DAY FIVE - hiccups

Noone could expect 11 days of successes, so a less triumphant day allows everyone to catch their breath, come down to earth maybe, and focus on what they need to do to achieve their goals in the remaining week.

There were however two very impressive dives: Leo is progressing inexorably towards the US record for Free Immersion. Today his dive to 69m ('it's a nice numbeŕ) took 2'54, and looked tough, but he is determined and is getting stronger every day. He is very buoyant, and pulled all the way to 50m, before a leisurely ascent that quickens towards the surface.

Eric had announced 62m CWT, another 4 meters on yesterday's dive. He warms up with full exhale statics at 5m, lying with his forehead _* between his hands on the sand bank that slopes down to the lip of the gw Blue Hole. 'Fight Bermuda shorts are his only garb, but Eric says he wants to take himself just to the edge of shivering before a dive. After a gentle breathe-up through the snorkel he exhales, ducks under the water and gives a single limp wave of his monofin before being gradually taken by his negative buoyancy. As soon as he turns at the bottom Eric says he feels his legs are already tired, and he kick-glides up to about E 20m before a second wind allows him to sprint the remaining distance to the surface. There, with healthy pink lips and an alert stare at the È judges, his mouth opens and he inhales...

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Nati, we believe in you! Go for ít!!rnRegards from ZuríchrnMartín, Betti and Timo by Martin Gmuer on 2008-04-05 14: 12:32