Left: Mateusz Malina; right: Arnaud Jerald
After nine days of freediving competition at Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas, Vertical Blue 2022 has concluded with the setting of two new world records. On Day 7, France’s Arnaud Jerald extended his Constant Weight Bi-Fins (CWTB) world record with a dive to 120 meters (394 feet). Jerald had already broken the world record on Day 4 with a dive to 119 meters (387 feet).
On Day 9, the final day of the competition, Polish freediver Mateusz Malina set a new world record in the Free Immersion (FIM) discipline, diving to 127 meters (417 feet) and surpassing the previous record of 124 meters (406 feet), set in 2016 by William Trubridge—the New Zealand champion freediver who organizes the event. With the final day’s results, Malina clinched the top spot for the men on overall points, with Trubridge coming second, and Croatia’s Vitomir Maričić taking third. Among the women, Hungary’s Fatima Korok came out tops, with Turkey’s Şahika Ercümen not far behind, while Colombia’s Sofía Gómez Uribe was a close third.
Forty-two freedivers from all over the world competed in a range of disciplines. Vertical Blue follows AIDA rules, one of the two main federations that govern freediving competitions, and on-site judges—both in water and out of the water—ensure each dive is properly conducted.
Check out all the day-by-day results here.
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