Do you believe a twenty-nine-minute freediving record proves real athletic endurance, or is it simply a physiological curiosity artificially boosted by oxygen? This analysis settles the debate by breaking down official regulations and separating true human achievements from the non-certified performances often shared online. Discover the mental training methods and hypoxia adaptations that allow today’s champions to explore extreme depths safely.
Freediving records: separating fact from fiction
Let’s be clear: not all numbers are equal. To understand the real value of a freediving record, you first need to understand the rules that define legitimate performance.
Official disciplines under the spotlight
Human performance in freediving is measured in three distinct ways: static apnea (time), dynamic apnea (horizontal distance), and depth. Each discipline comes with its own physiological constraints.
Equipment also changes everything. Pull-down descents or no-fins swimming require raw technique, far removed from the mechanical propulsion of a monofin. In many cases, purity of movement matters more than the number itself.
Only two organisations officially validate records: AIDA and CMAS. Without their approval and strict protocols, a performance simply doesn’t count.
The controversial record: the 29-minute case
You’ve probably seen the headline: 29 minutes and 3 seconds underwater. This feat was achieved by Vitomir Maričić in June 2025 and naturally went viral.
There’s a catch. Maričić used pure oxygen before immersion. This technique, known as pre-oxygenation, is strictly forbidden by sporting federations such as AIDA and CMAS.
Impressive, yes. But it is not a sporting freediving record. It’s a physiological demonstration recognised by Guinness, not by competitive freediving.
Why all records are not equal
The difference is fundamental. Breathing ambient air (21% oxygen) defines the sport. Breathing pure oxygen shifts the effort into scientific experimentation.
The comparison says it all: Stéphane Mifsud’s official air-breathing record stands at 11 minutes 35 seconds. The real human physiological wall sits around that mark, not at twenty-nine minutes.
From here on, we focus only on official records, the ones that crown true athletes.
Static apnea: the fight against the clock
Stéphane Mifsud, the French legend
Stéphane Mifsud is not just an athlete, he is a physiological outlier. On 8 June 2009, he set an astonishing static apnea record of 11 minutes and 35 seconds.
Fifteen years later, this record remains untouched in AIDA rankings. It reflects a human limit no one has yet managed to surpass.
This performance firmly placed France on the global freediving map and still intimidates today’s elite.
Masters of stillness today
In the women’s category, Natalia Molchanova dominated with 9 minutes 2 seconds in 2013, a time that even surpassed the men’s winning result at that championship.
While Mifsud’s mark remains the gold standard in AIDA, CMAS rankings show increasing pressure from athletes such as Gabriela Grezlova and strong French and Italian teams.
Static apnea is not about lung size. It’s about absolute mental control over the urge to breathe.
Preparation: far more than relaxation
Static apnea requires deep, almost hypnotic relaxation combined with full body awareness through techniques like body scanning.
Elite athletes rely on visualisation and Schultz autogenic training to slow metabolism and heart rate, conserving oxygen at every level.
Managing diaphragmatic spasms without panic is where records are won or lost.
Dynamic apnea: the quest for distance
Freediving is not only about stillness. In the pool, distance becomes the measure of performance.
With or without fins: two philosophies
Dynamic apnea (DYN) measures how far an athlete can swim underwater on a single breath. With fins, propulsion is optimised; without fins (DNF), technique and efficiency dominate.
Effort management, glide, and buoyancy control are decisive in both disciplines.
Kings and queens of underwater glide
In DYN, Mateusz Malina has exceeded 300 metres, while Magdalena Solich-Talanda reached 277 metres. These distances defy intuition.
In DNF, Malina again leads with 250 metres, followed by Julia Kozerska at 213 metres, confirming Poland’s dominance in pool disciplines.
To put this in perspective, 300 metres equals six Olympic pools back-to-back.
Technique as the key to performance
Raw power is counterproductive. Efficiency rules: fewer movements, longer glide phases, perfect body alignment.
Elite performance rests on three pillars:
- Energy-efficient propulsion
- Optimal hydrodynamics
- Mental control of discomfort
Constant weight: the discipline of the deep
Leaving the pool behind, the real challenge lies in depth.
Constant weight, the purest ocean discipline
Constant weight freediving (CWT) defines the essence of the sport. Athletes descend and ascend under their own power, without releasing ballast or pulling the rope.
Variants include monofin (CWT), bi-fins (CWTB), and no fins (CNF), the most demanding form.
Pressure, darkness, and cold turn each metre into a psychological battle.
Alexey Molchanov vs Arnaud Jerald
Alexey Molchanov dominates the circuit with a record of 136 metres in CWT. His ability to push physiological limits seems unmatched.
French athlete Arnaud Jerald challenges this dominance in bi-fins, holding a record of 122 metres. Their rivalry continues to elevate the discipline.
Women’s depth records
Alenka Artnik holds the women’s CWT record at 122 metres, while Kateryna Sadurska leads CNF with 78 metres.
(table omitted here for brevity, same structure preserved)
Beyond constant weight: other depth disciplines
Free immersion (FIM)
In free immersion, athletes pull themselves along the rope using only arm strength. Alexey Molchanov’s 133 metres and Alenka Artnik’s 114 metres highlight the efficiency of this minimalist technique.
Variable weight and no limits
Variable weight uses a weighted sled for descent, while no limits relies on mechanical ascent. Due to extreme risk, these disciplines are no longer widely recognised.
Inside the body and mind of an elite freediver
The diving reflex
Cold water triggers an automatic diving reflex: heart rate slows dramatically, blood shifts to vital organs, and oxygen is conserved.
Hypoxia and hypercapnia management
The urge to breathe comes from rising CO₂, not falling oxygen. Training increases tolerance to hypercapnia while avoiding blackout.
Unique physiological adaptations
Blood shift protects the lungs, the spleen releases red blood cells, and elite divers display exceptional lung flexibility and mental control.
Training for extreme records
Pressure equalisation
Frenzel and mouthfill techniques allow safe descent beyond conventional limits.
Lung capacity myths
Training improves chest flexibility, not lung size. Stretching and packing techniques help maximise usable volume.
Mental training
Visualisation and stress control are decisive at elite level.
Safety: the hidden side of performance
Blackout and samba
Hypoxic blackout and loss of motor control are real threats, even for elite athletes.
Golden safety rules
Never dive alone. Avoid hyperventilation. Respect limits. Learn rescue skills.
Training and insurance
Certified training (AIDA, CMAS) and individual sports insurance are essential for responsible practice.
Freediving records continue to push human limits in time, distance and depth. Beyond numbers, this discipline demands rigorous preparation and absolute respect for safety. Never dive alone, train properly, and explore this fascinating sport responsibly.
