’60 Minutes’ takes a deeper look into the life of the Russian freediver his peers call ‘king of the deep.’
Outdoor adventure sports tend to inspire a mixture of both awe and vicarious fear. But few sports seem as obviously dangerous — and difficult — as freediving.
In this pursuit of diving to icy black depths, no athlete has gone further than Russian freediver Alexey Molchanov. In this ’60 Minutes’ profile on CBS, the camera follows Molchanov down a cave for the annual Vertical Blue competition in the Bahamas.
Molchanov can dive over 39 stories deep while holding a single breath for nearly 5 minutes.
“That doesn’t seem like a good idea,” the interviewer says.
“For me, it does. I enjoy finding new boundaries and pushing them further because I know I can,” Molchanov responds. “It feels very much like flying. Like freedom. Like pure joy.”
OK, Alexey. Most of us will have to take your word for it.
Runtime: 13 minutes
