Freedive record beaten, then lost

There was high drama at the Genesis Recreation Centre pool in Masterton yesterday when Martinborough freediver Kathryn Nevatt was disqualified after smashing the women's world record for dynamic without fins.

Nevatt had the mortification of being shown the dreaded red card by chief judge, Grant Graves of Los Angeles, after swimming 164m underwater on a single breath, a distance that blitzed, by all of 4m, the old record of 160m set by Russian Natalia Malchanova in 2009.

And while the 33-year-old architect was quick to lodge an appeal, the judges' decision was upheld after video coverage of her swim was viewed.

Graves, an international A judge, said the judges had ruled that Nevatt had short periodic losses of consciousness, something that had caused her to dip her head on occasions. "It's unfortunate but when you are going for a world record everything has to be okay. We felt we had no option but to red card."

Nevatt was typically philosophical about the end result, saying that while she was sure she was completely conscious all the way through and that any movement of the head was more a shake than a dip, the judges were very experienced at their job, and she simply had to take it on the chin.

"If I held the record I'd want them to be make the tough decisions, so I just have to live with it. Sure, it is disappointing but there is always another day. We will be back," she said in direct reference to upcoming sessions at the Masterton pool tomorrow morning and again on Wednesday morning when she will again attempt to better Malchanova's mark.

What made Nevatt's superb effort yesterday even more remarkable was that it was her third record bid in as many days. On Friday she had reached 154m and on Saturday 152m.

But rather than feeling exhausted by those efforts she said she turned up yesterday morning in a better head space than she had been in either of those days.

"I wasn't as nervous - after missing out twice I thought to heck with it - I'll just forget all the hype and go out there and do my best. The expectations weren't so great and that made me a lot calmer."

Nevatt was one of two freedivers attempting records in world dynamic without fins at the weekend. Dave Mullins from Wellington had three goes to break his own men's mark of 218m but was quick to admit he was "pretty much out of form" after falling well short on each occasion. At the same time, however, Mullins was quick to praise the Masterton pool as a freediving facility and said he was keen to return for another world record attempt in the not-too-distant future. "I'd love to come back when I am in the sort of shape you need to be in. The pool and the crowds here are fantastic," Mullins said.

Nevatt too was "absolutely rapt" with the crowd support over the first three days of the five-day competition, saying that most of the participants were not used to performing in front of such good spectator numbers. "They were all saying it made them more nervous than normal. They weren't expecting something like this."

The freediving competition will be run at the Genesis Recreation Centre over one brief session tomorrow and Wednesday, starting at 10.15am and finishing by 11am.