After a chat with the women of the podium of the 33° CMAS World Spearfishing Championship, the best 3 of the world, we have interviewed the men’s podium with the 3 best men spearos in the World. Santi Lopez Cid (Cressi) has won the Title, bringing Spain, also winner in the teams’ standings, on top of the world, while the Italians Luigi Puretti (Lowrance, Seawolf, Seagang) and Giacomo De Mola (Pathos), the former World Champion, have gained the fantastic second and third position. This has also earned Italy the second place in the men teams standings. We have had a chat with the three champions.
Santiago Lopez Cid, the Champion
After the fourth position on day 1, the Champion from Spain, also winner of the 1° CMAS European Freshwater Championship in 2022, wins day 2 and conquers the World Title. A very private person, it was not possible to interview Santiago Lopez Cid just after the assignment of the title, but our Luhazer Moreno Castillo, Apneapassion Spanish correspondant, talked to him after the World Championship. Here is his statement, also giving us some more information on some quite important difficulty on day 1:
“I feel good. Ending like this the huge work done by my two colleagues, Cesar Bustelo and Juan Ramón, and myself, with such a final result we have obtained makes me feel very good. The key to success was perseverance and following the work plan from the beginning to the end.
On the first day, 5 minutes after the start of the competition, we had a breakdown in the steering of the boat’s engine and that conditioned the transfer to the best spots. Instead, the result of the second day was what we expected as a the team.
I dedicate the World Title to my wife and my children, who are the ones who suffer my absence. Also, I dedicate it to my sponsors Adarsa, Cressi and Onnautic, my two teammates César Bustelo and Juan Ramón (Juani), and even more specially to Juani who suffered the death of his mother during the days of preparation and still had the strength to come back to continue helping me.“
Luigi Puretti
The two-times Italian Champion Luigi Puretti has been contacted by our Director Carlo Forni for a long chat when he and another amazing athlete, Alfonso Cubicciotto (Sigalsub), were traveling back to Naples first and down to Puglia. The other athlete of the team was Andrea Fazzolari (C4 Carbon). In a very long chat, which will be completely published for the Italian edition of Apneapassion International Web Magazine, the 2° on the men’s podium has told us many things, and here is the summary.
“It has been a World Championship based on the strategy. This result to me, a second place in the Ocean, is sincerely like winning the Title.
The preparation period with changing conditions, and really a few days finally with calm sea as we have found during the competition, has been quite difficult. I had understood that the only way to do well was not to stick to one specific plan, but be ready to change constantly the strategy.
Deep, medium, and shallow water dives were something to choose from, but not only. Another key aspect, where I feel I have made the right decision, was to select eventually spots where there was less fish, but also a reduced number of athletes. In fact, with around 100 competitors at once in the same competition field, with many fish in shallow or medium water, easily scared and so moving, the presence of spearos made it critically difficult to catch preys. Finally, I chose less crowded spots and the choice was right. As a confirmation to this, especially on the second day, I noticed I was often spearfishing close to Santi.
In the Mediterranean sea I make a very precise plan, here it was different. I also wanted to be in the water as much as possible, without losing too much time moving from spot to spot. I made around 100 dives the first day and around 75 the second. “
Giacomo De Mola
The now former World Spearfishing Champion, Giacomo De Mola, has confirmed, with his 3rd place on the men’s podium, to be the champion to beat in every competition, and the most successful one in recent years.
“I am happy, also for the great result of Italy, but to be very very honest this World Championship was something within my reach. Of course the final distance from Santi was quite important, but still…. We have focus too much on the rough sea conditions, aiming for a competition expected to be the classic oceanic one. Instead, the great sunny days, calm sea and good visibility in the water needed a more careful preparation for such conditions.
The bad weather that has suddenly arrived during the days of scouting has not permitted us to do more work in calm conditions, and this I have missed during the competition on day 1. Here, at a certain point, I really did not know what to do as I had no good spots, and only the possibility to spearfish scrolling along. If I had prepared better day 1, as I did on day 2, where I caught all the croakers, then I would have had a great chance to gain the final title. Anyway, it has been a World Championship based on the strategy, as all the best athletes have almost the same physical capacities.
