Setting the bar higher each year - Pool Freediving National Championships 2024
The Australian Pool Freediving National Championships 2024 were held in Melbourne in collaboration with Melbourne Freedivers Club. This was the biggest freediving event held in Australia to date. It was also the first major freediving event held in the Southern States. We need to say a huge thank you to the Australian Freediving Association & The Australian Underwater Federation, especially thanks to Jody Fisher for taking the lead role in pulling the event together. Many thanks to our incredible team of safety divers, judges, medics, official videographers and general volunteers who helped us keep the athletes safe and supported them to perform at their best. It takes a huge team of people to execute a large event like this and we are extremely grateful for all the time, skills and enthusiasm offered by our extended freediving community. Huge thanks also to the incredibly supportive and accommodating team at Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre for helping us to host this event.
Sunday Safety Team led by Head of Safety Danny Hurst.
Head Judges Joy and Helen with assistants Ying, CiCi and Maggie and all the Safety Divers, Medics and general volunteers from Sunday.
In my experience, Freediving events are geared towards bringing out the best in us. They remind us we can do hard things and we can smile whilst doing it. Seeing our fellow divers as nervous as we are before a dive and vulnerable during their recovery breathing at the end of the dive develops rapid compassion. Seeing one another do PB dives and discover new layers of potential infects us with new belief in ourselves. It’s something I love to be a part of and the main reason I keep competing. It also helps to develop rapid compassion. Ekaterina Borysyuk summed it up better than I can in the below image.
Thanks also for your kind words Kate - I have loved sharing this journey with you the last 6 months.
There was a huge prize pool for athletes and volunteers worth more than $10,000. Thanks to the sponsors of the event: Cressi; Drifters Freediving (training of the safety team and a free depth coaching day for all the the local volunteers); Ocean Sense; Molchanovs; Trudive; Orca, DiveR; Adreno; Funky Trunks; Funkita; Salt.
Brenton competed too, doing some comp PB swims - here he is in is role with the AFA awarding a medal to Ant Judge. Psst Thats Jody too - the amazing women making so much happen behind the scenes at the AFA!
RESULTS
DYNAMIC PODIUM
***The guy on the left should be Alejandro but there was a momentary glitch in the scores at presentation and the photo was taken before this was corrected. Ant quickly awarded the Bronze to Alejandro upon realising. Sorry my photo shop skills couldn’t correct the image Alejandro.
FEMALE
1ST - Jordan Duncan (AUS) 228M
2ND - Ashleigh Mercer (AUS) 172M
3RD - Zuzana Reitingerova (CZE) 159M
MALE
1ST - Dmitri Melnikov (EST) 241M
2ND - Jarrod Briffa (AUS) 225M
3RD - Alejandro Guedez (VEN) 217M
DYNAMIC NO FINS PODIUM
***Lucja had already departed so Ekaterina collected the silver on her behalf.
FEMALE
1ST - Jordan Duncan (AUS) 162M
2ND - Lucja Nowowiejski (POL) 142M
3RD - Ashleigh Mercer (AUS) 119M
MALE
1ST - Dmitri Melnikov (EST) 182M
2ND - Jarrod Briffa (AUS) 159M
2ND - Ant Judge (AUS) 159M
DYNAMIC BI-FINS PODIUM
FEMALE
1ST - Jordan Duncan (AUS) 213M
2ND - Ashleigh Mercer (AUS) 172M
3RD - Zuzana Reitingerova (CZE) 159M
MALE
1ST - Dmitri Melnikov (EST) 232M
2ND - Alejandro Guedez (VEN) 214M
3RD - Jarrod Briffa (AUS) 206M
STATIC PODIUM
***Angus was MIA for the ceremony - so he was awarded his medal at the after party.
FEMALE
1ST - Emma Do Khac (FRA) 6:12
2ND - Jordan Duncan (AUS) 6:02
3RD - Jenna Black (AUS) 5:46
MALE
1ST - Ant Judge (AUS) 8:03
2ND - Troy O'Connor (AUS) 7:32
3RD - Angus Mcleay (AUS) 7:17
Overall Rankings
Overall Women
1ST - Jordan Duncan (AUS)
2ND - Ashleigh Mercer (AUS)
3RD - Jenna Black (AUS)
Overall Men
1ST - Ant Judge (AUS)
2ND - Alejandro Guedez (VEN)
3RD - Jarrod Briffa (AUS)
In the last few years there has been a major progression in the results of both Male and Female pool freediving performances in Australia. It was a privilege to host such a big event with so many inspiring performances moving the bar higher in every discipline. Beyond the results, this National Championships was a great display of camaraderie with many of the senior athletes spending their time out of the water coaching, supporting and mentoring the newer competitors. There is a strong wave of new freedivers entering the sport in Australia and it is fantastic to see so many new athletes exploring their potential under the guidance and support of some of our country's top competitors and more experienced athletes.
Ash was stoked to get her first freediving medals.
Several of the athletes who competed will be travelling to Lithuania for the AIDA, or Serbia for the CMAS, World Championships Later in June and Early July. We wish them all the best and hope this event was a positive experience in their preparations.
