Wakayama: Taiwanese freediver Chan Kai-hsiang achieved remarkable success by winning three gold medals and breaking two Asian records at the international championship held in Japan on Wednesday. Chan’s outstanding performance at the 34th AIDA Freediving Pool World Championship in Wakayama included winning gold in the Dynamic With Fins (DYN) and Dynamic Without Fins (DNF) events, where he swam 300 meters with fins and 240 meters without, both in a single breath. His 300-meter feat also set a new national record for Taiwan.

According to Focus Taiwan, Chan’s impressive accomplishments did not stop there. He secured a silver medal in the Dynamic With Bifins (DYNB) event, covering 270 meters in one breath, and set another national record in the Static Apnea (STA) by holding his breath for an astounding 8 minutes and 41 seconds. This achievement marked his second domestic record of the competition. With a total score of 509.2 points across four disciplines, Chan was named the overall men’s champion, earning his t
hird gold medal at the AIDA competition. His record-breaking swims in the DNF and DYNB events set new distance benchmarks for Asia.

Fellow Taiwanese freediver Lee Po-yen briefly held the Asian DNF record with a 202-meter swim at the same championship before Chan surpassed it. Despite this, Lee’s overall score of 450.6 points secured him third place and a bronze medal in the competition. Lee also earned bronze medals in the DNF event and the DYNB, with a 264-meter swim in one breath.

Chan and Lee’s achievements contributed significantly to Taiwan’s medal tally at the competition, with the team securing three gold, one silver, and three bronze medals. Both divers received AIDA’s prestigious Natalia Molchanova Memorial Award, recognizing them as the championship’s most accomplished freedivers.

Moreover, Taiwan’s Liu Yu-han and Lin Hsin-ju set new national records. Lin broke the national DNF record with a 138-meter swim, surpassing the previous mark set by Hsieh Hsin-ying. Lin’s record was soon overtaken by Li
u, who swam 153 meters and set a new Taiwanese STA record by holding her breath for 6 minutes and 39 seconds. Chen Yu-jung, who has held Taiwan’s female DYN record since 2023, broke her own record by swimming 215 meters in one breath at the 2025 event.