Finswimmer Oleksii Zakharov (UKR) is the new World Champion in Surface Finswimming, 150 m. He is also The World Games Athlete of September 2023!
Oleksii Zakharov has not had the easiest time in recent years. In 2020, when the Covid pandemic broke, all Finswimming competitions were cancelled. But when the events returned, in March 2021, the then 20-year-old athlete broke the world record at the World Cup competitions in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy. The new 400 m Surface World Record is 02:55.57.
Zakharov’s career could have taken a leap from there, but then came the Russian war against Ukraine. Nevertheless, Zakharov never stopped training, and at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, he reached 5th and 6th place in Surface Finswimming.
And now Oleksii Zakharov is back to full form: this September he has won a gold medal at the Finswimming Open Water World Championships in Surface 150 m in Belgrade, Serbia. In 2025, he will have another try for medals at The World Games in Chengdu, China.
As The World Games Athlete of the Month, Oleksii Zakharov will receive a diploma and a branded gift.
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association, organised with the support of the International Olympic Committee. The World Games 2022 was held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 7-17 July 2022. 3,600 athletes from 34 sports and 100 countries took part in the Games. The 12th edition of The World Games will be held in Chengdu, CHN, 7-17 August 2025.
