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BREAKING: 3-HOUR WALL BROKEN IN BALTICS — CSWC 2025 SEASON JUST GOT SERIOUS

For weeks, the question has hung over the Cigar Smoking World Championship by Oliva Cigars:Would anyone break the 3-hour mark with the new CSWC Oliva Mareva competition cigar? Now, we have an answer.



At the CSWC Baltic Qualifier, held in the stately surroundings of Symposium Restaurant — an elegant venue resembling a classic library — the wall finally came down.

In a race that will reshape the championship narrative, Sergey Galevsky posted a remarkable time of 3 hours, 18 minutes, and 7 seconds — the first time this season that the 3-hour threshold has been surpassed with the new cigar. It was a moment the global CSWC community had been waiting for.

Until this event, only Eatan Patel (UK) had come close, with a time of just over 2h 40min. Many of the sport’s elite — including Toorn and Rolf from Norway, both veterans regularly exceeding 3 hours in past seasons — had posted times well below their usual standards this year. Even Klaudia Ide, the world record holder, had reached only 2h 19min in recent training.


And so the speculation had grown: Could the new Oliva CSWC cigar perform at the very highest level of competition?

Now we know: yes — and in stunning fashion.


The Baltic event, masterfully organized by Dmitry Norkhin and supported by long-time CSWC supporters Horse Power and Epicure Cigar Clubs, was judged at the highest level by Dmitry Norkhin and Artem Erenburg.

The podium finishers: Sergey Galevsky — 3h 18min 07sec, followed by legendary Alexander Shagai and third place by legend -  Oleg Pedan 

All three shattered the season’s previous ceiling, sending a clear message to the CSWC world: this cigar is ready for big times.

Also drawing praise were the outstanding performances of the region’s cigar ladies:Anastasiya Arsenova — 2h 30min 25secJulia Tovbaz — 1h 54min 43secAnastasiya Leontieva — 1h 44min 30secAll were honored with special prizes from Horse Power, Epicure, and chocolatier Baccarat.


The presence of Luis Roque Gonzalez of Oliva’s distributor (Cigar House Fortuna) further underscored the event’s importance in this pivotal season.



LOOKING AHEAD


The timing of this breakthrough could not be more dramatic.

Next up: all eyes turn to June 21st, when three-time World Champion Hauke Walter — the “Iceman” — will test the new cigar for the first time at CSWC Germany, held at Düsseldorf’s famous Cigar World Lounge.

How will one of the greatest of all time adapt to this new challenge? Will the Germans push the bar even higher?

One thing is now certain: the game has changed. The 3-hour barrier is broken — and the Grand Final in Split promises to be one of the most unpredictable and exciting in CSWC history.






 
 

NEWS

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