Following a record-breaking opening day for the women and a current-disrupted but character-filled first day for the men, AFC 2026 headed into its second round of competition with plenty of momentum and even higher expectations.
Women’s Day 2
Warm and sunny conditions returned for the women’s second competition day, with current appearing between dives throughout the session and some waves picking up toward the very end of the day. The athletes handled the changing conditions well, and the energy on the platform reflected it. A total of 26 white cards were issued across the day, along with a large number of personal bests and smiling faces at the surface.
Three national records made the day particularly stand out. Finland’s Leena Oijala delivered a very strong and controlled 93m CWT dive for a new Finnish national record. Korea’s Lee Yongju, known to everyone as Jace, claimed a new Korean national record with a 99m CWTB dive, continuing what has been an impressive competition for the Korean women’s team. And defending AFC overall champion Xu Tongtong of China rounded out the national record count with a 70m CNF dive, finishing the performance looking very composed at the surface. And last but not least, Turkey’s Alice Ellialtioglu made a new official personal best dive of 81m in CWTB, and although she lost a few strands of hair removing a tag from her hood, she still glowed with joy after receiving a white card.
With two competition days still remaining for the women, the overall standings are beginning to take shape, and there is still plenty of diving left to come.
Men’s Day 2
The men’s second competition day was a marked improvement on their first. After a current-heavy opening that produced a high number of early turns, penalties, and red cards, Day 2 brought warmer skies, more manageable conditions, and a much cleaner scoreboard. Only 4 red cards were issued across the entire session, compared to the far more colorful mix of Day 1. A total of 23 white cards were awarded, and the atmosphere on the platform was noticeably more relaxed and confident.
Three national records highlighted the day. Slovakia’s Martin Ruman, who made the strategic decision to turn early on Day 1 due to current, came back with a statement performance: a 95m CWTB national record that looked completely effortless from start to finish. Indonesia’s Jeffry Nathaniel Salim set a new Indonesian national record with a 76m FIM dive, and it would be remiss not to mention his coach, fellow AFC athlete and teammate Susan Melinda Gosal, whose commanding voice was heard across the platform during Jeffry’s surface protocol.
And Hong Kong’s Michael Wai Yin Sung had arguably the most dramatic dive of the entire day: already mid-duck dive when his performance was stopped by the team, he was asked to wait through a 20-minute delay before attempting again. Most athletes would find it difficult to reset after an interruption like that. Michael did not just reset. He dove to 69m CNF, set a new Hong Kong national record, and surfaced looking strong. It was one of the most composed performances of the competition so far, and he credits his coach Artem Stasko for keeping him reassured and unfazed between attempts.
With two competition days remaining for the men as well, AFC 2026 is entering its second half with momentum, records, and plenty of story lines still to be written.
Sponsors of AIDA Asian Freediving Cup 2026:
- CETMA Composites
- BESTDIVE
- Molchanovs
- Garmin
- Dive & Sail
- Freediving Planet
- Sideways
- 南康家具
- World Apnea – AIDA International
Organizers of AIDA Asian Freediving Cup 2026
- Just One Breath Freediving
- Freedive SuperHOME
AIDA Asian Freediving Cup 