Who will win the mens Static competition?

[Stephan Whelan]

In the latest article by Pete Scott and Eric Fattah, in our lead-up coverage to the Sony FreeDiver Open Classic competition, we provide a list of the contenders for the mens static competition in Cyprus.

However, not statisfied with our authors predictions we want to hear your votes for the person you think will win the Mens Static competition.

Vote above and then continue to watch our coverage to see if your prediction is correct!

[Walrus]

Why is the list the same for both static and dynamic ??
Should be a different lists, there are only a few competitors are good at both.

Think the chances of Deron winning the dynamic are about as likely as Haydn Welch winning the static.
No offence Deron


Confused Wal.

[Stephan Whelan]

I apologise but an error on our part meant the Static and Dynamic polls had identical lists of competitors. This has now been corrected!

Thanks!

[DSV]

None taken Wal,

It is true I suck at dynamics.

Hey Eric, you guys make me sound like a stuck up, self loving, ego freak. James Hill from the UK calls me the 7min man. I just egg him on for fun. And about the email address, I did that so when I'm hitting up sponsors to send my poor arse over to Cyprus they'll know I'm not just some fat couch patato trying to get a free trip or some free equipment.

I have to say you and Peter did a great job on the articles!


And Wal, I'd better see your sorry arse over there also. You can't be as poor as me.


7:17 man

[fpernett]

Of course my vote goes for my brother, I've seen him makin 7' in the first try without any warm up. The lung squeeze was a bad thing but he is going good. Hope he will be at top for the competition. He's with me now, and send Eric and Peter many thanks for the great compromise they put over his back.
He doesn't live at altitude, he lives in an Island. At this moment he's at altitude (where I live) for travel arrangements. His 7' was with a wetsuit. He uses to train with out it, but in that competition he felt cold, 1 minute before the performance he borrowed my suit, put it as fast as he could and start the performance with a HR of 170.
I wish him the best luck

[derelictp]

My vote was hard for me to do but it goes for Mifsud. Timo Kinnunen, Karl Pernett and Herbert Nitsch also have a very big chance to win. (Of these four I belive anyone can win.)

[j.grady]

I'd have to go with the Stephan or Herbert, those guys have put up some big numbers in competition.....unfortunately for the U.S.A I think Deron does'nt have the 7:00 plus ability. Hopefullt Annabel will take the womens title

[Bill]

"unfortunately for the U.S.A I think Deron does'nt have the 7:00 plus ability."

Wanna bet?

Bill

[j.grady]

i don't doubt that deron has hit 7:00 in training tons of times, but he has yet to put up some really big numbers in competition, lets be realistic, his 6:49 national record gets beat in warm ups by half the other competitors on a daily basis, unless he gained a minute since the Pac Cup I still feel he has zero chance to to win the static comp.

[Bill]

Let's see. At the Pacific Cup, Deron went head to head with the world record holder and beat him. The rest of the world competed for third place. Zero chance?
Until I watched Martin that day (as his safety diver), I didn't know that any one but me did three minutes of convulsions. Deron's style is different and better suited to competition. Last week he did over 7:00 in a small pool with an aerobic class making waves. I thought he would get wiplash. I also timed him over 7:00 after a day's work including a big lunch.
There are probably hundreds capable of 7:30+ on that one day a year when every thing is perfect. Competition is a lot different.

Bill

[j.grady]

thats exactly what i was saying........I'm sure deron can hit 7:00 plus while standing on his head in the deep end......BUT....he's not doing it in competition like the other guys.....the tops guys are and have been hitting 8:00 min in training and recently a few times in competitions....I wish deron the best i just think the Americans best shot at any titles are going to come Annabel.

[PILOT]

I agree, I think that Stephan and Herbert are in a different category, and from whats been written on this post lately there are some new guys in the 8:00 plus category.

Also, I thought that Deron and Martin tied the static competition.

[loopy]

People doing 8 min in comp? I'd like to see that.

You're fogetting 2 important facts - firstly, there's a big difference between an international and a national level comp.
Secondly, at the end of the day, Deron took on the world record holder (and the other greats) - and won. The actual time he did doesn't really matter - maybe the conditions were such that that's all the good guys could get up to.

Go for the gusto Deron - us Aussies are behind you

[konasandy]

I was the timer for Martin in the Pacific Cup (Bill was the safety diver) and Deron did beat him.
I heard that he played it safe because it was a team competition. Unfortunately for the team, his teammate didnt and it really hurt them in the overall standings. This competition will be different-- it is individual and Deron will not play it safe this time.
He is ready and it is his time.
I vote for Deron!
Kona is behind you all the way!!!!!!

[Walrus]

Officially Deron & Martin both got 6.49 in Hawaii. That was actually a good time for Martin, in Ibiza he only did 5.12. Comp's are tough ! Can't compare to training, or records set in Ideal conditions.

Does anybody know what the longest static is anyone's ever done in an international comp ?

I can't find results for the one in Nice, the longest static I found was 7.00 by HUBERT MAIER in Ibiza 2001. I think Deron's static may be the second or third best static ever in an international comp. To be fair you probably shouldn't even compare Team competitions to Individual competitions like Cyprus will be.

There may be quite a few people now that have hit over 7 in training, much less have gotten over 7 in comps, and how many in an international comp ??

Sounds like Stephane has the best competition static now with
8.02, but look at Hawaii last year he only did 6.17. I think if Herbert wanted to win the statics I'd bet money on him. But will he care about winning, or does he want a record ?
There may be a few going all or nothing for a record, be interesting to see what happens.

Cheers,
Wal