Broadenning the scope
This is not a duplication of a thread but an expansion in which we hope to generate more dialogue about the politics of the sport that is includes but goes beyond image and reactions to opinions.
A year ago I was concerned about the search for world records in which a diver sets up a dive and then calls in an agent from acrediting association such as AIDA to authenicate the dive. We are seeing where that has led. Endless disputes, duplication of these 'official associations' and still no clarity on this. Too an outsider I can see how this aspect of the sport could look like boxing or worse, professional wrestling in which there are multiple associations that all have the "world champion" but avoid like crazy ever having these people meet.
With Pellizari's last record the controversy started immediately and it is the same problem. When one is surrounded by supporters it is hard to know what actually happenned. Although I am truly impressed and in awe of the atheletic prowess that these deep dives require and display I am bone weary of all the carping, second guessing, hostilities, sulking, posturing, of these single person dives.
At this point I only pay real attention to information on regional and world events in which multiple teams are competing. I find it interesting that there is much less controversy about records that are set in those events than in what I now think of as "Narcissist in search of a more sponsor dollars" events. When your competitors are there watching you and accept your performance there is no question that you did well. Just notice that Dive Girl is not harshing on the Ibiza competitions.
How would people react to a world record in the 100m freestyle that was done by a swimmer alone in the pool and watched by supporters and an representative from the Speed Swimmers Association? Part of what makes the regional and the world events more meaningful is that the individual competitor does not get to wait until everything is perfect for them. True competition requires the ability to perform when that performance in needed and not just when everything is just right for one competitor. Part of being an athlete is knowing how to get ready, how to prepare for the external demands. I am positive that if you asked competitive freedivers if it was easier to dive deep in training rather than in competition I doubt you hear many who say that this wasn't true.
For me, the deepest dive in an official regional or world competition is the true record. If you want to argue this than you would have to accept times in track and field or competitive swimming that were done in practice as many of them are faster than the official world records.
I would gladly accept a compromise on this. Why don't we have two classes of records, those set in competition and those set by single divers and their favorite accrediting association and give them equal standing. Here is a test (I failed it too) who won in there categories at the last worlds and what were the numbers? How about the previous worlds? And the won before that? Yet many of us can quote Pippins last three records, or Tanya's. Right know, because of how we record records these single diver events are overshadowing the regionals and world competitions which I think harms the sport. I want to see these events reach higher standards and to become the showcase of the sport. Then it becomes a sport and not just a collection of personalities.
