Russian swimmer sets new freediving record under Baikal ice

The second edition of "Under the Ice of Baikal" festival, held from 16 to 21 March in the town of Listvyanka, has brought together 20 athletes from Russia, Turkey and other countries. During the event, Russian swimmer Ekaterina Nekrasova set a new world record by swimming 122 meters under the ice of Lake Baikal, as announced by Igor Kobzev, the Governor of Irkutsk.

Nekrasova achieved the feat without a wetsuit, surpassing her previous world record of 102.7 metres, which she set last year during the festival’s first edition at the Siberian lake. This is reported by Prensa Latina, a partner of TV BRICS.

On the opening day of the competition, Russian diver Olga Malkina broke her own Guinness World Record by reaching a depth of 71 metres in the monofin swimming discipline, improving on her 2021 mark of 63.8 metres.

Titled "The Place Where Records Are Broken," "Under the Ice of Baikal" is the world’s first freediving under ice festival. During its inaugural edition in 2023, four world records were established.

Photo: iStock