Whanganui freediver Tania Roundthwaite featured on the podium at the New Zealand Pool Freediving Championships in Queenstown despite a lack of training in the lead-up.
Roundthwaite is on the hunt for a new training partner after her last freediving buddy moved to New Plymouth, yet was still fit enough to hold out rivals from New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii at the Alpine Aqualand Pool in Frankton at the weekend.
Whanganui's only freediver came second in the women's no fins (distance swum underwater on a single breath without fins) with a 105m dive and second in women's dynamics (distance swum underwater on a single breath with a monofin (think mermaid tail) with a distance of 149m. Her performances placed her third overall in the women's competition.
Gemma O'Brien from Northland Freedivers won the women's competition and Guy Brew from Wellington took out the men's.
Statics (divers hold their breath for as long as possible while lying face down in the water) was up first on Friday and this is where Brew made his mark. He held his breath for 8 min 11 secs, while Kathryn Nevatt of Queenstown Freedivers held hers for 7min 7 secs earning both of them first place.
