Record-breaking 100 m under the ice of Lake Baikal - video

Russian freediver Dmitry Sokolov swam a record 100 metres under the ice on Siberia’s Lake Baikal. Although breath-hold diving under ice is nothing new, this time it took place in extremely cold and dark water.

On 25 February 2018, an athlete from Russia plunged into the depths of Lake Baikal, which had a record low temperature of 0ºC! In addition, the 50 cm thick ice cover meant that the freediver had to swim in the dark, navigating with the help of an outstretched rope.

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After swimming 100 metres in a time of 1 min 37 sec, Sokolov appeared on the surface, where conditions that day were also extreme, with an air temperature of -12ºC!

By day, Dmitry Sokolov works as an instructor at the Irkutsk Regional Federation of Underwater Hunting and Freediving school. His attempt to swim 100 metres was preceded by an approach to a slightly shorter distance, when in January 2018, he swam 80 metres in 1 min 24 sec.

Baikal, called the “Siberian sea” or the “blue eye of Siberia”, is a freshwater body of water, classified as a tectonic lake. It is the oldest and also the deepest lake in the world. It is characterised by excellent water transparency, reaching up to 40 metres! The ice cover, depending on the season, is from 40 cm to 120 cm thick. It is located on the territory of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Buryatia and the Irkutsk Region.

Source: swimmersdaily.com, wikipedia.org

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