Jacques Mayol, a Frenchman born in China in 1927, was the first freediver to descend to 100 meters. He always maintained that his ability to submerge as far as no man had ever done was due to his power to control his mind and body along with a deep respect for nature and the oceans.
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On November 23rd 1976, he became the first athlete capable of overcoming the 100-meter deep barrier by lung diving, a feat that led film director Luc Besson to rely on his figure for the making of the film "Le Grand Bleu".
Yoga, his love for the sea and the perfect knowledge of his own body led him to achieve a great feat in the history of diving and freediving, opening the way to other great free divers like Francisco "Pipin" Ferreras or Umberto Pelizzari.
In this video you can see Jacques Mayol overcoming the record of descent in apnea up to 100 meters and explaining how he prepares to get where no one had arrived before.
Jacques Mayol achieves the record of descent in apnea until 100 meters
"Le Grand Bleu" trailer
