Nearly 5 Minutes Ahead of Previous Record
Maximized Blood Oxygen Levels for the Attempt
Recently, freediving has been gaining significant popularity among young people in South Korea. In the midst of this trend, Croatian freediver Vitomir Maricic set a new Guinness World Record by holding his breath underwater for 29 minutes and 3 seconds in a single breath. On August 19 (local time), foreign media outlets including the Daily Mail reported that on June 14, Maricic lay on his back at the bottom of a hotel swimming pool at a depth of 3 meters, with his hands behind his head, and endured for an astonishing 29 minutes and 3 seconds, establishing a new Guinness record. This surpassed the previous record of 24 minutes and 37 seconds, set by fellow Croatian Budimir Sobat, by nearly 5 minutes.
Approximately 100 spectators and five official judges were present at the scene. After surfacing from his dive, Maricic shared his thoughts, saying, "After 20 minutes, everything became easier. Although it was difficult due to diaphragm contractions, I didn't give up. I was able to achieve this thanks to the support of my team, family, and friends."
It is reported that before his attempt, Maricic underwent a 'denitrogenation' process, inhaling pure oxygen for 10 minutes to remove nitrogen from his blood and maximize oxygen concentration. Through this, he increased the oxygen level in his blood to five times the normal amount and significantly delayed the accumulation of carbon dioxide in his body. He said, "It's not about how much air you inhale, but how little you take in. I was able to reach 29 minutes in complete silence, without fear or thought." However, he also warned, "This record was achieved after years of professional training, and if an ordinary person tries to imitate it, it can be extremely dangerous due to the risk of oxygen toxicity or carbon dioxide poisoning."
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