International freedivers set 19 national records at the third event of Apnea Pirates AIDA Cup 2023 in Dubai

The third stage of the Apnea Pirates AIDA Cup 2023 concluded as a resounding success, uniting a passionate community of freediving enthusiasts hailing from 12 countries around the world. The event, the third in a series of five, taking place this year, witnessed multiple record-breaking performances, with 19 new national records set, including 3 bests for the UAE.

Organised by Freediving UAE and authorised by both the International Association for the Development of Apnea (AIDA) in the UAE and Dubai Sports Council, the four-day event was held at some of Dubai’s top watersports venues: the Hamdan Sports Complex for the pool disciplines, and the world’s deepest pool, Deep Dive Dubai, for the depth disciplines.

The competition witnessed exceptional feats of athletic prowess across all the disciplines: static apnea, dynamic apnea with and without fins, constant weight with and without fins, and free immersion. The 19 national records were set by:

• Static: Aws Lafta(IRQ), Firas Fayyad (PSE)
• Dynamic with fins: Aws Lafta(IRQ), Firas Fayyad (PSE)
• Dynamic with bi-fins: Aws Lafta(IRQ)
• Dynamic without fins: Mohamed Aljneibi(ARE), Bux Khurana (IND)
• Constant weight with fins: Ahmed Almansoor(ARE), Ahmed Abdulla (BHR), Aws Lafta (IRQ), FirasFayyad (PSE), Siavash Razmjoo (IRN)
• Constant weight with bi-fins: Siavash Razmjoo(IRN), Zeba Moopen (IND), Aws Lafta (IRQ), FirasFayyad (PSE)
• Constant weight without fins: Firas Fayyad(PSE)
• Free immersion: Yasmin Baker(ARE), Aws Lafta (IRQ)

Commenting on the announcement, Yuriy Rakhmatullin, AIDA Master Instructor, PADI Freediving Instructor, Molchanovs Instructor, Apnea Academy Instructor, EFR Instructor, AIDA UAE Board Member, AIDA Judge B Level, and Owner of Freediving UAE, said: “Each stage of the Apnea Pirates AIDA Cup is a new exploration of discipline and endurance of freedivers from around the world. The dedication and passion of the athletes are a testament to the captivating sport that is freediving, and we are proud to facilitate these events where they can showcase their incredible abilities. Many thanks to all the participants and our gratitude to the partners, judges, volunteers and spectators for making this event such a resounding success.”

This was the third event this year, with the next two stages planned for October and December. Based on the results of each stage, participants earn points towards the ultimate prize of the Apnea Pirates AIDA Cup 2023 trophy, which will be awarded after the fifth and final event, alongside the recognition of the top three performing male and female athletes in each discipline.