by sportswriters Dong Yixing and Gao Meng

CHENGDU, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Tears almost streamed down Zsofia Torocsik's face - a stark contrast to the stillness of the competition pool moments earlier.

The Hungarian freediver had just shattered the women's dynamic with fins (DYN) world record at the Chengdu World Games on Monday, swimming an astonishing 300 meters underwater on a single breath and breaking the previous mark of 284 meters.

"I'm so happy that I cannot stop crying," Torocsik said. "I still cannot believe it, but I wanted it so much. I was working so hard for this. So I'm absolutely happy."

When asked about the secret behind such a leap, the typically composed athlete was momentarily speechless. "Oh, that's a good question. If I had known it, then maybe I would have done something earlier," she laughed.

Her eventual answer revealed a philosophy rooted in dedication and mental fortitude: "What I know is that I train hard. I try to do my best every single time. I try to bring out the best of every situation. And I think that's the key."

The Chengdu victory, where she also earned silver in the dynamic without fins (DNF) event, marks another peak in a journey that began just two and a half years ago.

After a decade-long triathlon career left her feeling that swimming "was not my sport anymore," Torocsik discovered a new connection with the water during a trip to Malta in October 2022. Snorkeling over the P-31 shipwreck, she felt transformed.

"The moment I put my face in the water, I was already in another world," she recalled in a 2024 interview with the International Association for the Development of Apnea (AIDA). "I thought it would be fun to swim down and touch the side of the boat. That was the moment I realized I had been searching for something in the water my whole life - I just didn't know what exactly."

Within 18 months of starting, Torocsik ranked fourth in the world in women's DYN and became the 2024 AIDA vice pool world champion, winning silver in DNF, DYN and placing second overall. "Being a two-time vice world champion is so much more than I expected," she said at the time. Chengdu now adds a golden world record to that resume.

"I did many sports in my life, but I never tried something that showed me so honestly who I am mentally and physically," Torocsik said. "It's the biggest journey around yourself I've ever experienced."

She credits freediving with teaching her "a high level of self-control, calmness and awareness," qualities that have carried into other areas of her life and helped her understand her body and mind "perfectly."

Her competitive mindset, honed during 10 years of triathlon training up to 11 times per week, has been equally important. "I think the competing mindset is what I brought with me to freediving," said the 37-year-old. "And to reach your goals, whatever is happening around you."

That focus was evident in Chengdu's unusually deep 3-meter pool, compared with the 1.4 to 1.7 meters she usually trains in. "I just don't let these conditions affect my results. I just want to come and do what I can do."

Torocsik credits her success to the support of her Budapest-based nOxygen Apnea Club. "I have such beautiful people around me. I have a professional coach. I'm pretty proud to be part of this club."

Next, she plans to rest from pool competitions before returning in November for the prestigious nOxyCup 2025 in Budapest. She also hopes to train in Croatia and compete at the depth world championship. ■