Marina Kazankova Plans Underwater Aerial Silks Record

Freediver Marina Kazankova is preparing to add another unusual entry to her list of Guinness World Records. According to DeeperBlue, she will attempt the record for the longest underwater aerial silks performance on a single breath.

Aerial silks is a circus discipline in which a performer climbs, wraps and drops through long lengths of hanging fabric. Kazankova plans to perform a complete silks routine while fully submerged and suspended on the fabric, with no breathing equipment, for as long as one breath-hold allows.

A pool in the Alps

The attempt is scheduled for Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 11:10 a.m. in the pool of the Hotel Du Soleil in Torgnon, in Italy's Aosta Valley. The venue sits about 1,500 meters above sea level.

The routine will be set to an original score by composer Enea Bardi, written around the idea that breath itself can be an art form. Kazankova described the project as more than a physical test, calling it a kind of poem about a person hanging between air and water.

For the record to stand, the performance has to meet Guinness World Records' evidence rules. DeeperBlue reports that official timekeepers, independent witnesses, a medical team and underwater video will all be in place on the day.

A record specialist

Kazankova has competed in freediving since 2004. She has set records under both AIDA and CMAS, has been a member of the Russian national team, and also works as a sports psychologist and actress.

She has made a habit of creative breath-hold records at Y-40 in Italy, which was the world's deepest pool when she used it:

• In October 2017 she set the record for the longest underwater walk on one breath.
• In October 2018 she and partner Dmitry Malasenko danced together underwater for 3 minutes 28.60 seconds.
• In December 2019 she held the yoga bridge pose for 4 minutes 27 seconds, during a total of 4 minutes 50 seconds underwater.

Why it matters to freedivers

Records like these sit outside competitive freediving, but they show how far relaxation and economy of movement can be pushed when a performer must stay graceful rather than simply still. They also depend on the same safety net as any serious breath-hold session: trained observers, medical support and a plan for the moment something goes wrong.

Anyone inspired to experiment with movement on a breath-hold should do it only after proper freediving training with a certified instructor, and always with a trained buddy watching from close by. Shallow water and a familiar pool do not remove the risk of blackout.