Francisco Rodríguez, Cuban apneist, sets record at 62 years old

August 18, 2024

When it seemed that age and family losses were overtaking him, Cuban-born American freediving champion Francisco Rodríguez, known as Pipín Ferreras, returned to the seas south of the island to break his own apnea diving record.

Upon descending to 82 meters in depth, Pipín set a new mark this past weekend, according to the message and photographs released by the Hotel Meliá Trinidad Península, the scene of this singular feat.

In statements to the accredited press, the champion dedicated the achievement to his wife, Audrey Mestre, a French national, who died in 2002 in the waters of the Dominican Republic following a descent that ended in catastrophe.

Pipín's record was preceded by 15 days of preparation, during which the Cuban, accompanied by divers and Marina Marlin personnel, underwent rigorous training in the seas south of Trinidad, which according to the athlete himself are exceptional for practicing the discipline.

"Trinidad has a unique product, one of the best diving zones I know in the country, its topography is extraordinary, it is the perfect place," he asserted.

In that regard, he announced that next year the tourist destination Trinidad de Cuba will host the World Freediving Championship, a modality that involves the descent that some call "breath-hold" and that requires strict mastery of breathing technique, since the round-trip operation can take several minutes.

Pipín Ferreras' immersion this past weekend on the coast of Trinidad was sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism with the involvement of the Meliá Chain, Cubanacán Hoteles, Ecotur, Marina Marlin, and Grupo Gaviota.