Mifsud announces STA WR attempt

[efattah]

Kars,

Sorry to hear you couldn't go. Hope you are able to take up his offer one of these days.

I just can't believe that no one else wants to find out how Stephane did such an increadible static. If I were less than a gazillion miles from France I'd have gone immediately, while his offer was still fresh.

Howard

The reason no one wants to go and figure it out is because we already know how he did it -- O2 bleeding from the side of the pool.

If you want to learn about great statics and how to do them, your best bet would be to go and learn from Guy Brew from New Zealand, who remains the only person in history to have broken 9 minutes in a competition (9'03").

 

[demasoni]

The reason no one wants to go and figure it out is because we already know how he did it -- O2 bleeding from the side of the pool.

Oh boy... :blackeye :martial

Would you like chain mail armor or a kevlar vest?

 

[mattbigblue]

I think there isn't anyone going there, cause most of the real :blackeye Freedivers don't care about static so much :t

 

[trux]

I think there isn't anyone going there, cause most of the real :blackeye Freedivers don't care about static so much :t

Hmm, I am not sure who "real freedivers" really are, but in average it looks like competitive freedivers do care about statics. At least, when looking at statistics, I see it is clearly the most popular discipline at freediving competitions. So perhaps the real freedivers do not participate, or do it just out of hypocrisy, but all other fake freedivers seem to rather care about it.

There are numbers of performances in individual disciplines in competitions and record attempts since 1999:

1. STA - 8.5 K
2. DYN - 8.0 K
3. DNF - 3.6 K
4. CWT - 3.1 K
5. CNF - 926
6. FIM - 872
7. VWT - 86
8. NLT - 74

 

[mattbigblue]

Trux

:blackeye,, after my words mean I wasn't talking 100% serious.
Of course You are right, but then on the other hand
how many among top 10-20 depth athletes is training static??:blackeye

edit:
anyway, my post was more like a bad joke:t

 

[trux]

Well, I don't take it too seriously either, so there is no problem so far

And yes, the depth specialists perhaps do not care too much about statics (although for example Nitsch, Stepanek, and Molchanova have also STA records in their CV). However, how many of them read Deeper Blue? Probably only Dave Mullins. So when we discuss STA here on DB, it is probably more relevant to refer to an average freediver, and not to the elite depth specialists. And the average competitive freediver is still more pool than depth oriented, so he certainly cares about STA, and would like to know how to improve. Same goes for non competitors - there are many who are interested about statics - you can see it also from the number of threads about O2/CO2 tables. So even if STA is perhaps not good enough for elitists, it is still in the center of interest of common freedivers.

 

[mattbigblue]

To be honest Trux, lately I've found my interest in Static, I read a lot about it, talk a lot with friends, but when it comes to Step. Mifsud attempt it's like something from out of space. I really want to improve in static and do a lot with it at the moment, but inner voice is telling me that I shouldn't bother with this WR and how he did it. Personally I do care about people who do 8-9min on competitions, like Guy Brew, Ulf Dextegen, Eric van riet Paap, Robert Cetler with his amazing perf lately, Alexey Molchanov, Goran Colak etc. because that's the people who do it on regular basis, anywhere in the world and I could see it in front of my eyes... not once and then disappear.

 

[trux]

It is for sure that competition performances are much more respectuous. Though, when I think about the magician's (David Merlini, I believe) almost 9min performance at the competition in Geneva last year, I am not so sure if there is really a difference. If someone wants to cheat, he finds a way. I have no idea whether it was the case with Mifsud, but so far I did not see any evidence for such claims.

 

[Alixir]

how many among top 10-20 depth athletes is training static??:blackeye

I've read Herbert's blog: he trains breath-hold before he gets out of bed in the morning. Even if some top depth athletes choose not to do static comps, I bet they're all interested in being able to improve their preferred apnea discipline, which logically must involve training for better breath-hold capacity.

 

[ploum]

Didn't saw any message that were explaining the "big white box" or "jetpack".

I remember seeing the exact same white box in a private swimming pool in South of France. The owner told be that it was an alarm that was mandatory to install in private swimming pool.

The alarm detects water movements. You have to disable it when you want to swim then reenable it when you get out of the pool.

This was made mandatory after several case of drowned children who were playing near private pool (I know that it could happen. I saved once the life of a child that was playing near a pool. This is one of the most useful stuffs I ever did in my life so far).


At least to me that was aware of that regulation in the South of France, I didn't even realized there was something strange on the video. Sorry conspirationnists.


Also, for the clapping hands performance, I would say that the day I cheat, I would avoid anything suspicious like that. It would be very dumb.

 

[Goran Colak]

Well Mr. Fattah is just saying what most of divers think... Is he right or not, well we will never know that... This is not only about this performance, but several others from Stephane... That's makes is even more suspicious.

O2 is certainly the most beneficial way of cheating... but any dope is possible if you know when you will be tested, the doping test in that case is ridiculous for people that knows what they are doing, blood test or no blood test. Even random tests are pointless if you do not use blood testing.. And even then you can cheat, but of course it is harder and more expensive.

Speaking of this, I receive letter from CADA (Croatian Anti Doping Agency) that they did put me on random doping test list, so they will come randomly on my practices, at my home and competition to test me.. So now I really feel like a star, just without any star bank account hahaha

 

[ericvrp]

Congratulation Goran! That sounds like a first in the freediving world. Your first WR! :t

- Eric

 

[wes]

DB,

I share Eric Fatah's concerns and it is also my opinion that the most likely and probable explanation for Mifsud static is that he breathed O2 leaked from the side of the pool.

Cheers Wes Lapp

 

[Bill]

Sorry but I can't sit back and listen to this without adding
my two cents worth.
If a 70 year old amateur with a little training, a 5 litre Vc
and 20 packs can do an 8 minute static by training two or
three times a week, why does anyone have trouble with
Stephane's performance?
Last month I listened to one of the few contenders for the
title of the best diver on earth. He said that we aren't
even close to the limits yet.
Makes more sense to me.

 

[Kars]

What happened to the principle: Innocent until PROVEN guilty?

 

[Will]

What happened to the principle: Innocent until PROVEN guilty?

That same principle can be applied to a world record: it stands until it has been PROVEN broken.
With all the controversy around Mifsud, and the fact that AIDA judges have been duped in static apnea, by magicians using still-undiscovered methods, I don't think you can say that Sietas' record was proven to be broken in this case.

 

[watts]

Id like to believe that his performance was legit hes been around on the freedive scene longer than most and diving for 20 years had world records and trains like a machine so if anyone could he could but his face (No noticeable cyanosis),recovery breathing & apparent ease in holding his breath for more than anyone ever has does leave some questions.
How does he do it. Oh and the box thing on the pool i dont believe that with the people standing around even david blain could hide a gas bottle and get 02.

 

[nostres]

Mifsud already said it:


"In Monaco, I laugh as I read, that Mr Fattah says that on the eve of the competition I struggled to make 7 minutes. He just does not understand the training! And when a competitor is watching you on the eve of a competition, you do not show him your real level!that seemed to work as Mr Fattah lost! On the other hand, he was quite happy to come to France, all expenses paid by my personal sponsor who organised the competition with Pierre Frolla. You are jealous Mr Fattah! That's not nice! if you don't manage to make any progress, you should take some training with a specialist.

As far as competitions go, I am no longer taking part in any competitions, because my training is so severe for a record, to do a competition would take an equal amount of preparation and I have neither the strength nor the inclination to try record attempts and enter competitions at the same time.

I will stop boring you now, but I would like to once again send out an invitation to anyone who would like to bring scientific researchers to come and validate my performances, I am ready. I will start my training again especially for that person! I can make a great performance in my parents' pool, you can analyse the water, the air, me - even my parents and the dog to see see that he is not breathing oxygen. But I do ask you to please stop dirtying the work that my whole team has put in over many months for 6 or 7 hours a day. And to stop dirtying the quality and kindness of the judges who I did not know, but who validated my performance.

Finally, thank you to all of you who have sent kind messages."


He sent invitation to everyone that includes Eric. If Mr.Fattah has concerns high enough to suggest cheating, he should accept invitation, go there and see what can or can't be done

 

[trux]

I just came back from the competition in La Ciotat. Well, besides doing my first BO, it was amazing experience, because Stephan Mifsud showed up there unexpectedly (accompanying some of his trainees), and made a last minute registration because there were some free places. He pulled an 8 minute STA in a style that could persuade a good part of the doubters - just like at the Monaco WR a few years ago, he clapped his hands above water during a minute or so. I took a video with my phone, but am not sure if the quality will allow to see anything - I'll post it here in a moment.

 

[trux]

There is the video here. Sorry, the quality of the phone camera is really horrible, and the memory was full before the SP. Having blacked out in the same lane just shortly before that performance, I doubt there was any oxygen leaking from some hidden tank.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwaA1OHysz4]YouTube - Mifsud STA 8:01, AIDA, La Ciotat 2010[/ame]