AIDA WCh 2007, Maribor

[Lidija]

Hellou!
What a great experience this competition! Great performances and results.
Personaly done me best, but sitll hope that next time will be better
Nice party )) I'm sorry that I didn't get all names, still have problems with connecting your faces, names and nicks.
Anyway just wanted to salute all of you who were there

ps Did anybody by case found some lost diplomas? Karla's and mine are missing (It's for that picture of guy's butt ond diploma, that I miss...)If someone has it... please

 

[SanSan]

Hi Lidija

There are some doplomas left so you can get them the next time we see each other.

About the camera setup by a pro. Do you know how much this thing costs? Allready we spent almost 8.000 eur and it was by far not a pro thing. But we now know what areas to work on and for sure it will be better next time.

 

[cebaztian]

Sandis set up with videos in Maribor was good enough. It surpassed what we have seen in any other comp so far. When more audience comes we can go state-of-the-art. My main comment for future enterprises (videoscreen/presneter and audience) is to make the cameramen-pictureproducer-presenter tighter in cooperation.

And this statment below I very much like to hear more comments on:
"Get rid of record attempts in the competition disciplines. We have good enough comps for this. Record attempts steal attention from freediving as a sport. The big blue is a movie – lets grow up and move on."

What are the arguments for phasing out pure record attempts with only one athlete and only permitting competitionlike record attempts...maybe 2 athletes or more?

The records done in Maribor were far more exciting than any soloattempt hid away somewhere with two judges.

Even in the Big Blue it was a man against man thing.

Sebastian

 

[Vedrana]

Hi Lidija

There are some doplomas left so you can get them the next time we see each other.

About the camera setup by a pro. Do you know how much this thing costs? Allready we spent almost 8.000 eur and it was by far not a pro thing. But we now know what areas to work on and for sure it will be better next time.

Jure Daic is going to Split tomorow so you can give diplomas to him,

Vedrana

Split

 

[shoutatthesky]

You guys are right about the ideal setup being HUGELY expensive and I am sure you did a good job. Were the audience shown live underwater footage?

And this statment below I very much like to hear more comments on:
"Get rid of record attempts in the competition disciplines. We have good enough comps for this. Record attempts steal attention from freediving as a sport. The big blue is a movie – lets grow up and move on."

I don't see your point with this statement Sebastien. How could record attempts be seen in any way as taking away attention from freediving? It is events like Herbert's and Will's record attempts recently that have given freediving a small voice in the international media. Everyday sorts of people are hearing about these amazing athletes and are astounded by what they can achieve.
Freediving I think is always a competition - either with yourself or others.

 

[pehtran]

I hear you, Sebastaian.... I personaly do not have anything against solo record attempts... after all No Limit dives will be probably always made this way. But I will always value more a record that has been set at the big competition. Stigs and Natalias recent records are perfect example of what I would like to see. It is what this sport needs.
Miha

 

[Mullins]

I'm actually against individual record attempts (despite the fact that I recently took advantage of the rule!) They turn it into a $$$ game - if you are willing to throw enough money at the sport you can give yourself as many chances as you like at setting a record in the perfect environment (Dahab, anyone? Deans blue hole? Count me in...) Meanwhile your less well-heeled competitors are stuck with having to make the most of one or two competition performances, often in less than ideal conditions (Lake Taupo...?) Imagine if you could get away with this in any of the established athletic disciplines!!

However there just aren't enough competitions yet to keep the high-level athletes progressing, and as people have mentioned you only get one shot in a comp so there is always that risk of a complete waste of money and time. So individual record attempts probably need to stay for the time being. They do also provide the sport with a good profile, which it needs.

 

[SanSan]

Yes live UW footage was on the big screen.

I don't know about separate record atempts. I think it would realy be best if records were set only in competition. This way we would get more interesting competitions. On the other hand if there should be the possibility for a freedivier to make money with setting a record. As of now I don't think competition organizers have any money to pay for a record, sometimes even the doping test is hard to pay. Some sponsors pay athletes to set records on TV an similar. I think this should be left as it is because it promotes the sport enormusly.

 

[BennyB]

Sandi - you and all your helpers are to be applauded for hosting the best competition i've ever been to.. simply amazing!

Not once did I see tempers frayed or athletes complain about anything significant. The photography was stunning, the atmosphere brilliant and the tshirts were cool too!

Nice one mate, I hope we can come back to Maribor soon!

Cheers,
Ben

 

[O'Boy]

ps Did anybody by case found some lost diplomas? Karla's and mine are missing (It's for that picture of guy's butt ond diploma, that I miss...)If someone has it... please

Lidija, if you will be sucessfull in finding your diploma you can have it signed by the guy who's butt you are so desperately missing

 

[Peter P]

Just feel like asking a question here...

How do you guys feel about Timo Jattu (Denmark) making a protest on Stigs 186 DNF?
I heard that Stig was pulling, but realized that he was not, since he got the record afterall...

For MY point of view it would have made sence if Tom Sietas had been there and made the protest to try to keep the rec, but Timo...??? What would he have gotten out of it?
-Protesting about your fellow contryman!
-Can anyone ever imagine being in a team with that guy?

Peter P

 

[Vedrana]

That is not only protest they make :rcard ( Denmark team ), ok, it is in the rules, but from my point of view is sleazy :naughty to make protest on another team or his team , it is the same stuff.

Vedrana

Croatia

 

[Sergiu]

I saw Stig's performance, amazing stuff! Similar for Timo who turned at 150m, very few will ever do that even with fins.

Now, i also thought it looked like pulling and I swear I was praying that Bill (the judge) will not give a yellow card! I think pulling should not get penalties, it may give one an absolutely minimal advantage but can also give one much needed help when it's most needed, at the end of the dive.

But rules are for everybody and i was afraid Stig would get a yellow, fortunately it was not the case as, he in fact did not pulled himself up on it, rather slided, according to his own account and (arguably) confirmed by video footage.

The fact that one contestant made an official complaint is not that troubling to me, if justified. This case was somewhat controversial and deserved a review to set the record streight. It happened in the DYN competition too and the complained was accepted, but there was a medal at stake there.
Here, pulling accepted, it would have been a 10 points off for Stig, giving him still the top spot, so no change in the ranking but it would have meant no WR and NR, due to penalties. And that's not worth a complaint, IMHO.

 

[SanSan]

I think it's good that we keep our records "clean". If it is not a perfect performance it can't be the WR, but as I heard there was something else between Stig and Timo so I think this is on a personal basis... If so I think those things should be solved somewhere else.

 

[O'Boy]

I saw a lot of pulling in these championships (especially from Stig), but none of it was awarded with penalty. And that I think is how it should be.

One friend told me before the DNF prelims, that Stig'd been already in the starting zone (sitting on the edge) whilst there was still another dive going on. He advised to make a protest? We probably should do it, because the rules have to apply for everybody.

Stig is for me the great champion. All these problems evolved because of AIDA keeping bad rules active and not applying strictly enough the good ones.

 

[Lidija]

Lidija, if you will be sucessfull in finding your diploma you can have it signed by the guy who's butt you are so desperately missing

Wow thanx...waiting for a signed diploma than ...

 

[Billextreme]

There was a lot of athlete at the WC in Maribor that was in contact with a line before surfacing in DYN - DNF. How many of them that where pulling I don't know, but the number is very, very low. Some athletes where actually in contact with the line from below - without using there arms or hands to touch it. There where just to close to the line when they surface.

It's not easy to be a judge - and not easy to keep exactly the same level on all the judging all the way during 4 competition days, with 8 judges. We try to do our best. We had 365 performances during these 4 days and 99.9% was judge in highest possible standard. AND when there was a mistake we receive a protest directly and correct the judgement.

If there is a protest, the judges check the video and listen to the person who made the protest, after that the judges vote. There is no discussion/debate between the judges.

To receive a protest from a team fellow is a new thing for me. I guess it never happen before. BUT maybe he had his reason, or at least I hope so – in any way he won his protest, and so did Stig after he add more info to the case.

Have a nice day
/B

 

[DSV]

After speaking with Timo he explained to me that in Renens he was DQ'd (rule has changed since then only penalty now) for the exact same reason. He also shared that he did not feel good about what he was doing, but felt that an elite athlete especially in a world record performance, should perform with absolute perfection. In this case Stig did not. I saw a video that was taken from a very good vantage point (not official video unfortunately) and I also believe that the line was pulled. The other issue that Timo did not address in his protest is the fact that Stig's hand was on the line prior to his airway surfacing which is also a penalty.

In my prespective Timo had nothing to gain from his protest and felt that a top performance should not have questions surrounding it.

If Timo and Stig have issues so be it, but I have more respect for a team mate that has nothing to gain making the protest.

I personally would not have a good feeling in my conscience if a performance of that caliber was judged clean after a protest that showed it was not.

So my question is should elite athletes in world record situations be held to as high a standard as the rest of us doing non-world record quality attempts?

I am not taking away from both of Stig's performances being extremely impressive because they were.

Also why can we not have other video input from outside sources not only the "official" video which in the case of this competition was at times less than "professional". If there are not professional videographers shooting the official video we should be able to take video footage from another non-professional that may have a better vantage point. If someone wants to protest a performance and has solid video evidence from an outside source then it should be admissable in the jury room.

Just my thoughts since we really haven't solved all the glitches in our sport yet. ;-)

DSV

 

[H.Balázs]

First of all, it was a very well organized Comp in Maribor, thanks to the h2oteam and the whole staff. It was realy a pleasure to be there, and meet many athletes from almost all part of the world.

I'm totaly agree with your opinion Deron!
Rules are the same for anybody. But I saw many bad judge decision on the Champs, not only 0,01% sure...What was red card for no name athletes, the same performance was white for 'world rec. class' freediver!!! Hmmmm, it looks like that some off the judges interpreating the rules like in ancient times.

Balázs

 

[pat fish]

Several years ago I asked the question already for what reason the rule exists that the athlete is not allowed to make a pull before surfacing in pool disciplines. If the athlete was free to do so, it would be
a) benefitial for safety
b) benefitial for clarity in judge decisions
c) benefitial to simplify the set of rules
AND it would be the same for everybody. I never got any convincing answers so far why this rule is still in...
Pat

P.S. good to be back in deeperblue and to see some good friends around here