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Reigning world freediving champions attend 1st INDIVIDUAL World Freediving Championships in Nice, France August 9th - September 4th to defend their titles.
Freediving is where athletes descend and ascend from depth without the use of scuba equipment and with the simplest of equipment such as mask, fins and wetsuits. Freediving history dates back at least 4500 years to pearl divers of the south pacific and today enjoys a wide popularity both recreationally and competitively.
Canadian, Mandy-Rae Cruickshank and Czech, Martin Stepanek of the Performance Freediving Team are the reigning world champions in the discipline of constant ballast where, kicking down and up under their own power with only mask, mono-fin, wetsuit and weight belt they achieved world record depths of 78m / 256ft and 103m / 344ft respectively.
The 1st AIDA Individual World Freediving Championships has over sixty of the best male and female competitors from over thirty countries attending this competition in the most prestigious and respected discipline of constant ballast. The Association for the International Development of Apnea (AIDA) is the officiating body for this event and the sport governing body world-wide.
Competition freediving events began in the mid-90's while freediving record holders have challenged depths since 1949 when a Hungarian-Italian air force captain was wagered 100 lira he couldn't reach 30m / 100ft in the first record freedive.
Mandy-Rae's career started in September of 2001 when she set her first world record in the category of no-limits to a depth of 136m / 447ft. Since then she's gone on to hold six world records. Currently Mandy-Rae holds three world records in the self propelled depth disciplines. Mandy-Rae is thirty-one years old and works as an instructor with Performance Freediving International.
Martin began his professional freediving career in May of 2001 when he was the first person to break the eight minute mark in breath-hold, known as static apnea with time of 8:06. Martin has held seven world records and currently holds four including all the self-propelled depth disciplines. Martin is twenty-eight years old and also works teaching freediving programs with Performance Freediving International.
Both Mandy-Rae and Martin work with trainer and coach Kirk Krack, founder and president of Performance Freediving International. Kirk has coached numerous world record holders and last year was the primary organizer of the 4th AIDA World Freediving Championships by Team in Vancouver, Canada.
Performance Freediving specializes in freediver educational programs, athlete development and event organization. Currently Performance Freediving is launching an instructor development program to further the safety and education of freedivers world wide to a growing audience of underwater enthusiasts.
END PRESS RELEASE
For daily journals, pictures and streaming video, of the Performance Freediving Team, please go to www.performancefreediving.com .
For media specific enquiries , please contact Kirk Krack at 604-862-5868 or during the world championships at 949-212-9380 or email at kirk.krack@performancefreediving.com
