Moroccan Freediver Alfia Chelai sets national record at 71 meters

Moroccan freediver Alfia Chelai set a new national record after reaching a depth of 71 meters in the constant weight bi-fins, or CWTB, category at the 2026 World Apnea Depth Championships in Limassol, Cyprus.

The dive was officially recognized as a Moroccan national record and the deepest recorded women’s freedive in Morocco, according to a statement cited by Hespress.

Chelai, 35, is from Marrakech and works as a physicist at the Swiss Plasma Center at EPFL in Lausanne, where she specializes in plasma physics and research involving the TCV tokamak. She also competes internationally in freediving.

The new record follows a series of national marks Chelai set in 2026. In May, she established Moroccan records in three depth disciplines — CWTB, constant weight and free immersion — during an international competition in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

She raised the CWTB record to 61 meters at the World Apnea Depth Championships in Roatán, Honduras, in August before adding another 10 meters in Limassol weeks later.

Chelai completed the 71-meter dive despite breaking one of her fins during warm-up. She successfully completed the descent, ascent and required surface protocol, allowing the result to be officially recognized.

The result places Chelai among Africa’s top three recorded women’s performances in CWTB, according to rankings cited in the statement, although the continental ranking could change as results from the world championships are updated.

Chelai dedicated the dive to her aunt, Rachida Sahli, who died on the day of the championship’s official opening. “I wanted to carry her eternal smile into the heart of the sea,” she said.

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