OK – This editorial may come across as being a little harsh in its content, but I truly think that it needs to be addressed.
Lately, there have been several record attempts in the sport of Freediving that have been called "Official World Records".
As the Editor of Freediving Internet Magazine and an avid freediver, I look upon this information as a valuable resource for the sport.
The issue? There are several record attempt certifying agencies that consider themselves as the "Official Governing Body" for these attempts. I have been chastised for having posted a press release for one divers attempts when another diver earlier in the year posted a deeper dive and had it certified by another governing body.
As far as I am concerned, I really do not care who was sanctioned by whom when it comes to these record attempts. The very fact that they were done is, in and of itself, a feat to be recognized and applauded. The real issue is that these various divers are aligning themselves with the various governing bodies so that their record attempts will be "Officially Recognized" as a world record – without any true competition between themselves. Then you have contention due to another attempt being done for another agency and you get caught in a vicious circle of ego as to "Who Is The Best".
To be blunt – it sounds and appears childish and quite self-cantered from my Point Of View.
The only solution from my perspective is to have a non-partisan governing body, whose only purpose is to set standards by which ALL record attempts are measured by. The current situation is no more than a mish-mash of who says they have a better solution to this area of Freediving than the others.
I may ruffle a few feathers in the process of this diatribe – but then, why not? The alternative is to continue down the current path we are on right now.
Am I ranting???
More than likely – unless the various splinter groups come to a mutually agreed standard by which to govern, carry out these attempts and measure all these results accurately and unbiased, there will continue to be this contention as to who is the "Official Record Holder".
Maybe it’s time to have a Paradigm shift in the thinking of Freediving record attempts – and to settle this issue once and for all?
