DATELINE :- 1st June 2000
FREEDIVE RECORD
Mestre first woman free-diver to 125m
Frenchwoman Audrey Mestre set a new women's freediving world record of 125m off La Palma in the Canary Islands in mid-May. For the No Limits category dive, she descended on a weighted sled and inflated a balloon for a speedy return to the surface.
Backed up by an 11-strong diving safety team, Mestre experienced one hitch when the ascent balloon proved difficult to release. She had to stay at 125m for an extra 11 seconds to sort out the problem, before rising to the surface to record a total dive time of 2min, 3sec.
The dive was organised by the International Association of Free-divers (IAFD), with officials to check the length of the sled rope and the results from a computer strapped to Mestre's back to record the dive. Cameras, including two stationed at 125m, filmed the attempt. Back-up divers included experienced deep divers from France, Spain and Cuba.
The dive broke Mestre's own world record of 115m, set in Mexico two years ago. An attempt to set a record tandem dive (two divers on one sled) to 117m with her partner, Cuban Francisco "Pipin" Ferreras, had to be abandoned because of increasing current and wind.
* The World Free-diving Cup 2000 takes place in St Jean, Cap Ferrat on the French Riviera from 1-7 October. More than 130 free-divers from 30 countries will compete in two disciplines - a static free-dive (breath-holding in a pool) and a constant-weight free-dive (descent and ascent by fin power, returning to the surface carrying whatever weight is chosen). Details: www.multimania.com/aidafrance/AIDA/Nice_2000