The lines have been measured and checked, rescue drills have been practiced and the athletes are ready to go. The first official top of the Infinity Depth Games III kicks off tomorrow at 9:00 am sharp in Cyprus.
“We have been planning for this event since March,” said Infinity co-organizer Costas Costantinou “We’ve been working really hard to make sure everything goes well and I hope all of our athletes enjoy their dives.”
And so far the training dives have not only been enjoyable for most, (more than a dozen PB’s have been achieved) but also transformative for others.
“Freediving is an experience of self-control and self-knowledge,” shared Isabela S. Arán, a resident of Cyprus who is competing for Spain. “Yesterday at the plate I realized another crucial step in my own learning. On a previous dive I had been feeling stressed and it was evident to everyone watching as they commented that my pulling up the line was too rapid and short. So yesterday after I reached the plate and I began my ascent I thought to myself “I want to enjoy the dive, and I want my coach to be proud!” So I began to pull more gently, slowly and evenly and it felt so much better. On all of my dives I keep my eyes closed, so when I peeked to see if I had reached the safeties, and I saw them I knew “now is the time for gliding!”
And glide S. Arán did, right into a new personal best free immersion dive of 64m. She is hoping the momentum of that dive will fuel her for tomorrow’s attempt, for which she has announced another PB of 66 meters.
A contingent of divers from the UK are also really enjoying their dives and having PB’s everyday, but under the wise tutelage of their instructor they have opted to announce a conservative meter or two less than their PB’s (as it is their first showing at a freediving competition and they want to start it off right with solid performances, which they hope will earn them inaugural white cards from the AIDA judges.)
Check out the start list (down below) and stay tuned for live feeds via the Infinity Freediving Cyprus facebook page. Good luck to all of the divers.
All photos courtesy of Daan Verhoeven
