The inaugural Bristol Blue Freediving Competition took place on November 27th at Horfield Leisure Centre. The event was covered ‘live’ on Facebook by PADI, one of the event’s sponsors. Kayleigh Relf from PADI EMEA gave a rundown of the day’s events and explained the 3 disciplines to any viewers new to the sport. Facebook’s technology now enables everyone to watch performances as they happen, and hopefully, this is the future of professional freediving coverage.
Thirty-five athletes entered, representing 10 different nationalities and clubs from all over the UK. Eleven athletes were competing for the first time ever, a healthy sign of growth in the sport.
The day kicked off with Static Apnea (STA), with loads of performances over 5 minutes.
Adam Drzazga held his breath for 6:38 min. Adam told presenter Kayleigh that he deals with contractions by thinking about happy things, like playing with his son. If you’re stuck in your static training, why don’t you give his technique a go?
Alice Hickson put in a strong performance with 6:36 min.
Dynamic (DYN) and Dynamic No Fins (DNF) Results were as follow:
Final Standings
Prizes went to the top 3 athletes in the disciplines, best newbie, runner-up and overall winner.
Women’s Top Three
- Alice Hickson
- Rose Van Gowler
- Shirley Turner
Best newbie: Kate Leney
Men’s Top Three
- Adam Drzazga
- Constantin Timosca
- Phillip Fennell
Best newbie: Dave McGowan
Congratulations to everyone who took part and to the organizers, judges and safety divers for pulling off an impressive first event.
