TUNIS: Tunisian freediver Walid Boudhiaf, the Arab world’s only international champion in the sport and a one-time world record holder at 150 meters, is eyeing new achievements and hopes to expand the sport in his home country, where “thousands practice it without even realizing.”
During a recent visit to Tunisia, the 46-year-old, who spends half the year in Colombia and the other half training in the Bahamas, shared his remarkable journey with AFP.
Though he grew up in Tunisia, where he spent most of his summers by the sea, Boudhiaf didn’t discover freediving until later.
His father, a Tunisian university professor, and French doctor mother were both “sea lovers” and taught him to swim at the age of three, later introducing him to spearfishing.
By his mid-20s, freediving came to him a continent away and nowhere near the sea — “by chance in a pool in Bogota,” the Colombian capital that sits over a thousand kilometers (620 miles) from the Pacific Ocean.
Boudhiaf initially took up underwater rugby, which, he said, proved “not aggressive enough.”
His coach had then noticed his ability to control his breath, which years later would help him achieve a personal record of seven minutes 38 seconds.
Boudhiaf said living in Bogota at 2,600 meters above sea level has also helped develop “excellent cardiovascular conditions” by stimulating red blood cell production due to the low oxygen levels.
He then began training up to six hours a day, he said, while balancing a job as a computer engineer.
“I stopped going out,” he recalls. “All I did was train.”
Boudhiaf entered his first competition in Marseille in 2007, but it wasn’t until 2012 that he was able to fully dedicate himself to freediving, following a “last job in the Canary Islands, where I went to be closer to the sea.”
Today, thanks to sponsorship from Tunisian companies, he can finally make a living from his passion and also organizes workshops and conferences based around the sport.
In Egypt in 2021, he gained international renown when he set a world record at 150 meters in the variable weight category, which requires using a pulling rope on the way down and fins to go back up.
He said he was inspired by Luc Besson’s 1988 film “The Big Blue” that put freediving on the map, and the achievements of legendary diver Umberto Pelizzari.
“It was a dream that I had since I watched ‘The Big Blue’ and saw Umberto Pelizzari’s records,” he said. “One hundred fifty meters is a symbolic frontier, a testament to human potential.”
Boudhiaf was also crowned world champion in 2022, diving to 116 meters in free immersion apnea timed at three minutes 54 seconds.
After collecting several medals at the Deep Blue competition in Dominica this past April — one gold, two silver, and one bronze — he has been training for the 2025 Vertical Blue, an elite freediving competition held in the Bahamas, which he calls “the Wimbledon of freediving.”
He is hoping to beat the constant weight record of 136 meters, currently held by Russia’s Alexey Molchanov, who broke Boudhiaf’s variable weight record with a depth of 156 meters in March 2023.
Beyond competing and pursuing records, which “have ups and downs and challenges to maintaining peak performance,” another focus of Boudhiaf’s is growing the sport in Tunisia.
“Many Tunisians are already practicing it without knowing it, through amateur spearfishing, which is a form of freediving,” he said, referring to Tunisia’s long-standing traditions of sponge diving and coral collecting.
Additionally, interest in pool-based freediving is growing, he added, especially at the Rades Olympic Complex near Tunis.
“I’m motivated to provide more support,” Boudhiaf said, adding that the sport required little resources and equipment and that it “isn’t a sport for the wealthy.”
While Egypt, Greece or Turkiye are better for competition-oriented training with “very deep spots close to the shore” in the Mediterranean, according to Boudhiaf, Tunisia is still suitable for “recreational freediving.”
“You don’t need to dive 100 meters,” he said. “At 20, 30, or 50 meters, beginners can improve and even reach an advanced level.”
Freediving is also “the most natural way to observe and interact with marine life,” he added.
Breathing techniques also promote good health, he said, because the exercises can help manage stress.
Tunisian freediver Walid Boudhiaf eyes records and developing the sport
https://arab.news/p9puj
Tunisian freediver Walid Boudhiaf eyes records and developing the sport
- Though he grew up in Tunisia, where he spent most of his summers by the sea, Boudhiaf didn’t discover freediving until later
- His father, a Tunisian university professor, and French doctor mother were both “sea lovers” and taught him to swim at the age of three, later introducing him to spearfishing
From the Red Sea to the deep desert: inside the new route for Dakar 2026
- The seventh consecutive edition to take place in Saudi Arabia will run from Jan. 3-17
RIYADH: The Dakar Rally returns to Saudi Arabia for the seventh consecutive edition from Jan. 3-17, bringing with it one of the most demanding and wide-ranging routes since the first such event in the Kingdom.
Held under the supervision of the ministry of sport, organised by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, and promoted by the Saudi Motorsport Company, this year the race elevates the rally’s challenges, drawing competitors into a course through some of the country’s most iconic and challenging landscapes.
With a total distance of 7,999 kilometres, including 4,845 kilometres of timed special stages, the 2026 route almost matches the longest competitive distance of the rally’s Saudi era. It takes competitors through some of the Kingdom’s most varied landscapes, from the Red Sea coast to the deep desert and back again.
Fewer bivouacs mean teams arrive to better-rested support crews, while redesigned marathon stages help shape the rhythm of the event. Intense days are balanced with recovery opportunities around the rest day, creating a course defined by challenge and deliberate pacing.
Yanbu: Start and finish point on the Red Sea coast
Yanbu bookends the 2026 Dakar Rally, hosting the Prologue, Stages 1 and 2, and the final Stage 13. Set between the Red Sea and a stretch of inland hills, the region offers a mix of gravel plains, rocky corridors, and light sandy terrain that shifts subtly in color and tone throughout the day. The blend of coastal calm and rugged interior landscapes gives competitors an early sense of the rally’s character and provides a familiar backdrop when they return to the finish on the Red Sea coast.
AlUla: Distinctive desert scenery and marathon conditions
Arriving from the opening stages in Yanbu, AlUla brings competitors into one of the rally’s most distinctive settings, where sandy tracks run through wide open spaces and weave around ancient rock formations. The region’s limited landmarks and expanding network of tracks place added weight on navigation, while the mix of plains, hills, and rocky stretches requires regular changes in pace.
As part of the marathon phase, teams face simple desert camps and minimal support, keeping the focus on careful vehicle management in one of the rally’s most visually striking regions.
Hail: Key region with deep rally roots and the longest stage
Hail adds a familiar rhythm to Dakar 2026, taking competitors through a region deeply connected to Saudi Arabia’s rally heritage. The stage, the longest of Dakar 2026, unfolds toward the Qassim area, where the dunes that local off-road communities have navigated for generations rise and fall as far as the eye can see. The day is spent almost entirely on sand, moving between rolling dune lines and broad valleys that offer little change in surface but plenty of shifts in momentum. It is a long, demanding stretch that rewards comfort in deep sand before the field makes a lengthy journey toward Riyadh and a well-earned rest day.
Riyadh: Central transition marked by steady race rhythm
Riyadh is a reset point in the rally, where competitors return to the course after the rest day with renewed focus.
The stage that follows calls for a measured approach: confidence from the first week can be helpful, but overconfidence can be costly. Sandy, fast tracks dominate the route, with occasional dense bushes along the edges where the terrain itself presents few major hazards beyond the temptation to push too hard. With the day’s combined distance approaching 900km, sustained concentration is essential, even during the long sections leading in and out of the capital.
Wadi Al-Dawasir: Extensive dunes and classic desert driving
Wadi Al-Dawasir brings the rally back into classic desert territory as competitors leave Riyadh and enter one of Saudi Arabia’s largest dune regions. The landscape offers one of the most complete terrain mixes of the rally, with long dune lines, broad valleys, and clear horizons that create a steady but demanding pace. Navigation is straightforward but unforgiving, as even small mistakes can lead teams off course, especially with this part of the route forming the core of the event’s second marathon phase. The area’s size and consistency test endurance and focus, offering a full return to deep-desert driving in a region closely tied to Dakar’s sand heritage.
Bisha: Fast terrain with demanding navigation
Bisha introduces a different type of challenge to Dakar 2026, where the main difficulty comes from navigation rather than the terrain itself.
The tracks in this region often allow for a fast pace, but the abundance of intersections, forks, and junctions can quickly create a maze-like environment. Staying focused is essential, especially with the long overall distance adding to the day’s fatigue. Competitors who manage their pace and maintain clarity through the shifting network of routes will be best positioned as the rally moves toward Al-Henakiyah.
Al-Henakiyah: Mixed terrain requiring precise control
Al-Henakiyah offers one of the final opportunities for competitors to influence the standings, with a route that shifts quickly between different types of terrain. Fast tracks give way to narrower, more winding sections, and parts of the day run through riverbeds where conditions can change without warning.
The stage ends with a series of small dunes that may look modest but still demand attention and control. It is a varied and active day on the course, where a strong, well-rounded performance can still make a meaningful difference before the rally returns to Yanbu.
With 812 competitors representing 69 countries, the 2026 route promises a challenge worthy of the Dakar name. Each region presents its own rhythm and demands, rewarding those who can adapt and stay focused across two intense weeks. As the rally unfolds, the diversity of the terrain and the scale of competition reflect the enduring spirit of Dakar and the growing role of Saudi Arabia as a defining stage for the world’s toughest rally.
