Nice Reloaded

The 2005 Individual Constant Weight World Championships in Villefranche have now passed into history, so it seems sensible to jot down a few memories from the whole event.

Accommodation was warm and cosy ( a polite interpretation of hot and cramped ), but had real family atmosphere. The kids ( Hannah and Sam S ) camped out in the kitchenette, while Auntie Anne-Marie and Uncle Matt were a stone’s throw away in another chalet.

Day one broke with an early training session planned, with me awaking in a crumpled heap at the side of the bed. My pack stretching had gone a bit too far, and left me unconsious for a brief period. After that I decided to do ‘reduced training’ due to travel fatigue. An afternoon trip to the shoppes yielded our prize catch - 5 litres of Rosé for just under 7 Euros. It didn’t stay capped for long, once we had chilled it out.

The hub of the event was a bright yellow and orange circus tent in the middle of the seafront car park. This was where we sweated out the Event Committee meetings, absorbed each evening’s entertainments, and savoured the sustenance offered to us by our hosts. Such was the epicurean delight of our lunchtime buffet, we decided to not have too much of a good thing and partook our evening meal in a nearby restaurant.

Another day, another training dive on Thursday, while Matt and Laura went-a-Scuba-ing out in the bay. I felt a bit short-changed after negotiating a 60 metre line, and surfacing to read 54.2 on my dive computer. Not even a PB. A lot of congestion on the training lines too.

Friday soon arrived, and so did Zoe and Nigel from BBC South West to do their documentary about Hannah. Nigel was kitted out for rough terrain with his hobnail boots, but did a sterling job with the shooting. The afternoon’s schedule was for all athletes to cross the bay in a flotilla of RIBs, to then walk to the centre of town ( up a very steep hill ), and then join a procession back to camp. It was true carnival atmosphere with banners and flags held high, and Pierre Frolla’s mobile disco float at the head of procession. The weather was hot, and so were Pierre’s skimpily clad helpers. By the time we were back to the circus tent we all felt as dehydrated as Nigel looked.

Saturday was day one of the competition, Ladies first. Sam and I coached Hannah and Anne-Marie respectively. For both of them, the results were respectable, but not quite what they had hoped for. Good though, that thay had both set national records the week before to keep their spirits buoyed. The deepest diva was Natalia Molchanova at 86 metres, and a new WR. Following her was Lotta Ericson at 65, and one metre below in 3rd was the Italian, Malara Mattia.

For the Men on Sunday, it was business as usual. 65 metres for Mr Still, minus his wetsuit, and 60 for Mr. Harris covering his modesty. As for the big boys, Carlos equalled the depth that Jacques Mayol reached in No-Limits back in the 70s, and set a new WR at 105 metres.
Laura and Matt were privelleged enough to capture the dive on film from their Scuba vantage points. Unfortunately for Guillaume Nery and Herbert Nitsch, both blacked out at the surface. Stepanek turned early and was DQ’ed for rope pulls. 2nd and 3rd places went to Timo Jattu and Timo Kinnunen with 90 and 85 metres respectively. A day of dramas.

The last night party was a hot, humid affair, with food and electricity a little shy. Not so the Karaoke girl from Monaco.

Other notable events....the counterballast system being used in anger....distances on the rope varying by metres at a time....Tanya Streeter pulling out after illness took its toll....and Sam Still keeping our glucose levels up with a Toblerone the size of a wooden log.