From national records to world rankings, South African freedivers impress at the Durban championships and gear up for Budapest in June.
Durban, South Africa (23 March 2026) – Big performances, national records and plenty of excitement! The 2026 AIDA South Africa Pool National Championships made quite a splash in Durban this past weekend.
Held at the Rachel Finlayson Pool, the event may have featured a small field of just six athletes, but what it lacked in numbers, it made up for in energy, support and standout results. Across the four pool disciplines, athletes delivered an impressive 15 personal bests.
Leading the charge was Bevin Reynolds, who dominated the women’s category and rewrote the record books along the way. Reynolds broke three of the four South African national records and now sits third in the world in the Dynamic Bifin (DYNB) discipline, thanks to a remarkable 233m performance. With the AIDA Pool World Championships in Budapest coming up in June, she’s firmly positioned as one to watch on the global stage.
Angelique van der Hoogen, Secretary of AIDA South Africa was extremely proud, saying this indicates that they can compete against the best of the best.
“This performance is a clear indication of the level South African athletes are capable of achieving on the international stage. We are incredibly proud of Bevin and the wider athlete group, and we are excited to see what lies ahead at Worlds.”
The competition also had an international flavour, with Mauritian athlete Charles Ducray Giblot making his mark by breaking all four of his country’s national records.
While KwaZulu-Natal remains a smaller hub for the sport locally, the championship proved that talent runs deep. Take freediving, it continues to grow in popularity, combining physical endurance, mental strength and precision in a truly unique way.
With five South African athletes set to represent the country at the upcoming World Championships, the momentum is building. And now all eyes turn to June as they prepare to take on the world stage in Budapest.
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Sources: Supplied
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