"I See Progress": Oleksii Sereda on His First Individual World Championship Diving Silver
An exclusive comment from the athlete for DeTalks.
19-year-old diver Oleksii Sereda became Ukraine's first-ever individual world championship diving silver medalist. He achieved this result in the 10m platform final at the World Aquatics Championships, held in Singapore from July 11 to August 3.
For Oleksii, this individual World Championship silver marked the best achievement of his career — previously, Sereda had only finished second in synchronized events, in 2022 and 2023. What's more, in Singapore, the Ukrainian scored over 500 points for the third time in his career — 515.20, just 13 points below his personal best (528.65 points for his bronze-medal performance at the 2024 World Championships).
In an exclusive comment for DeTalks, Oleksii shared his feelings about the silver medal. The athlete stressed that he hadn't expected this result, though in May he'd already become European champion in individual diving for the third time.
Sereda has described this silver as his first individual medal at the 10-meter platform, saying he was genuinely surprised by the result since, honestly, he hadn't expected to finish second, adding that he sees progress and understands that even in the individual event, where each country fields its two best divers, it's possible to compete, win medals, and reach the top three.
Over the course of his career, this marks Oleksii's fifth medal at the world championship level. The athlete had previously won three silvers and two bronzes at the World Championships, most recently reaching the podium in Doha, Qatar.
He has said that after finishing third in Doha, he's now finished second here, adding that this inspires him, that he sees real potential to fight for first place, and that he'll work even harder toward that goal, saying he's satisfied with the result.
In this way, Oleksii won Ukraine's first and only medal at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. The national team ultimately finished 25th in the overall medal table. Last year, Ukraine's result was four medals, including one gold, which put the team in 17th place among all participating nations.
The 2025 World Championships' 10-meter platform final also proved historic in another respect — for the first time since 1982, no Chinese divers made the podium, finishing fourth and fifth respectively, despite having led the semifinal standings. In Oleksii's view, this once again proves that anything is possible.
He has added that this medal matters deeply to him personally and to the country, saying that even in such a difficult time, they represent Ukraine on the international stage so that the flag can be raised, noting that although the anthem didn't play in Singapore, there was still an interview — a chance to tell the world about the situation in Ukraine.
He has also thanked all the men and women defending the country and making it possible for the team to train and compete, adding that they, in turn, are doing everything they can to remind the world about Ukraine and the war, and to bring victory closer.
As for what's next, Oleksii says he has a 20-25 day break coming up, followed by preparation for upcoming competitions.
He has said he's qualified for the World Cups in both individual and synchronized diving, adding that next season will bring World Cup stages and the European Championships in Paris. After resting and recovering, the team will begin preparing for the next competitions.
2025 World Aquatics Championships, Diving. 10m Platform, Men
- Cassiel Rousseau (Australia) — 534.80 points
- Oleksii Sereda (Ukraine) — 515.20
- Randal Valdez (Mexico) — 511.95
Oleksii Sereda: Full DeTalks Interview
Watch DeTalks' full interview with Oleksii Sereda ahead of the 2024 Olympics on the DeTalks YouTube channel at this link.