Arnaud Jérald, a 24-year-old Marseillais, on Tuesday broke the world freediving record by diving in Greek waters at a depth of 112 meters.
At the microphone of Europe 1, the young man looks back on his feat and the sensations experienced during his descent into the abyss.
His feat gives chills.
Arnaud Jérald on Tuesday broke the world record for deep freediving in the two-fin category.
This 24-year-old Frenchman descended to a depth of 112 meters.
The young freediver took 3 minutes and 24 seconds to complete this round trip at sea. After two successful dives at 111 meters in Villefranche-sur-mer last month, but not validated by the judges, Arnaud Jérald was able to hang on to achieve this feat, this time in Greece.
"The feeling of flying"
When he started, his goal was to break the world record that had just been set the day before by world star, Russian Alexey Molchanov, who had descended to 111 meters.
The Marseillais managed to improve the mark by one meter.
"We have the feeling of flying, we see the blue that evolves around us", tells Arnaud Jérald to Europe 1. "At more than 100 meters, our lungs are literally the size of an orange", he slips. .
A vertiginous descent, which requires certain very specific precautions once you have risen to the surface.
"I got out of the water, I did my protocol: I exaggerated my breathing so that my body took up oxygen."
And then: "It was an explosion of joy."
>> Find all the media newspapers in replay and podcast here
His first two attempts, last August, had not been validated, first for a protocol problem, then because he had been hit by a member of his team on his return to the surface.
This record now appears to be the greatest reward for this athlete who, as a child, suffered from dyslexia and who, upon discovering apnea at the age of 16, gained self-confidence to the point of achieving the impossible.