Report: AIDA Belgium 2026 National Championships

Chronicles of a first dive: the AIDA Belgium 2026 National Championships

On April 5th and 6th, 2026, Belgium wrote a new chapter in its sporting history: AIDA Belgium launched its first-ever national championships. Two competitions, two distinct atmospheres, one shared energy: to unite, raise the bar, and provide athletes with a stage worthy of their performances. With a third stage to come in Flanders, the goal is clear: to represent each linguistic community and establish freediving as a central part of the national sporting landscape.

Opening: Why these championships matter

• A unique national framework for a sport that is booming in Belgium.

An organization designed for the cohesion of the country: Wallonia, Brussels, Flanders.

A format that combines sporting excellence, ethical pricing, and cultural appreciation.

Because a good start deserves to be celebrated with impressive numbers, this inaugural edition brought together 39 athletes, 4 judges, 8 safetys, 6 volunteers, 12 nationalities… and a packed house. A small format, a big atmosphere: a human-scale launch for a national project.

Body: two days, two pools, the same intensity

• Day 1 – Ciney: a 25-meter pool, an intimate setting, a serene atmosphere. Few participants, but a truly international feel with athletes from Belgium, France, Algeria, Germany, and an Egyptian judge. A day that laid the foundations: discipline, enjoyment, and respect for the rules and for others.

We will remember

pic from : Kimmo Lahtinen Judge @Julien Jeuniaux and Judge @Marylda Martinez

🟦 Round 1 – AIDA Belgium National C4

Women

STA

🥇 Marie‑Lorraine — 5:21 PB

🥈 Véronique Severijns — 3:55 (first competition)

🥉 Caroline Rodrigues — 3:47

DNF

🥇 Pascale Gigon — 112 m PB

🥈 Caroline Rodrigues — 111 m

🥉 Marie‑Lorraine — 104 m

79 m – Algerian National Record

Men

STA

🥇 Brieuc Simon — 5:25

🥈 Dirk Gubbels — 5:14

🥉 Patrick Gautron — 3:18 (first competition – French athlete)

DYNB

🥇 Nikolai Von Hoffmann — 150 m

DNF

🥇 Sam McCullen — 154m (English athlete)

🥈 Nikolai Von Hoffmann — 108 m

🥉 Patrick Gautron — 56 m

• Day 2 – Uccle (Longchamp Swimming Pool): double the volume, double the intensity. The athletes achieved personal bests and remarkable distances. Some highlights:

Sponsor @TARAS CETMA

🟩 Round 2 – AIDA Belgium National CETMA

Women

STA

🥇 Nostalgia Pelsener — 5:09

🥈 Sarah Delchambre — 4:58

🥉 Carla Meo — 3:52 (first competition)

DYN

🥇 Anna Thuring — 140m PB (German athlete)

🥈 Nostalgia Pelsener — 84 m PB

🥉 Jamine De Wandel — 75 m PB

DNF

🥇 Géraldine Claisse — 89 m – Luxembourg National Record

🥈 Jamine De Wandel — 73 m

🥉 Caroline Waroquier — 70 m

DYNB

🥇 Caroline Rodrigues — 155m – reaffirms her Belgian National Record

🥈 Sarah Delchambre — 115 m PB

🥉 Jamine De Wandel — 103 m PB

Men

STA

🥇 Eric Van Riet Paap — 8:26 – Netherlands National Record

🥈 Jorrit Bruinsma — 6:20 PB (Dutch athlete)

🥉 Cédric Grolleau — 5:16 (French athlete)

DYN

🥇 Sam McCullen — 177m PB (English athlete)

🥈 Roeland Maes — 140 m

DNF

🥇 Roeland Maes — 115 m

DYNB

🥇 Nikolai Von Hoffmann — 166 m PB

🥈 Eric Van Riet Paap — 108 m

🥉 Patrick Gautron — 81 m

These results confirm an encouraging trend: at the national level, the level is rising. Athletes are making significant progress, with male performances stabilizing and gradually approaching international standards—it should be remembered, in an amateur context.

Prizes that make sense: art in the service of sport

The trophies were designed by Pascale Weiss, an artist from Alsace: sculptures, inks on paper, engravings. A rare choice in the world of sports.

Ethics and ecology at the heart of the design.

• Direct link with the aquatic element, 100% acknowledged.

· A way of highlighting that freediving is also a culture, an aesthetic and a respect for natural environments.

Artiste @Pascale WEISS

A springboard to 2027

A new institutional development: achieving the status of Belgian national champion opens a natural pathway to the 2027 World Championships. This framework encourages consistency, progress, and visibility. It's a long-term investment in a sport where patience and precision are just as important as raw performance.

The crux of the matter: financing the demand

Freediving in Belgium remains an amateur sport, practiced out of passion, demanding, and unprofitable. To date, no sponsor has committed to the national circuit. One of AIDA Belgium's top priorities is therefore clear: forging partnerships. Message to businesses and institutions:

· You will be supporting a discipline that is both sporting and educational.

You will contribute to performances that bring the country international recognition.

· You will be supporting a committed, structured community that respects human and environmental values.

Philosophy of a profound sport

More than a sport, freediving is a school of mindfulness, humility, and connection to the aquatic world. It teaches us:

• Inner control and self-respect.

• Protecting the ecosystems that inspire us.

• Happy simplicity: little noise, lots of meaning.