Croatian Freediver Sets World Record with Longest Underwater Walk in One Breath

Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić broke the record for “the longest underwater walk with one breath (male)” on Friday, according to the Guinness World Records. Maričić shattered the previous record of another Croatian freediver, Boris Milosic, who had walked 96 metres underwater in March 2020, by walking 107 metres. Maričić set out to beat the world record in order to raise awareness for Thallassotherapia Opatija’s freediving research. Thallassotherapia Opatija is a Croatian hospital that treats heart, lung, and rheumatic disorders. The world record-breaking walk took place in the same hospital’s swimming pool on September 17 last year. It will not only “help shape the sport and its safety,” but will also aid the area of medicine in general, according to Maričić.

Maričić walked a little over two laps of the 50-meter swimming pool and held his breath for an incredible three minutes and six seconds, according to the Guinness World Records website. He carried weights in his arms to ensure that one of his feet remained on the ground. Maričić informed Guinness World Records that he did not rehearse much for the underwater stroll because his freediving routines provide him with plenty of breath-holding practice. Maričić, a well-known professional freediver, won the Freediving World Championship last year in Belgrade. He has previously won two bronze and one gold medal at the AIDA Freediving World Championships in Limassol, Cyprus, in 2021.