Arthur Guérin-Boëri, 36, has just set a world record in dynamic apnea over 120 m in a 0 ° C lake in Finland with a 2 mm wetsuit – O. Morin / AFP
- Arthur Guérin-Boëri aims to swim in the icy waters of Canada next year in a swimsuit over a distance of 105 m. The record in Finland “was just a step”.
- The freediver returned to live in Nice two years ago. For his training he would swim in the two-degree waters of the backcountry lakes with the added difficulty of altitude.
- He likes to be on the Côte d’Azur to be close to the freediving community present, in particular Guillaume Néry or Morgan Bourc’his.
At Lake Sonnanen, Finland, Arthur Guérin-Boëri set a new world record in dynamic (and horizontal) freediving last week. In breaststroke, in icy water, he swam 120m in three minutes, only equipped with a 2mm wetsuit.
This 36-year-old from Nice adds this feat to the others: he was crowned three times dynamic freediving world champion (2013, 2014, 2015) before becoming the first to reach the 300 m with fins (2016). In 2017, he swam in the same lake but over 175 m, with a monofin and a five-millimeter wetsuit. This new record is then “only a step” for its overall objective, “to swim 105 m in the icy waters of Canada in a year, in swimming trunks”. With 20 minutes, Arthur Guérin-Boëri looks back on this passion into which he fell “when he was little”.
How does a Niçois go from the waters of the Mediterranean to the frozen waters of Finland?
It was in the Nice Sea that I started to put my head under the water. I found it fascinating. Then I was marked by The big Blue. I loved those feelings of freedom and wholeness depicted in the film. So, as an adult, I got really interested and I went to the first club I was able to join. It was in 2011. As I lived in Paris, it is towards dynamic apnea that I headed. Little by little, I completely explored the discipline in the swimming pool. To diversify and get out of the basins, I started to take an interest in natural environments.
Why choose to achieve this new record in this place?
I achieved a first record in March 2017 in this same lake but over 175 m, with a monofin and a five-millimeter combination. Then I did nothing more. I told myself that it was time to get back into the bath. So, for a year, I have been training in the lakes of the Nice hinterland, I have freediving in swimming pools and in the sea of Villefranche-sur-Mer. At the same time, I had to acclimatize to the cold by soaking myself in ice water. It is true that the Finns must have found it funny that a Frenchman, in addition to Nice, comes to break the records in their waters. But I also chose this place because I knew the country [c’était le même lac que son record en 2017] , I know that in terms of organization, everything was square. I told myself that I could go back to this place by taking advantage of having a lake at sea level, which allows me to leave with more fuel.
What does it feel like to spend three minutes under 50 cm of ice?
It’s not as anxiety-provoking as you might think. The light is diffused, the water is very clear. In the end, it was quite pleasant for a place hostile to life in general. It is a moment to be remembered. Water at 0 ° C grabs the body, it’s bewitching and it has a hibernating effect. Obviously, if we haven’t acclimatized before, we won’t experience the same thing. But it is all the journey and the meetings that we make to arrive at this moment of success that is gratifying. The record is the icing on the cake. I am now focusing on the next step and Canada’s overall goal in March 2022, swimming in swim trunks in dynamic apnea. Maybe in the meantime someone else will beat my title or someone will do more than the 105m I set for myself. So I will adapt. The good thing is that I am quite free. As it is above all a mental activity, it can be practiced up to the age of 50 easily. So there is still something, I can get into this sport 100% and in all kinds of freediving.
Do you think that through your exploits the discipline will become trendy?
Freediving is a sport that is exploding completely. Already ten years ago, it was difficult to find a place in a pool club. Now there is even a waiting list. Obviously, 95% of licensees do it for leisure. They want to find this pleasure of silence, weightlessness and all this work on oneself to go beyond one’s limits. We quickly realize what we are capable of doing and that boosts our self-confidence. Most people are not there to take risks and are not asked to break world records. But it is very complete, whether at sea, in the pool, in depth or dynamic. It allows us to achieve states of concentration and relaxation similar to meditation or yoga. You have to try because anyone can do it. And the sensations are incredible. In addition, it is good for the body and the spirit!