TN's Archana sets two national records, first Indian woman past 40m mark

CHENNAI: India’s leading freediver Archana Sankara Narayanan set two new national records at the Manado Apnea competition in Indonesia, held from August 1 to 3, becoming the first Indian woman to cross the 40-metre mark in a competitive freediving event.

Archana recorded a depth of 38 metres in the Constant Weight Bi-Fins (CWTB) discipline and followed it with a 40-metre dive in Constant Weight (CWT), reaffirming her status as the country's deepest female freediver. With these performances, she now holds a total of 11 national records, the most by any Indian woman in depth freediving.

The Manado event was Archana’s third depth competition of the year and her fifth overall. In preparation, she had undergone a month-long training camp in Amed, Bali, reuniting with her first coach, Shubham Pandey, who introduced her to the sport two years ago. She also credited her training at Kaizen Freediving and support from coaches and mentors in Bali.

Beyond her competitive achievements, Archana continues to expand her role within the sport. She recently became India’s first official Molchanovs ambassador, representing one of the world’s leading freediving education and equipment platforms.

She is also set to officiate at the upcoming Tulamben Pool Games in Bali on August 9 and 10 as India’s first AIDA-certified judge at an international event.