How Croatian freediver held breath for 29 minutes
The world record for longest underwater breath-hold using oxygen is often viewed as much as a conjuring trick as an athletic feat – and at one time the title was indeed held by US magician David Blaine. But now a remarkable new mark has been set by a Croatian already recognised for his more conventional competitive freediving achievements.
Vitomir Maričić has set a new Guinness World Record (GWR) of 29min 3sec for “the longest breath held voluntarily under water using oxygen” – surpassing the previous record by more than four minutes.
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His near-half-hour feat took place on 14 June in a 3m-deep pool at the Bristol Hotel in Opatija, Croatia in front of five official judges and some 100 spectators.
Freediver Vitomir Maričić
Maričić prepared by pre-breathing pure oxygen for an unspecified length of time before his immersion, in line with GWR guidelines. In past attempts, up to 30 minutes has been allowed for this preparatory phase. He then lay on his back at the bottom of the pool, hands behind his head.
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“After the 20-minute mark, everything became easier, at least mentally,” he said after surfacing, but explained that the experience had “got worse and worse physically, especially for my diaphragm, because of the contractions. But mentally I knew I wasn’t going to give up.” He credited his achievement to the support of his team, family and friends.
Record history
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