bahamas, Long Island 6th individual freediving World Championship 111 m Russian record, silver medal
FIM 24.09.2011 Greece, Kalamata 7th individual freediving World Championship 100 m Russian record
CWT 25.11.2012 Bahamas, Long Island 126 m World record[8]
FIM 29.11.2012 Bahamas, Long Island 107 m Russian record
CNF 25.04.2013 Egypt, Dahab Russian National Open Competition, 2013 85 m Russian record
CNF 27.04.2013 Egypt, Dahab Russian National Open Competition, 2013 90 m Russian record, continental record
DNF 27.06.2013 Belgrade Individual AIDA pool World Championships, 2013 195 m Russian record
STA 29.06.2013 Belgrade Individual AIDA pool World Championships, 2013 8:33 Russian record
CWT 19.09.2013 Kalamata Kalamata Open, 2013 128 m World record, gold medal
FIM 21.09.2013 Kalamata Kalamata Open, 2013 110 m Russian record
CNF 10.11.2013 Long Island, BHS Vertical Blue, 2013 91 m Russian record
FIM 16.11.2013 Long Island, BHS Vertical Blue, 2013 112 m Russian record
FIM 02.12.2014 Long Island, BHS Suunto Vertical Blue, Deadmans Caye, 2014 114 m Russian record
DYN 26.06.2015 Belgrade Individual AIDA Pool World Championships 2015 258 m Russian record
CNF 14.09.2015 Limassol AIDA Individual World Championship 2015 85 m Gold medal
CWT 16.09.2015 Limassol AIDA Individual World Championship 2ool Championship 2015 — CMAS 8 m 15 sec Russian record, gold medal
DYN-BF 15.06.2018 Lignano Sabbiadoro 10th Free Diving Indoor World Championship – CMAS 224,7 m Russian record
CWT 18.07.2018 Bahamas Vertical Blue 2018 — AIDA 130 m World record, gold medal
FIM 24.07.2018 Bahamas Vertical Blue 2018 — AIDA 125 m World record, gold medal
CWT 04.10.2018 Kaş, Turkey 3rd FreeDiving World Championship Outdoor 2018 — CMAS 123 m World record, gold medal
FIM 06.10.2018 Kaş, Turkey 3rd FreeDiving World Championship Outdoor 2018 — CMAS 116 m World record, gold medal
CWT-BF 21.05.2019 Egypt, Dahab Russian Open Depth Championship 2019 — AIDA 108 m World record, gold medal
CWT-BF 05.08.2019 Roatán, Honduras Caribbean Cup 2019 — AIDA 110 m World record, gold medal
CNF 07.08.2019 Roatán, Honduras Outdoor World Championship 2019 — CMAS 85 m World record, gold medal
CWT 08.08.2019 Roatán, Honduras Outdoor World Championship 2019 — CMAS 125 m World record, gold medal
FIM 11.08.2019 Roatán, Honduras Outdoor World Championship 2019 — CMAS 118 m World record, gold medal
CWTB 12.09.2020 Krk, Croatia Adriatic Depth Trophy Competition 2020 111 m World record, gold medal[9]
CWTB 26.11.2020 Egypt, Sharm-el-Sheikh Aida Freediving World Competition — AIDA 113 m World record, gold medal
FIM 13.07.2021 Bahamas Vertical Blue 2021 – CMAS 126 m World record, gold medal
CNF 15.07.2021 Bahamas Vertical Blue 2021 – CMAS 87 m World record
CWT 17.07.2021 Bahamas Vertical Blue 2021 – CMAS 131 m World record, gold medal
CNF 19.07.2021 Bahamas Vertical Blue 2021 – CMAS 90 m World record, gold medal
CWTB 22.07.2021 Bahamas Vertical Blue 2021 – CMAS 118 m World record, gold medal
CWTB 23.09.2021 Limassol, Cyprus AIDA World Championship Limassol 2021 115 m World record, gold medal
FIM 24.09.2021 Limassol, Cyprus AIDA World Championship Limassol 2021 118 m Gold medal
CWT 25.09.2021 Limassol, Cyprus AIDA World Championship Limassol 2021 125 m Gold medal
CWT 05.10.2021 Kaş, Turkey 5th CMAS Outdoor Freediving World Championships 2021 128 m Gold medal
FIM 06.10.2021 Kaş, Turkey 5th CMAS Outdoor Freediving World Championships 2021 121 m Gold medal
VWT 25.03.2023 Bonaire BonAbyss2023 – AIDA 153 m World record
VWT 28.03.2023 Bonaire BonAbyss2023 – AIDA 156 m World record
CWTB 26.05.2023 Philippines AIDA Oceanquest Philippines 121 m World record
CWT 30.06.2023 Villefranche-sur-mer 10th outdoor freediving French championship CMAS 133 m World record
FIM 21.07.2023 Bahamas Vertical Blue 2023 – AIDA 133 m World record
CWT 22.07.2023 Bahamas Vertical Blue 2023 – AIDA 133 m World record
CWT 21.08.2023 Roatan, Honduras CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 136 m World record
CNF 24.08.2023 Roatan, Honduras CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 100 m World record
CWTB 25.08.2023 Roatan, Honduras CMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship 124 m World record
CWTB 24.09.2023 Limassol, Cyprus AIDA World Championship Limassol 2023 123 m World record
CWT 29.09.2023 Limassol, Cyprus AIDA World Championship Limassol 2023 136 m World record

Summary:

  • STA – 8 min. 33 sec.
  • DYN – 258 m
  • DNF – 195 m
  • CWT – 136 m
  • CWTB — 124 m
  • CNF – 100 m
  • FIM – 133 m
  • CWT ICE – 85 m
  • VWT - 156 m

Clarification:

  • STA = Static Apnea. Holding the breath as long as possible.
  • DYN = Dynamic Apnea with fins. Diving as far as possible with the use of fins or a monofin.
  • DNF = Dynamic Apnea without fins. Diving as far as possible without fins.
  • CWT = Constant weight with fins. Diving as deep as possible with the use of fins or a monofin.
  • CWT ICE = Constant weight with fins under the ice in cold water. Diving as deep as possible with the use of fins or a monofin.
  • CNF = Constant weight without fins. Diving as deep as possible without fins.
  • FIM = Free Immersion. Diving as deep as possible by pulling down and up the rope.
  • VWT = Descent is assisted by a weighted sled sliding down a line, the ascent may be either by:

1.) pulling up along the line or swimming with or without fins under AIDA rules 2.) swimming with fins under CMAS rules.

Personal bests

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Discipline Result Accreditation
Time STA 8:33min AIDA
Distance DNF 195m AIDA
DYN 258m AIDA
Depth CNF 100m CMAS
CWT 136m CMAS, AIDA
CWT BF 124m CMAS
FIM 133m CMAS, AIDA
CWT ICE 85m FF
VWT 156m AIDA

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ The Triumph and Tragedy of the World’s Best Freediver, March 9, 2021, By Sami Emory
  2. ^ Emory, Sami (9 March 2021). "The Triumph and Tragedy of the World's Best Freediver". Men's Health. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Russian freediver Alexey Molchanov sets new Guinness record for diving under ice". TASS. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  4. ^ "'Unearthly': Russian free diver Alexey Molchanov speaks out after record-breaking ice dive". ABC News. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  5. ^ AFP (16 March 2021). "Russian Freediver Claims New Record in Icy Lake Baikal Plunge". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  6. ^ Skolnick, Adam (24 March 2021). "The Deepest Diver in the History of Free Diving Goes Below the Ice". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  7. ^ Eaton, Nigel (24 July 2021). "Five freedivers, 12 world records". Divernet. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  8. ^ AIDA: World records Archived 2015-11-17 at the Wayback Machine (checked 17/02/2013)
  9. ^ "🇷🇺 New Freediving World Record Alexey Molchanov Constant Weight Bifins. Adriatic Freediving Trophy 2020 Croatia 🇭🇷". SPORTALSUB.NET. 13 September 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2021.

[1]

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Breathtaking undersea world of a 'Moscow Merman', By Sheena McKenzie, CNN

  • Russian: personal page Russian Freediving Association (checked 11/19/2010)
  1. ^ Latour, Alexandre. "The Dark Side of Freediving: How Molchanovs Instructors Are Endangering Whales in Mauritius". Alexandre Latour. Retrieved 27 July 2024.