The Deep Dominica Freediving 2024 comes to an end, a race with Champions such as Zecchini, Artnik and Carrera, which saw the participation of many outstanding and world-class athletes, but which failed to give those records that at the start many expected. Certainly thewhole organization and logistics was impeccable, but a little bit of the weather and a little bit of particular water conditions made everything a bit more complicated.
Davide Carrera, our Champion, was present in Dominica in the dual capacity of athlete and correspondent of Apneapassion Magazine. Let’s hear his words, hot off the press:
Davide Carrera: “From my personal point of view, although I didn’t bring home anything but a blackout – by the way, my first blackout in a deep race – I have always been in principle quite conservative even if precisely sometimes it happened that I came out pulled. At certain depths, I always say, it’s a bit like racing in MotoGP where it’s clear that if you’re racing at 300 km/h, sometimes it can happen that you slide and you also have to accept it because it’s part of our sport. Although I always try to say that you have to listen to yourself, you have to be careful, you have to be cautious – life first. But it is also true that, to pursue a dream, a goal – which for me is to make a good result, to try to convey good messages, even to young people – sometimes you may even be more willing to come over to the warrior’s side, and to take the sword in hand and try to give everything. As in a battle for the light . Comunque sono contento per quello che ho fatto e sono contento di aver avuto, diciamo, anche il coraggio di osare un po’ e va bene così.
I also realized there are points I still need to work on, especially the sponsor search. Because, in the end, I arrived in Dominica very tired, from traveling and courses I did back and forth and not being able to focus 100 per cent on training in the last phase. Having a little more economic stability helps to be able to do a little more focused athletic life as well. Anyway, I had good dives and I am happy, now it will be seen in the next competitions.
Regarding the Deep Dominica 2024 competition, there were no world records despite the fact that it was a competition with many strong athletes. The conditions were very good however it seemed to us that the dives were slightly slower, a little bit for everyone -to Alessia (Zecchini, ed.), to many other athletes, to me, to Alenka (Artnik ed.) – compared to other waters like Bahamas, and so maybe that also limited the performance a little bit.
Conversely, there have been athletes who have grown a lot – and I’m very happy for them. Friends like Sebastian Lira, from Chile, spent several months there in Dominica training and improved a lot, so I’m very happy for him. I’m happy for Walid Boudhiaf, who still managed to make podiums even though he came in a bit of a slump because, he was very fit in the run-up to the race, in the Bahamas, however, then he had a moment of decline. I am happy for William Trubridge who, after two years without competing, still resumed by making good dives. I am happy for Sasha Porte, a Belgian guy, who lives in Tenerife, and who was in his first competition and also made some good podiums, and did some good results.
Among the girls Enchante Gallardo did very well: she had good dives, good podiums, and won the overall. Simona Auteri, from Italy, who made a good growth and I am very happy for her and also that these results allowed her to be, again, selected in the Italian National Team for the World Championships. Laia Sopena, a Spanish girl who nonetheless won national records, did a monofin dive at 90 m, which is already an interesting altitude.
Lance Lee Davis did the U.S. national record for NoFins – by the way, I got to know him and he’s a great guy, nice guy. The same thing goes for Henry, with whom I shared a home and training all this time in Dominica, and he also made a national record for England.
Regarding Alessia Zecchini at Deep Dominica 2024, I saw her very matured and even though she did not get the world record, still she made some good dives and definitely she will be preparing for the Worlds. I saw her matured by the fact that she made choices, like sometimes even more conservative dives, at times when she didn’t feel like it and also that she accepted the fact that it didn’t go well because of the cold she felt on the day of the world record attempt. But the fact that Alessia Zecchini accepted this with serenity makes me realize that she is maturing as an athlete anyway, as well as an undisputed Champion.
Another word should also be spent on David Mellor, masters, a 61-year-old Englishman who made several world records. So world records, actually there were, in the masters, both by David Mellor and by Elena Bourdillon, another Englishwoman. They had some very good races. Another name that comes to mind, Marta Gil from the Canary Islands, who did a podium and also a Spanish national record with bipins. The organization was impeccable: Daniel head of safeties has a lot of experience and puts you at ease-this let’s also say was one of the reasons I dared more in my attempt, precisely because I knew there was a very good support team.
The organization was, from a logistical point of view of the competition, impeccable.
We are already doing this with Apneapassion, but what is definitely important to try to implement, for the future, is communication: videos, pictures, news during competitions, because otherwise our sport struggles to grow if you have competitions without communicating enough and adequately,” Davide Carrera concludes.
We then heard, directly from Alessia Zecchini, who returned from this event without the world record she may have planned, but with a renewed serenity and awareness that she will take full advantage of for the upcoming World Championships:
Alessia Zecchini: “Definitely Deep Dominica 2024 was a challenging, very exciting competition that really taught me, in addition to some technical aspects-because you never really stop learning and that’s the wonderful thing about this sport-above all, also to know how to give up every now and then, and to always keep the focus on one thing, which is fundamental, enjoying the dive. The moment you can really enjoy in every moment the performance is wonderful. And you don’t always have to go for the record at all costs. I tried twice; some conditions meant that this was not as easy as it should have been.
At Deep Dominica 2024 the weather played a lot of its part in a place where I thought it would be much easier, so that’s perfectly fine. My goal was to come back from this competition with a world record and let’s say that I have it: 123 are still mine and so let’s say that three quarters of the goal has been accomplished, and above all to make some beautiful dives that would allow me to get to the World Championships with more confidence and peace of mind to be able to do really well, since I haven’t won as much as I would like to for a few years now at the World Championships, so this year I will really give it my all,” concludes Champion Alessia Zecchini.
