Ukrainian Freediver Kateryna Sadurska Becomes First Woman to Reach 90 Meters Without Fins

Ukrainian freediver Kateryna Sadurska, 34, has broken her own world record at the Blue Element competition in Dominica, plunging to 90 metres without fins or breathing equipment. Finishing the dive in 3 minutes and 33 seconds to eclipse her prior 88-metre mark, Sadurska dedicated the victory to Ukraine and its ongoing fight for freedom and democracy.

Kateryna Sadurska of Ukraine has achieved another historic athletic milestone, becoming the first female freediver to reach a depth of 90 meters (295 feet) without fins on a single breath. Taking place on November 11 during the AIDA Blue Element competition in Soufrière, Dominica, the plunge lasted just 3 minutes and 33 seconds. She competed in Constant Weight No Fins (CNF), a category celebrated as the most authentic and physically taxing test in the sport because divers must rely entirely on their own physical strength to swim down and return to the surface, using zero propulsion tools, fins, or oxygen tanks.

By reaching 90 meters, Sadurska shattered her own 2025 world record of 86 meters by four full meters. This achievement also widens the gap between her and the rest of the women’s field, placing her 11 meters deeper than her nearest rival, whose personal record is 79 meters. The sheer scale of her accomplishment is underscored by the fact that only six male athletes have ever hit the 90-meter threshold in the no-fins discipline.

This triumph represents an inspiring redemption for the Mykolaiv native, who previously competed as an Olympic synchronized swimmer for Ukraine at the 2016 Rio Games. Back in July, while still healing from an injury and taking antibiotics, Sadurska tried for an 89-meter dive. Pushing through exhaustion, she suffered a surface blackout right at the end of the attempt, leading to the very first disqualification of her ten-year career.

Overhauling her preparation strategy proved successful in Dominica, earning Sadurska her tenth consecutive CNF world record since she initially set the benchmark at 73 meters (239 Feet) in 2023. Honoring the military personnel protecting Ukraine, she connected her underwater perseverance to the spirit of her nation. Following the record-breaking dive, she remarked that her performance served to remind the globe of the unyielding courage and resilience of Ukrainians, who refuse to surrender and continue fighting through every challenge.