French freediver Arthur Guerin-Boeri has claimed a new CMAS (World Confederation of Underwater Activities) world record, following an 105m breath-hold swim under Canadian ice on 8 March. The feat was carried out with the freediver finless and wearing only Speedos in the 0.7°C water.
At his initial attempt two days earlier at Morrison Quarry near Ottawa, Guerin-Boeri had covered 90m. He swam the record-breaking distance, marked out by a cable between two ice-holes, in 2min 27sec using breast stroke. The previous CMAS record had been 103m, set by Johanna Nordblad of Finland.
A year ago Guerin-Boeri broke the world record for under-ice swimming (Dynamic Apnea No Fins) but wearing a wetsuit and gloves. As reported on Divernet, on 25 March 2021 he covered 120m in three minutes in Lake Sonnanen, Finland, saying afterwards that he planned to return in 2022 to do the same but without thermal protection.
The 37-year-old freediver is 6ft 6in and weighs 102kg. His competitive bests in warmer water, as recorded by world governing body AIDA, are 6min 41sec for Static Apnea, 211m for Dynamic Apnea No Fins (national champion and eighth in the world rankings) and in vertical freediving 51m for Constant Weight No Fins.
