By Jack Burden

Thirteen years. A third of a point. A new name at the top.

At the Bill Wenner Memorial Record tournament in central Florida earlier this summer, Hanna Straltsova delivered one of the most complete performances in the history of water skiing—setting a new women’s world overall record with 5 buoys at 11.25 meters (38’ off), 8,890 points in tricks, and a 59.8-meter (196 ft) jump. The combination earned her 2,581.39 overall points, edging past Natallia Berdnikava’s legendary 2012 mark by just 0.27 points—the narrowest margin ever to decide an overall world record.

It’s a fitting milestone for Straltsova, who this season defended both her World Overall and Jump titles at the IWWF World Championships in Recetto, Italy, and clinched the Waterski Pro Tour Jump crown after another undefeated season.

Berdnikava’s 13-year record—3@11.25m, 9,740 points, and a 58.0m jump—had withstood an entire generation of challengers. Straltsova had been knocking on the door for several seasons before finally combining her best across all three events to surpass it.

Once known primarily as a jumper, Straltsova has quietly evolved into one of the sport’s most complete athletes—her recent gains in slalom in particular pushing her into new territory. With this record, she doesn’t just add another accolade; she breaks through the old ceiling, potentially opening the door to a new era in women’s overall skiing alongside rising contenders like Giannina Bonnemann Mechler and Kennedy Hansen.