The youngest performing freediver in the world is French. He is 23 years old. Yesterday in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, he broke the world record for bi-fins at 108 meters in 3 minutes 19 seconds. Terrible weather conditions with many waves, lots of wind, lots of current. Despite the storm, the young Marseille native snagged the grail in front of the Czech Martin Zajac, who reached a depth of 91 meters.He is the revelation of the freediving world, its rising star… French champion in 2017, the year he joined the national team for the first time, world vice-champion in 2018, the Marseille native Arnaud Jerald is also the youngest freediver to have reached a depth of 107 meters, at 23 years old. An abyssal dive, as it represents the equivalent of a 42-story building, just one meter shy of the world record he covets, but already part of the ultra-confidential club (even more humans have been to space!) of those who have ventured there, beyond 100 meters.
Relive the end of this exceptional dive in the video:
A youthful love…It is alongside his father, a spearfisher, that Arnaud is introduced to freediving. He is just 7 years old. The spectacle offered by the depths in the coves leaves an everlasting mark on the soul of this child of the Mediterranean. Underwater, the sensations awaken him. The practice frees him from the shackles of dyslexia that suffocates him. In freediving, he breathes! He has the impression of flying, like Peter Pan, from one rock to another. He gains confidence, emerges from his bubble. As a teenager, his ease below the surface impresses… as does his determination. He dreams of exploring the Deep Blue as no one before him. And for him, it will not just be a movie, because to live this dream, he will give himself the means…2017, a UFO in the abysses
While pursuing a BTS in Electrical Engineering, Arnaud perfects his entry into the competitive scene.« Learn, listen, observe, nourish yourself with every encounter, then innovate to create your own approach, »is his mantra. The young freediver analyzes all approaches of the discipline to forge his own. 2017 marks a true turning point: he is selected for the French team and, at only 21 years old, he chains his firsts (cap of 100 meters, international podium, French records at -92 then at -102 meters) and becomes the youngest freediver in the world at -105 meters. Considered the revelation of the year in the field, Arnaud trains even harder to confirm his results in 2018. To finance his training, he works for two months as an electrician. He then decides to « break the piggy bank » and invests in his career the precious savings patiently accumulated since he was 16.2019, in the quest for blue gold
« I am developing a unique approach based on my values: humility and self-confidence. » Arnaud approaches his discipline with simplicity while never losing sight of his goal. Endowed with exceptional will and perseverance, after breaking his own French record and earning silver at the 2018 world championships (just behind the most titled man in the world of freediving, the Russian Alexey Molchanov), the young Marseille native aims for gold in 2019.2019 AGENDA
- Mai : Russian championships in Egypt.
- June: French FFESSM Championship and Nice Abyss Contest.
- August: FFESSM World Freediving Championships in Honduras.
- September: AIDA World Championship in Villefranche-sur-Mer.