New STA record attempt pending

[trux]

Mifsud plans a new static record in the next few days. It should be aired live on Saturday, at 15:00 during the Salon de la Plongée in Paris. He apparently does regularly +10 minutes in training, so it will be almost certainly an attempt to break the barrier "officially". Well, I am keeping it in quotes, because Mifsud not being an AIDA fan, will certainly not let it supervise by AIDA judges, but rather just by the French federation FFESSM (CMAS), although as at some previous records, it will certainly not stop him for claiming the world record .

On the other hand I see on FFESSM's website an article about a new agreement between AIDA and FFESSM (CMAS), where they now recognize each others freediver, instructor, and judge licenses. So if FFESSM judges are recognized as AIDA's own ones, the record should be actually ratified by AIDA too (assuming AIDA rules were respected). Or am I wrong?

EDIT: I just realized, there would have to be two AIDA foreign judges so that it can be recognized as a world record, and I am not sure if it is likely there even if FFESSM judges are present.

Some info about Mifsud and related media : http://apnea.cz/mifsud

 

[Haydn]

I can see this getting rather silly. I imagine we will all see Stephane break the barrier, successfully. But for the sake of a certain judge or two from a certain organisation or other, the world record will be questioned. Eventhough we all see it happen according to all the protocols. I say, if the guy breaks the barrier and comes up clean, he deserves the right to claim a world record, even if its not an Aida one. A world record is just that, even if some people were not watching. I would therefore suggest Aida send a couple of judges anyway. Otherwise we members of Aida will have to pretend it never happened and award the recognition to one of our own members who gets there second, third, fifth etc. Aida rules need to be modified to accommodate these very important milestone records.

 

[pehtran]

who cares about organisations if he brakes the 10 minute mark!
miha

 

[Jorg]

It's not only the judges:
- the doping test that has to be done
- 45 minutes beforehand under constant surveillance, so that no tricks are being like breathing o2
- correct surface protocol
- no help from others
- many more

So not saying that this will all be wrong, but it gets into the same range as the David Blaine stunt. Imagine that David Blaine would have done 10 minutes in his bowl, would we all accept that as the world record?

 

[Billextreme]

Mifsud is one of the best pool freedivers in the world !!!

BUT if the AIDA rules for World Records are ok by Herbert Nitsch, Tom Sietas, Natalia Molchanova, Stig Severinsen, William Trubridge, Martin Stepanek or
Mandy-Rea Cruickshank, I guess they should work just fine for Mifsud as well.

Why not sign up for the World Championship in Maribor - then he have the right judges and some competitor to fight with. Mifsud is very welcome!

We have to use the same rules for everyone. You can only make AIDA WR in AIDA international WR attempts or in AIDA competition with WR status.

best regards
/B

ps. We already have athletes passing 10 minutes

 

[samdive]

Is it true about the FFESSM instructor recognition? (i.e. has that changed from last year when they did need to do a course but could go straight in to the instructor course?)

 

[fabrice]

Yes it's true : see Apnée France - Commission Nationale d'Apnée FFESSM

Fabrice

 

[trux]

Is it true about the FFESSM instructor recognition? (i.e. has that changed from last year when they did need to do a course but could go straight in to the instructor course?)

Yes, as shown on the link I posted above, it is true. At least from FFESSM's side, but I understand it so that the recognition is reciprocate:

JUGE FEDERAL APNEE ‹—› JUGE AIDA FRANCE
Niveau 1 ‹—› AIDA * Pool freediver
Niveau 2 ‹—› AIDA ** Pool freediver
Niveau 3 ‹—› AIDA ** Freediver
Niveau 4 ‹—› AIDA **** Freediver
MEF1° ‹—› AIDA Instructor
MEF2° ‹—› AIDA Master Instructor​

 

[trux]

The date was now specified closer - the attempt should take place on July 12th. As far as I understood it will be aired live (if the info on Mifsud' website is correct, then at 15:00 CET), and then aired again during the main evening news on the main French channel TF1 starting at 20:00. You can watch the news journal on the website of TF1: Toute l'actualité, les infos jour par jour en vidéo - Vidéos

 

[wolleneugebauer]

@Trux::
Is it fair to support this attempt (without AIDA-Judgement)?
I don't think so!
Stephan is one of the best freedivers in the world. But this will be a shame. It is without respect to all other athletes.
greetings Wolle

:: freedivers.info wolle neugebauer's freediving page

 

[SnuFPunK]

@Trux::
Is it fair to support this attempt (without AIDA-Judgement)?
I don't think so!
It is without respect to all other athletes.

:rcard

Whats the deal with him and AIDA exactly ?
I keep hearing about it but no one seems to understand the story or I'm being slow here, please, enlighten me.

~ Snuf.

 

[sebastien murat]

Wolle et al,

You seem to believe that just because someone isn't toeing the line according to your projection of the world it should be discounted. My friend there are many versions of reality and it would be wiser not to establish one as the standard by which all others/things should be measured.

Vive la difference! Though not a supporter of static I'm backing Mifsud 110%....not because he may or may not be against AIDA but because people such as yourself would seek to take aways is privelege and freedom for their own ends. If you cannot respect him, why should he even respect you?

Seb

 

[CEngelbrecht]

You seem to believe that just because someone isn't toeing the line according to your projection of the world it should be discounted. My friend there are many versions of reality and it would be wiser not to establish one as the standard by which all others/things should be measured.
Vive la difference! [...]

Vive la difference en la compromise. It'll make IOC consideration much easier when all athletes in a game applies to the same rules.

Now, do we really need the frickin' IOC? Yeah, I think we do. And the game is worth it, too.

I'm curious too, who in AIDA p... off Stéphane?

 

[Jorg]

Yes, I can already see this going to a nice discussion once again. Tomorrow I do a 2 minute static in my pink speedo's and a tie around my neck and I declare myself world champion in this new discipline. Should someone else care? No, that's the freedom I have.

If you want to compare performances, then indeed you can't compare his performance to any other performance done under AIDA regulation.

 

[Jorg]

I'm curious too, who in AIDA p... off Stéphane?

If I remember correctly Stephane did two world records and both were disqualified when AIDA saw the tape in their HQ. I only remember very good the last record he set. He came up with a very good time and very strong, but he completely forgot to do his surface protocol. He was just standing there. The judges on site gave a white card for that performance (new wr), but when the video arrived within AIDA and the responsible for records saw that performance he could not accept this record. Stephane was pretty pissed about, big judge error!

Don't forget, in that period the responsible for records still had the last word about the performance. This gave many more solutions, and not long after this incident the assembly voted to give complete power to the judges on site. They were completely responsible for the judgment about technical part. So if someone did a world record, they would instantly know for sure if they got it, and not weeks later when someone saw the performance from behind his tv. Pending doping test of course.

 

[CEngelbrecht]

Can someone relay that to Stéphane? Pour la diplomacie...

 

[OceanMan]

Trux, there is no Salon de la Plongée in Paris this week end. Actually The Salon de la Plongée was held in January 2007. What you read on Mifsud's website is an hold piece of news from 2-3 years ago.
Mifsud will attempt a french aida record (not a world record) the 12th of July and it will not be aired live.
According to what I heard, Mifsud is pissed off by aida international because of is 8'24" static record which was set the same day as the aida surface protocole was introduced. Nobody knew about the new protocole. Judges did not know about the new protocole and gave a white card. The record was concelled a few weeks after that. Mifsud is still in good term with aida france though.

 

[Jorg]

According to what I heard, Mifsud is pissed off by aida international because of is 8'24" static record which was set the same day as the aida surface protocole was introduced. Nobody knew about the new protocole. Judges did not know about the new protocole and gave a white card. The record was concelled a few weeks after that. Mifsud is still in good term with aida france though.

The surface protocol he had to day was already in place for a long time. The judge on site just made a mistake... I still have the video of this performance and you see Stephane after his amazing performance just standing there... no okay sign nothing. And that's already in place for a very long time.

 

[sebastien murat]

I'll be blunt. You have 2 chances for IOC inclusion: none and bugger all!

Finswimming tried but the answer was simple: there are already too many sports and, if it would even be considered, it would have to be a popular world sport.

Calling yourself world champion, the greatest, the best or raising the #1 finger up in the air are hardly commendable qualities where I come from. Unfortunately, AIDA has developed and promoted just such a culture. One's actions should speak for themselves. Why is that important? Simply because you are fostering are culture of losers...there can only be one winner.

I for one hope that it never be considered for IOC inclusion. There seem to be a lot of people wanting to police this thing we call freediving. If you police it, you will kill the very thing that may have attracted you to it in the first instance. Sadly, some feel that by containing it with some arbitrary and abstract concepts it organizes their world into a more meaningful existence, but that's simply a delusion. I'm all for variety and opening up the borders in a more lateral direction.

S

 

[trux]

@Trux:: Is it fair to support this attempt (without AIDA-Judgement)?

Personally I do not see anything wrong in supporting any freediving performances, regardless if they are sanctioned by AIDA or not, and I keep my highest respect for the freedivers who achieve any nice result, regardless if it was under AIDA supervision or not.

What I have no respect for, at all, though, is the impertinence to immediately claim such attempt to be a World Record (same at Mifsud as at Musimu). As long as conditions required for a WR are not kept, it simply is no world record, but in the best case just the "longest breath-hold (or breath-hold swim) ever achieved". Claiming immediately after surfacing the WR is indeed a great disrespect for others, who had to respect and endure the often limiting conditions of a WR. See below what I mean: after his 213m DNF swim (French NR), Mifsud immediately waved in front of TV cameras a 1x1m banner with words Stéphane Mifsud - World Record 213m, although he very well knew that the attempt cannot be and will not be sanctioned as such.

​

So again, I have a great respect for the performance, but do not consider it World Record, because it was not done in conditions previous records were done under. And although I respect Mifsud for his performances, I disrespect him for this provocative attitude, and also for his public denigration of other freedivers - for example he continues to claim that he does not respect any performances achieved by Tom Sietas, because he considers him a doping cheater, although it is completely baseless. Seeing Mifsud's discussions on French forums, I know Mifsud is a nice guy, but unfortunately with a sick ego, not able to accept not being the best.