DATELINE :- 8th July 2000
CLOSE CALL
Leferm just 10m short of record
Frenchman Loic Leferme has dived to 152m in free-diving's No Limits category (sled descent, balloon-assisted ascent). That's the deepest recorded by AIDA, which governs freediving competitions, but Cuban 'Pipin' set an independently sanctioned record No Limits dive to 162m earlier this year.
Meanwhile South African Trevor Hutton has failed in his bid to set a new record of 73m in free apnea (no fins, descent and ascent by pulling on a rope). He reached the depth on two dives but had to be assisted after blacking out at 6m and 4m on the ascents.
"Training, I'd lost muscle going from 82kg to 73kg, and was just not strong enough," he said, adding that he was now going to eat more red meat.