Bye World Championship

Photo Kimmo Lahtinen

Well I got to be honest, it feels a little empty right now. I made an effort to prepare myself for this competition and I really enjoyed the training I did prior to the event. I like pushing on to see where it will take me.
I knew I had not done enough water training. But I also knew I had done quite a lot of dry training.

But I had no idea how the competition would be like or how to behave around the other good athlete. Or how they would behave around others. You just never know.
I should not have worried. I met so many cool and nice people that also are really good freedivers which makes for an interesting combination. So many good tips and advices. So many ideas I got from watching people prepare, train, compete. Some extremely relaxed and some extremely focused.

I didn't feel like I wanted to go to the WC and just see how it goes and hope for the best.
I set some goals for myself. More than just try my best and have fun.

- I wanted white cards and be top 10 in both DNF and Static.
- I also wanted to beat the swedish record in DNF of 162 meters in the final.

Photo Kimmo Lahtinen

Sounds a bit arrogant since I have only done 134 meters DNF in competition and 6.31 min in Static.
But I don't see it as arrogant. And I see it as fun.
Setting high goals doesn't exclude having fun and being relaxed. Plus you always finds a way of pushing youself. I know some see freediving as this pure thing that is holy and it is wrong to have any kind of ambition with numbers. All about emotions.
I too like what freediving is doing to my body and how it makes me feel.
But I ALSO like what ambition and goals and determenation are doing to my freediving...

Did I make my goals?'
Yes. And no. I finished 8th place in the DNF with 155 meters and finished 9th place in Static with 7.15 min.. So 7 meter short of the swedish record. But I gave it a fair try. I couldn't gone any longer that day. But white cards and PBs in all of the events.
And the best 10 days in my short freediving life...

 STA 7.15 min Filmed by Stig Severinsen

  DNF 155 meter