Last Updated on May 24, 2024 by Steve Weinman
In two developments nudging freediving that bit closer to the world of mainstream sports, a Netflix documentary about a world record-breaker has won an Emmy award, while a Frenchman has become the first freediver selected to carry an Olympic torch.
Irish film-maker Laura McGann directed the film The Deepest Breath about celebrated Italian freediver Alessia Zecchini and her safety diver Stephen Keenan, and McGann and her team have now been rewarded with one of world cinema’s highest accolades in the form of the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Long Documentary.
The award, conferred by the USA’s National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, was presented at a ceremony in New York on 21 May.
“Massive privilege to have had the opportunity to make this film,” commented McGann. “To work with the best in the world and meet the most incredible freedivers and their families. Thanks for the Emmy! This is for Stephen.”
The Deepest Breath, a surprise Netflix hit from mid-2023, was a co-production between A24, Motive Films and Ventureland. It was reviewed on Divernet last July.
The Deepest Breath was not the only recent freediving film to make a splash on the global streaming service. In April a defamation lawsuit against Netflix was thrown out after US-Cuban freediver Francisco ‘Pipin’ Ferreras had claimed that its 2022 film No Limit falsely accused him of the murder of his wife Audrey Mestre during an ultra-deep world record depth attempt.
Although the film had been acknowledged to have been inspired by real events, Pipin was unable to prove his case.
Jerald holds the flame
Meanwhile leading French freediver Arnaud Jerald has said he was honoured to have been asked to carry the Olympic flame through his home town of Marseille on 9 May, during its relay journey to the capital for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“Today I became the first freediver in history to hold the Olympic torch – a day filled with honour, pride and a deep connection to my roots,” said Jerald. “I have good hopes for freediving to become an Olympic discipline.”
Jerald is currently French number one and world number two in the Constant Weight with Bifins (CTWB) discipline (122m). He and current world record holder Alexey Molchanov (123m) have been vying for the record for the past five years – in 2019 it stood at 108m.
Jerald has pointed out that freediving was represented at the Olympic Games as long as 124 years ago. At the 1900 Paris Games “underwater swimming”, or dynamic apnea, saw a point awarded for each second a competitor spent submerged and two points for each metre swum. French athletes won gold and silver.
Also on Divernet: New on Netflix: The Deepest Breath, Pipin v Netflix: Freediver’s lawsuit thrown out, 20 titles for divers streaming on Netflix, Freediver dies at Dahab’s Blue Hole
