For the first time since 1896 and the creation of the modern Olympics, AIDA International collaborated with professors and sports students from the University of Nice and the Department of Alpes-Maritimes (CD06) to create this incredible moment with the underwater Olympic torch.

Created by Joseph Strazzanti of CD06, the underwater Olympic torch was made to preserve the marine environment: the smoke was produced by air bubbles contained in a 300b 0.2l mini-bottle supplied by Aqualung militaire and hidden inside the torch. The flame was created by an orange-yellow 3D creation illuminated by LEDs controlled by a microcomputer hidden inside the flashlight.

To organize this underwater sequence, CD06 called on Claude Chapuis, instructor trainer and co-founder of AIDA. He organized the safety arrangements both underwater and on the surface by being the “dive director”.

Delphine Marleux and Cédric Palerme, AIDA instructors and Cedric judges, were in charge of assisting Alice, retrieving the flashlight and counting down the dive. Brigitte Banegas, qualified for many years for the AIDA Freediving World Championship, was Alice’s safety freediver. Finally, a surface safety team was represented by 8 AIDA safety competition freedivers, all students of the sports faculty of Nice, where Claude Delphine and Cédric work.