The BFA is excited that for the 2nd year running a Freediving event will be held at the atmospheric Camberwell Pool in London on sunday 31st May. The competition will be an AIDA National with guests organised by Liv Philip who has been working alongside Southwark Council and leisure centre staff.
Camberwell Breath Hold 2008 – Photography by Laura Storm
This year there are over 20 athletes attending the event from as far afield as Germany and South Africa as well as freedivers from all over the UK. Liv wanted to build on the success of the first event last year. “We managed to create an event where athletes had a safe and relaxed environment where they could build on there performance in a competition.” After some fantastic performances, many athletes well exceeded their personal best and demand for a second competition was high.
This year’s event has doubled in size as Freedivers will use Camberwell to help them gain a ranking and try to qualify for the World Indoor Championships in Demark in August. Fusions’ Centre manager Simon Cooke said “Despite competition stakes being high amongst the top athletes, the UK has a great mixture of experience levels and abilities, which makes the event so unique.” Liv agrees: “The Great Camberwell Breath Hold has a fantastic, friendly atmosphere and allows new freedivers to compete alongside some of their heros, so everyone can learn from each other.”
This years event looks set to see many new freedivers in there first competition, and from the more experienced competitors, lookout for some big performances. After last years event, Liv and Dave King went on to set new national records. The UK’s Alan Barber is in training to try to break his massive dynamic with fins record of 186m. Infact the mens Dynamic events look set to be very exciting to watch, and William Trubridge is coming to show us all what Dynamic no fins is meant to look like! There are 9 female athletes attending, nearly matching the boys in numbers. There will be prizes of coaching sessions with experienced uk athletes for best 1st-3rd placed freedivers in their first pool competition to encourage them to develop and allow them to build training contacts within the UK.
The International judges coming to the Competition from Sweden and France are Peter Boivie and Francois Gaultier along with a fantastic team of Safety Divers, Doctor, and Assistants. Camberwell Breath Hold has kindly been supported by ‘Eat Natural Bars’, ‘Matrix Diving’, Fusion Leisure and the BFA.
Spectators are welcome, entrance is free with a £2 optional donation going to ‘Shark Trust’.
