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Natalia Molchanova: Freediving champion feared dead | Natalia Molchanova: Freediving champion feared dead |
(35 minutes later) | |
Natalia Molchanova, the 53-year-old Russian champion freediver, is feared dead after going missing on Sunday. | Natalia Molchanova, the 53-year-old Russian champion freediver, is feared dead after going missing on Sunday. |
Ms Molchanova, who holds 41 world records, was diving for fun off Formentera, a Spanish island near Ibiza, when she failed to surface. | Ms Molchanova, who holds 41 world records, was diving for fun off Formentera, a Spanish island near Ibiza, when she failed to surface. |
Search efforts have been continuing but it is feared she may have been caught up in strong underwater currents. | Search efforts have been continuing but it is feared she may have been caught up in strong underwater currents. |
Her passion for freediving "burned so deep inside of her that she dedicated her life to it", her family said. | Her passion for freediving "burned so deep inside of her that she dedicated her life to it", her family said. |
She was a competitive swimmer as a young woman but left the sport to have a family, going on to take up freediving - underwater diving while holding one's breath - some 20 years later. | She was a competitive swimmer as a young woman but left the sport to have a family, going on to take up freediving - underwater diving while holding one's breath - some 20 years later. |
She became "the most decorated competitive freediver in the world", with 41 world records, becoming a 23-time world champion in freediving, said her family and the global freediving federation AIDA in a joint statement. | She became "the most decorated competitive freediver in the world", with 41 world records, becoming a 23-time world champion in freediving, said her family and the global freediving federation AIDA in a joint statement. |
"Natalia trained hard for her sport, she had a nine-minute breath hold, could dive to a depth of 101m [331ft] using a fin and swim a distance of 234m with a fin." | "Natalia trained hard for her sport, she had a nine-minute breath hold, could dive to a depth of 101m [331ft] using a fin and swim a distance of 234m with a fin." |
She was also the creator and current president of the Freediving Federation of Russia and "has created one of the most vibrant recreational freediving communities in the world". | She was also the creator and current president of the Freediving Federation of Russia and "has created one of the most vibrant recreational freediving communities in the world". |
"The world has lost its greatest freediver," Will Trubridge, a 15-time world-record holder in the sport, told the New York Times. | "The world has lost its greatest freediver," Will Trubridge, a 15-time world-record holder in the sport, told the New York Times. |
"I don't think anybody would dispute that." | "I don't think anybody would dispute that." |
Ms Molchanova had two grown-up children, son Alexey - himself a champion freediver - and daughter Oksana. | Ms Molchanova had two grown-up children, son Alexey - himself a champion freediver - and daughter Oksana. |
She had been looking forward to becoming a grandmother, the family said. | She had been looking forward to becoming a grandmother, the family said. |
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