<P> Stig Åvall Severinsen (born March 8, 1973) is a Danish man freediver . He is a four - time world freediving champion and holder of multiple Guinness World Records . He wrote Træk Vejret--mere energi, mindre stress (2009), published in English in 2010 as Breatheology--The Art of Conscious Breathing . </P> <P> Severinsen has a degree in biology and a Ph. D. in medicine . He began experimenting with holding his breath as a child at the bottom of his parents' pool . He started swimming at the age of 6 and was awarded National Champion four years in a row at 9, 10, 11 and 12 . In 1993--2003 he played Underwater Rugby, and was a member of the Danish national team . During university studies in Barcelona, Spain in 1998--99, he played underwater hockey on the Spanish national team . 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 . </P> <P> 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 236 feet (72 meters) under ice wearing only swimming trunks and goggles, exceeding Wim Hof's record of March 2000 by 47.6 feet (14.5 meters); 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 . 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; this record was achieved in a tank at the London School of Diving with the water cooled to 30 ° F (- 1 ° C). He held this record until February 28, 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": 500 feet (152.4 meters) while wearing a wetsuit and monofin, taking 2 minutes, 11 seconds, and the following day, 250 feet (76.2 meters) wearing only swimming trunks . He announced that these would be his last record attempts and he would now concentrate on teaching . </P> <P> 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 . </P>

Who holds the world record for holding their breath the longest