Stig Severinsen#AIDA Freediving World Records

Severinsen has a degree in biology and a PhD in medicine. He began experimenting with holding his breath as a child at the bottom of his parents' pool.{{cite news |last=Jægesen Wilkens |first=Kristine |url=http://politiken.dk/rejser/rejseminder/ECE2126772/danmarks-ekstreme-fridykker-vaelger-havet-frem-for-kvinderne/ |title=Danmarks ekstreme fridykker vælger havet frem for kvinderne |newspaper=Politiken |date=11 November 2013 |language=da }} He started swimming at the age of 6 and was awarded National Champion four years in a row at 9, 10, 11 and 12.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} In 1993–2003 he played Underwater Rugby, and was a member of the Danish national team.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} During university studies in Barcelona, Spain in 1998–99, he played underwater hockey on the

Spanish national team.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} A fascination with long breath holds under water drew him to the world of free diving.

In 2010 he founded Breatheology, an online platform teaching optimal health and performance via breathing, breath holding and mental training techniques.

Combining yoga and his knowledge of physiology in freediving, Severinsen became a record holder of four AIDA freediving world records. He achieved two Guinness World Records in 2010: in March that year he swam {{convert|236|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} under ice wearing only swimming trunks and goggles, exceeding Wim Hof's record of March 2000 by {{convert|47.6|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}; and in April, after inhaling pure oxygen, he held his breath for 20 minutes and 10 seconds in a tank full of sharks at the Kattegat Centre in Grenaa.{{cite news|last=Weisz |first=Arnold |url=http://www.xray-mag.com/content/stig-%C3%A5vall-severinsen-holds-breath-20-minute-10-seconds-sets-record |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202021643/http://www.xray-mag.com/content/stig-%C3%A5vall-severinsen-holds-breath-20-minute-10-seconds-sets-record |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 February 2011 |title=Stig Åvall Severinsen holds breath for 20-minute 10 seconds, sets record |newspaper=X-Ray Mag |date=1 April 2010}} In May 2012 he was awarded the record of "Longest time breath held voluntarily (male)" by Guinness World Records for holding his breath for 22 minutes;{{cite web|title=Longest time breath held voluntarily (male) |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/24135-longest-time-breath-held-voluntarily-male |publisher=Guinness World Records |access-date=27 March 2014}} this record was achieved in a tank at the London School of Diving with the water cooled to {{convert|30|°F|°C|abbr=on}}.{{cite news|last=Grenoble |first=Ryan |newspaper=Huffington Post |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/breath-world-record-stig-severinsen_n_2144734.html |title=Breath-Holding World Record: Stig Severinsen Stays Under Water For 22 Minutes |date=16 November 2012}} He held this record until 28 February 2016, when it was broken by Aleix Segura. In April 2013 in Qorlortoq Lake in east Greenland, he set two new world records for "longest swim under ice - breath held": {{convert|500|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} while wearing a wetsuit and monofin, taking 2 minutes, 11 seconds,{{cite news|last=Voergaard |first=Peter |url=http://www.bt.dk/danmark/dansker-har-sat-ny-rekord-i-dykning |title=Dansker har sat ny rekord i dykning |newspaper=BT |orig-year=5 September 2013|date=6 September 2013 |language=da}}{{cite news |author1=Saxtorph Poulsen, Joachim |author2=Knakkergaard, Klaus |url=http://nyhederne.tv2.dk/article.php/id-71214814:vild-rekord-dansker-sv%F8mmer-under-gr%F8nlands-is.html?rss |title=Vild rekord: Dansker svømmer under Grønlands is |publisher=TV 2 |date=6 September 2013 |language=da }}{{cite news |url=http://www.dagens.dk/underholdning/ny-verdensrekord-500-fod-under-gr%C3%B8nlands |title=Ny verdensrekord: 500 fod under Grønlands is |last=Christoffersen |first=Elo |publisher=Dagens.dk |date=20 September 2013 |language=da }} and the following day, {{convert|250|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} wearing only swimming trunks.{{cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2013/10/freediver-stig-severinsen-sets-new-world-record-with-swim-250-feet-below-the-ice-on-a-single-breath-52227/ |title=Stig Severinsen sets world record double with pair of daring freedives beneath the ice |last=Lynch |first=Kevin |publisher=Guinness World Records |date=16 October 2013}}{{cite news |last=Trolle |first=Mads |url=http://politiken.dk/kultur/ECE2105372/dansk-vanvidsdykker-svoemmer-76-meter-under-isen---uden-vaaddragt/ |title=Dansk vanvidsdykker svømmer 76 meter under isen - uden våddragt: Discovery viser på søndag Stig Åvall Severinsens imponerende rekord |newspaper=Politiken |date=16 October 2013 |language=da }} He announced that these would be his last record attempts and he would now concentrate on teaching.{{cite news |agency=Discovery Channel |url=http://jyllands-posten.dk/sport/andensport/ECE5921973/dansk-ekstremdykker-slog-verdensrekord-under-is/ |title=Dansk ekstremdykker slog verdensrekord under is |newspaper=Jyllands-Posten |date=6 September 2013 |language=da }}

In 2020, Severinsen came back from retirement to break another record. He swam 202 meters on a single breath at La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico on 26 November 2020.{{Cite web|date=2020-01-07|title=Danish freediving champion claims third Guinness World Records title|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2020/1/danish-freediving-champion-claims-third-guinness-world-records-title-643641|access-date=2021-01-11|website=Guinness World Records|language=en-GB}}

Severinsen was chosen "The Ultimate Superhuman" on the Discovery Channel programme Superhuman Showdown, and a documentary about him, Stig Severinsen: The Man Who Doesn't Breathe, was produced for broadcast on Discovery and on Quest in the UK in October 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.discovery.dk/programmer/the-man-who-doesnt-breathe/#2757733548001 |title=Stig Severinsen: The Man Who Doesn't Breathe |publisher=Discovery Channel (Denmark) |access-date=27 March 2014 |language=da }}

In Breatheology Severinsen proposes that through working with the breath, a link can be created between body and mind that enables a person to control stress, increase energy, perform better physically and mentally, alleviate pain and improve health.

• Wim Hof

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.breatheology.com/ www.breatheology.com]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Mr1RV3Qxc Swimming Under Ice : New Guinness World Record]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqERqQj-ozc Stig Severinsen - 22 Minutes Guinness World Record Breath Hold]

{{Underwater diving|frediv}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1973 births

Category:Danish freedivers