China's Rising Freediving Star Steals the Show 🏊♂️🌟
At just 18 years old, para-athlete Long Dengxi from China did the unthinkable at the 2025 Chengdu World Games. After his win on Sunday in the men's dynamic without fins (FFS1–FFS2), he returned on Monday to take gold in the dynamic with fins, gliding an incredible 181.5 meters underwater. Denmark's Casper Marti-Beckmann grabbed silver, and France's Alexandre Boscari took bronze.
Record-Breaking Waves 🌊📏
Hungarian powerhouse Zsofia Torocsik shattered the women's dynamic with fins world record by 16 meters, pushing it from 284.0 to a jaw-dropping 300.0 meters. Torocsik said she trained hard and believed that focusing on performance over conditions was key to her success.
A Triumph for Team China 🇨🇳🥇
China topped the two-day freediving events with four golds, followed by Poland with three golds, one silver, and one bronze. Italy rounded out the top three with two golds, two silvers, and three bronzes.
Comeback Queens & Double Winners 💪
After a disqualification on Sunday, Chinese para-athlete Huang Jingqiu bounced back to win the women's dynamic without fins (FFS1–FFS2), while her compatriots Huang Shiyu and Kong Tianci were disqualified for surface protocol failures.
Poland's Mateusz Jan Malina completed a double victory in the men's dynamic without fins and dynamic with fins at age 39. He admitted his legs felt tight and he was still recovering, but he was proud of his performance, calling it a good fight and proof that effort pays off.
Looking Ahead 🔮
With two world records set and countless personal bests smashed, the freediving events in Chengdu have given us a glimpse into the future of underwater sports. Long Dengxi says he's just getting started and can't wait to dive deeper into this thrilling discipline.
Reference(s):
China's Long Dengxi wins second freediving gold at Chengdu World Games
cgtn.com
