 Zharkova in 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Native name | Жаркова Наталія Сергіївна | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Citizenship | Ukraine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1989-01-24)24 January 1989 (age 36) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | natfreediver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Freediving | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Nataliia Zharkova (Ukrainian:Наталія Жаркова; born 24 January 1989) is a Ukrainianfreediver. She won five world championships and set five world records inconstant weight bi-fins (CWTBF) andconstant weight without fins (CNF) disciplines. She is the first Ukrainian and the second woman to ever dive below the arch of theBlue Hole vertical underwater cave inDahab, Egypt, on a single breath.[1]
Zharkova started swimming at the age of seven, when her parents introduced her toswimming. Within six months, she was accepted for theschool of Olympic Reserve of Ukraine where she spent a total of 10 years.[2]
Zharkova represented Ukraine in various European swimming championships while attending the school of Olympic Reserve of Ukraine.[citation needed]
In 2008, Zharkova was introduced to freediving and began active training.
In 2009, she participated in a world championship held atAarhus, Denmark. Zharkova set new Ukraine's national records in freediving.
In 2010, Zharkova competed in Ukraine, Russia andLatvia. Each participation brought Zharkova a new Ukraine's national record.
In 2011, the first depth competitionsAIDA International World Championship were held atKalamata, Greece. Zharkova's first participation in the depth competitions put her near the top freedivers in the discipline, taking 6th place in the CNF discipline (constant weight, no fins). She also set new Ukraine national records in the discipline. (AIDA WC-2011 – FIM – Nataliia Zharkova onYouTube)
In 2012, Ukraine first participated in the team world championship event, held inNice, France. Zharkova representedUkraine along with Alexander Bubenchikov and Valentin Kuznetsov. Zharkova improved her previous national records and took 5th place in the world rating.
In 2013, the AIDA International World Championships were held inKalamata, Greece. Zharkova along withNatalia Molchanova won medals in all of the disciplines of the championship.
In 2013–2015, Zharkova was a finalist in the Pool World Championship held inBelgrad, Serbia.
In 2015, the AIDA International Depth World Championship was held inLimassol, Cyprus. Zharkova's results were
In 2017, Zharkova won two gold and one bronze medal at the Championship of Europe held inKaş, Turkey. She set two new world records according toCMAS.[3] All dives of that championship were filmed with the Dive Eye underwater drone.
In 2018, Zharkova won two gold medals at the CMAS 3rd Free Diving World Championship held in Kaş, Turkey. She again set two new world records:
In 2019, she won gold in CWT, and sat an AIDA national record at the Caribbean Cup 2019 competition inRoatan,Honduras with a 100 m dive.[7][8]
A few days later, she won gold, two silver, and bronze medals at CMAS 4th Freediving Outdoor World Championship at Roatan, Honduras, and set one world and two national records:
Also in 2019, Zharkova took gold in CNF with 66 m at the AIDA Depth World Freediving Championship in Nice, France.[10]
In 2021, Zharkova won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the 5th CMAS Freediving Outdoor World Championship held in Kaş, Turkey, and set two national records:
At 2021 AIDA Freediving World CUP inSharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Zharkova took three gold (in CWT, CNF and CWTB) and one silver (FIM) medals.[12]
Currently Zharkova is a master Instructor atAIDA International, instructor (Emergency First Response-EFR). She is a chairman of theFreediving committee at UFUA (Ukrainian Federation of Underwater Activities) and is a member of theCMAS international committee. She is an author of multiple training programs and a coach at the Deep Divisionfreediving school inKharkiv, Ukraine. Zharkova conducts training in warm climate locations, most notably in Dahab, Egypt and actively prepares for upcoming competitions.
Zharkova graduated fromKharkiv State Technical University of Construction and Architecture in 2012 with a BSc in architecture.[citation needed]
During her career Zharkova set five world records under CMAS:
| Date | Discipline | Record | Competition | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 October 2017 | CNF | 65 m | Apnea European Championship Outdoor | Kaş, Turkey |
| 7 October 2017 | CWTBF | 85 m | Apnea European Championship Outdoor | Kaş, Turkey |
| 4 October 2018 | CNF | 70 m | CMAS 3rd Free Diving World Championship | Kaş, Turkey |
| 5 October 2018 | CWTBF | 89 m | CMAS 3rd Free Diving World Championship | Kaş, Turkey |
| 10 August 2019 | CWTBF | 93 m | CMAS 4th Freediving Outdoor World Championship | Roatan, Honduras |
On 27 October 2016, Zharkova became the first Ukrainian and the second woman in the world (afterNatalia Molchanova) to dive through an underwater vertical cave known asBlue Hole on a single breath. Zharkova immersed to a depth of 56 meters and then swam 30 meters under the arch.
