News 2000
Neuchâtel (Switzerland), April 8, 2000
Heimo Hanke - New Free Diving Depth Record with Variable Weights
101 Meters - New Free Diving Record with Variable Weights.
After 3 1/2 minutes of nervous silence in the audience, Heimo Hanke, World Free Diving Champion for Fresh Water, surfaces and proudly displays the 101-metre tag.
The reigning free diving champion in this "no limits" discipline has improved his previous record by over 20 metres. Heimo Hanke has set a mark that will be nearly impossible to beat. Since the beginning of January, Heimo has been training under medical supervision of Anke Fabian in the decompression centre in Heidelberg in order to master this incredible physical challenge.
This feat was rendered possible through the financial support of BAUER Compressors. the organising committee around Mauro Zürcher, manager of the free diving training centre CEAL (Center d' Entrâinement d' Apnée Lacustre), who has planned the event meticulously.
During the qualifying dive, Heimo attained 95 metres easily.
The record itself turned out to be a nail-biting affair: the first dive had to be aborted at 64 metres, because the sled's breaks had caught up. The second dive, however, was successful and Heimo broke the magic 100-metre-mark.
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