Russian freediver Alexey Molchanov has claimed a world under-ice depth record following an 80m plunge in Siberia’s Lake Baikal – while French freediver Arthur Guerin-Boeri has staked his claim to a new under-ice distance record of 120m in Finland’s Lake Sonnanen.
On 16 March, Molchanov, 34, descended through the 2-degree C water from a hole cut in the metre-thick ice in his bid to complete the deepest freedive under ice using a monofin.
The dive took 2min 53sec and was verified by an official from freediving governing body AIDA.
Also read: More ice-dive world records shattered
If also verified by Guinness World Records the dive will displace that of Australian freediver Ant Williams, who reached 70m in a Norwegian lake in 2019.
The dive is Molchanov’s 20th world record. He remains unbeaten in three of AIDA’s core depth disciplines: constant weight (130m), constant weight with bi-fins (113m) and free immersion (125m).
Also read: Full exposure for another icy freediving record
Molchanov also claimed the record for dynamic apnea under ice using a monofin in February 2020, when he covered 180m.
And it was a breath-hold swimming record that Guerin-Boeri had in mind as he took 3min to cover a distance of 120m without fins yesterday (25 March).
Also reead: Croatian freediver grabs back under-ice record
The 36-year-old freediver wore a wetsuit as he swam between a set of ice-holes cut 20m apart, guided by a cable, though next year he plans to undertake a similar feat but without thermal protection.
Guerin-Boeri’s competitive bests, as recorded by governing body AIDA, are 6min 41sec for static apnea, 211m for dynamic apnea no fins and 51m in constant weight no fins.
Also read: Freediver: Deeper into Molchanov’s world
2021 has brought a flurry of under-ice breath-hold activity. In February Divernet reported on Czech freediver David Vencl’s claim of a new Guinness World Record for distance-swimming under ice without fins or thermal protection. The 38-year-old took 95sec to cover 81m in a Czech quarry.
The record of 76m has been held by Danish freediver Stig Severinsen since October 2013 and is still shown by Guinness World Records at present – as is his under-ice distance record of 152m with wetsuit and fins, swum in 2min, 11sec eight years ago.
