Alexey Molchanov
Introduction '''Alexey Molchanov''' (, born 6 March 1987) is a Russian champion freediver, 34-time world champion (AIDA and CMAS), world record holder, and freediving promoter. He is also president of the "Freediving Federation" association, president of AIDA Russia, 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.
Career 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).In March 2021, Molchanov dived 80 meters, 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. 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.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 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.
Records and medals  Apnea   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  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 medalCWT-BF21.05.2019 Egypt, DahabRussian Open Depth Championship 2019 — AIDA108 mWorld record, gold medalCWT-BF05.08.2019Roatán, HondurasCaribbean Cup 2019 — AIDA110 mWorld record, gold medalCNF07.08.2019Roatán, HondurasOutdoor World Championship 2019 — CMAS85 mWorld record, gold medalCWT08.08.2019Roatán, HondurasOutdoor World Championship 2019 — CMAS125 mWorld record, gold medalFIM11.08.2019Roatán, HondurasOutdoor World Championship 2019 — CMAS118 mWorld record, gold medalCWTB12.09.2020Krk, CroatiaAdriatic Depth Trophy Competition 2020 111 mWorld record, gold medalCWTB26.11.2020Egypt, Sharm-el-SheikhAida Freediving World Competition — AIDA113 mWorld record, gold medalFIM13.07.2021BahamasVertical Blue 2021 – CMAS126 mWorld record, gold medalCNF15.07.2021BahamasVertical Blue 2021 – CMAS87 mWorld recordCWT17.07.2021BahamasVertical Blue 2021 – CMAS131 mWorld record, gold medalCNF19.07.2021BahamasVertical Blue 2021 – CMAS90 mWorld record, gold medalCWTB22.07.2021BahamasVertical Blue 2021 – CMAS118 mWorld record, gold medalCWTB23.09.2021Limassol, CyprusAIDA World Championship Limassol 2021115 mWorld record, gold medalFIM24.09.2021Limassol, CyprusAIDA World Championship Limassol 2021118 mGold medalCWT25.09.2021Limassol, CyprusAIDA World Championship Limassol 2021125 mGold medalCWT05.10.2021Kaş, Turkey5th CMAS Outdoor Freediving World Championships 2021128 mGold medalFIM06.10.2021Kaş, Turkey5th CMAS Outdoor Freediving World Championships 2021121 mGold medalVWT25.03.2023BonaireBonAbyss2023 – AIDA153 mWorld recordVWT28.03.2023BonaireBonAbyss2023 – AIDA156 mWorld recordCWTB26.05.2023PhilippinesAIDA Oceanquest Philippines121 mWorld recordCWT30.06.2023Villefranche-sur-mer10th outdoor freediving French championship CMAS133 mWorld recordFIM21.07.2023BahamasVertical Blue 2023 – AIDA133 mWorld recordCWT22.07.2023BahamasVertical Blue 2023 – AIDA133 mWorld recordCWT21.08.2023Roatan, HondurasCMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship136 mWorld recordCNF24.08.2023Roatan, HondurasCMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship100 mWorld recordCWTB25.08.2023Roatan, HondurasCMAS 7th Freediving Depth World Championship124 mWorld recordCWTB24.09.2023Limassol, Cyprus AIDA World Championship Limassol 2023123 mWorld recordCWT29.09.2023Limassol, Cyprus AIDA World Championship Limassol 2023136 mWorld recordSummary:* 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 mClarification:* 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 rules2.) swimming with fins under CMAS rules.
Personal bests Discipline  Result  AccreditationTime STA8:33min AIDADistance DNF195m AIDA DYN258m AIDADepth CNF100m CMAS CWT136m CMAS, AIDA CWT BF124m CMAS FIM133m CMAS, AIDACWT ICE85m FF VWT156m AIDA
Filmography * Один вдох (2020)* ''Religions of Sports'' (2018)* The Deepest Breath (2023)
References
External links  Breathtaking undersea world of a 'Moscow Merman', By Sheena McKenzie, CNN* Russian:  personal page Russian Freediving Association (checked 11/19/2010)