Yes, I see your point, I was more speaking in terms of the validation. In Patrick's case you can't compare his 209m dive with Loic's 170m or Herbert's 172m because the same protocols weren't followed. Similarly, you can't compare Blaine's 9+ minute static (ok i'm speaking hypothetically here) with Tom's 8:58 because of the differences in protocol. In Tom's case we know that he wasn't influenced by drugs because he was tested for them. We also know he didn't breath any oxygen before the attempt because he was observed during this time. In Blaine's case I doubt any of this will be monitored, and that is the thing that the public will not hear about or care about.
By using 8:58 as a benchmark, Blaine is inferring that he is using the same standards that Tom did, which takes away from Tom's achievements, as well as Sam Still and anyone else who's in that threshold. This is the thing that puts a tarnish on the whole event in my eyes.
If he really wants to make the claim of saying that he'll hold his breath longer than any human has ever done, then why not use Tom's Guiness attempts on 02? That was holding your breath and was ratified by Guiness and was what - 13-15 minutes? If he want's to claim to attempt to hold his breath more than any human has ever, that's the target he should be going for.
Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the event a lot and i'm trying not to read too much into it and see it as an entertaining piece of adventure, but claiming to beat someone's record and perform under different conditions is not fair in my mind. Hell, I could shave down, paint an S on my chest and head to the local fountain with an 02 bottle under my arm claiming to hold my breath longer than any man and no-one would know any better. Of course I wouldn't have the pizazz that Blaine has...
By using 8:58 as a benchmark, Blaine is inferring that he is using the same standards that Tom did, which takes away from Tom's achievements, as well as Sam Still and anyone else who's in that threshold. This is the thing that puts a tarnish on the whole event in my eyes.
If he really wants to make the claim of saying that he'll hold his breath longer than any human has ever done, then why not use Tom's Guiness attempts on 02? That was holding your breath and was ratified by Guiness and was what - 13-15 minutes? If he want's to claim to attempt to hold his breath more than any human has ever, that's the target he should be going for.
Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the event a lot and i'm trying not to read too much into it and see it as an entertaining piece of adventure, but claiming to beat someone's record and perform under different conditions is not fair in my mind. Hell, I could shave down, paint an S on my chest and head to the local fountain with an 02 bottle under my arm claiming to hold my breath longer than any man and no-one would know any better. Of course I wouldn't have the pizazz that Blaine has...