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Mifsud announces STA WR attempt

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Any diver can pull off a static that is 1'30" less than his maximum, even with no training. For example an 8'00" diver should be able to do 6'30" with no training. So an 11'35" diver should manage at least 10'05" with no training. But only 8'01" ? Sorry, that is all the evidence I need. Case closed. So now we know that without O2 he can make 8'00", just like all the other top level athletes in the world.
 
Well, Stephane manages to keep us talking. Between 8 and 11.5 minutes there is an eternity, so it might look strange. However, to summarize the long bla-bla below, I don't think it is too strange.


-there is a difference between "lack of training" and "optimal conditions". In a record attempt, not only you are at the top of your training, but you also have ideal conditions: start whenever you want, try as many times as you wish, maybe even your favorite pool with the water just right. In a competition all this can be lost. I know that many freedivers can express their best in a competition, but many others like me cannot. I have never been in comp closer than 1' to my PB of the time. Besides, in the final part of his attempt Stephane is again putting up a clapping show, so my impression is that he was not aiming at a longer time.

-more quantitavely: it is not clear to me that a given difference in time between best and average performance (1'30 is the number that Eric quotes) is additive or multiplicative. Based on my experience, which is purely personal and possibly biased, I would say that increments in static tend to be relative to the total time. From this point of view, if we say that a guy with PB of 7' can always manage 5'30 under any condition (with which I agree completely), than the correct extrapolation should be that a guy with PB of 11.5' should manage always 9'.

So I am not sure that Stephane's result at this particular competition proves much in either direction. And I would still love to see him compete outside France (farther than Monaco).
 
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Well, that's already nice shift in opinions. Now at least it seams people admit Mifsud has a WR level. So knowing he can reach about the WR level times, you probably agree he'd be able to increment the old WR of Tom Sietas by a few seconds. So if you admit it, then why would he risk his reputation and his honor by some stupid cheat? OK, there is still certainly the possibility that he cheated, but we could tell it about any other competitor. I do not find it fair accusing him of cheating without having any proof. And it is not only ufair, and damages Mifsud, but in fact it damages more the sport, including those who accuse him.
 
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Geez, this is becoming worse than North Wales spearfishing thread. :D
 
Well, that's already nice shift in opinions. Now at least it seams people admit Mifsud has a WR level. So knowing he can reach about the WR level times, you probably agree he'd be able to increment the old WR of Tom Sietas by a few seconds. So if you admit it, then why would he risk his reputation and his honor by some stupid cheat? OK, there is still certainly the possibility that he cheated, but we could tell it about any other competitor. I do not find it fair accusing him of cheating without having any proof. And it is not only ufair, and damages Mifsud, but in fact it damages more the sport, including those who accuse him.

No, we are not saying he is world record level. He can do 8 minutes, just like me and tons of other athletes, and we are NOT world record level. World record level is 9-10 minutes.

The difference between 8 and 9 minutes is HUGE.
 
Strange, you just wrote:
Any diver can pull off a static that is 1'30" less than his maximum, even with no training.
And that's exactly what happened - he came without specific training, long after he was in peak for his WR. He just came by to show he can pull easily an 8 min STA anytime, and he did not even try doing more - it was apparent he did not really struggle, came up after a show, and without any hypoxic signs. There was obviously a fair reserve for much more. He pulled a performance nobody else in France is able to do even with the best conditions.

Don't take me wrong, I have no personal interest in advocating Mifsud. Frankly told I dislike his attitude, and was always criticizing his actions that I often found unfair - the proclamation of his national records for WRs, the denigration and accusations of Tom Sietas, or the way he managed to ban Tom from coming to the Monaco STA competition, or the bloated self-promotional interviews and videos. I have no personal reason for protecting him. But in the same time I also do not find any reason for telling he is a crook, and find it quite unsportive to accuse him without holding any proof. And I think it damages the sport - if we start accusing each other of cheating without proofs, it will only bring people to accept cheating and doping is the norm in freediving, and we'll start seeing newbies helping themselves with any means.
 
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