August 19, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Women’s US National, North American, and Pan American Freediving Record Set in Dynamic No Fins at World Championships.

Aarhus. Denmark.  United States Apnea Association, USAA, is pleased to announce that Annabel Edwards of Kona, Hawaii has set a new US National, North American Continental, and Pan American Record in the freediving discipline of Dynamic No Fins, DNF.  Annabel’s swim of 120 meters / 394 feet took place during the International Association for the Development of Apnea’s, AIDA, 2009 Individual Indoor Freediving World Championships.  The individual indoor world championships occur bi-annually. 

Danish Sport Diving Federation is playing host to the largest world championships to date.  This is the first championship that has brought together the world’s two sanctioning bodies for the sport of freediving.  AIDA is being joined by CMAS for a conjoined championship for each organization.  Festivities will be separate, although several of the CMAS athletes are participating in the AIDA event in the disciplines not sanctioned by CMAS.  AIDA conducts three disciplines in the pool, static apnea (STA), dynamic apnea (DYN), and dynamic no fins (DNF).

Bel’s swim took place during qualification heats at the championships placing a total of six athletes in the pool at once contesting for a place in the finals.  A total of sixteen male and female athletes will participate in A and B Finals for each discipline, eight per section.  Bel said, "I'm 57, I think that makes me the oldest woman in the World Championships. Getting the dynamic no fins record makes all the training and coming to Aarhus from half the world away worth it." 

Bel’s swim took over two minutes and places her ninth overall at the event thus far.  She is competing with athletes over half her age.  She broke her own record that she set just two weeks ago at the Freedive Paradise Competition held in Kona, Hawaii. She helped organize that event.  Bel has held world records in multiple freediving disciplines, her last she set at over fifty years of age. 

Freediving is a sport where athletes are capable of participating for life.  The US has athletes at the top of the sport at all ages; the oldest is seventy.  The low impact nature of the sport makes it perfect for the very young as well.  Allowing exploration of the oceans and the athlete’s inner connection of mind and body in a healthy and dynamic way. 

Dynamic Apnea No Fins is performed by swimming without fins in a pool with the athlete holding their breath swimming as far as they can.  Distance is measured with the use of a metered tape measure.

Static Apnea is performed laying face down in a pool with the athlete holding their breath as long as they can.  The time is measured from submersion of the airway into the water until its exit.  This is the event for time of breath hold.

Dynamic Apnea is performed by swimming with fins in a pool with the athlete holding their breath swimming as far as they can.  Distance is measured with the use of a metered tape measure.

The USAA is a nonprofit association founded on the democratic representation of freediving within the United States and internationally.  Founded in 2003, the USAA consists of an active membership dedicated to furthering freediving in the United States and abroad. For more information about the USAA, the U.S. National Freediving Team, and membership please visit www.usfreediving.org.

The International Association for the Development of Freediving, AIDA, is the international sanctioning body for freediving, individual and team competition, and freediving world record attempts.  For more information about AIDA please visit http://www.aida-international.org.
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Contact Information:

Grant W. Graves, President
United States Apnea Association, USAA

3642 Seahorn Dr.
Malibu, CA 90265
Email: makog@aol.com
Phone: 310-560-6104

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