Natalia Molchanova, the elegant and powerful Russian world record freediving champion, is feared dead after a dive in Spain. The 53-year-old diver holds 41 different aquatic world records.
This 4:14 video shows Molchanova breaking the women’s world record in Dynamic No Fins (DNF) swimming at the AIDA Pool World Championships in 2013. Molchanova swims 182 meters underwater, smashing the previous record of 173 meters. As Free-Dive Earth describes DNF: “Simply put, [Dynamic No Fins] requires the freediver to swim as far as they can underwater” using “only the propulsion provided by hands and feet. It’s probably the most technical of the pool disciplines.”
