Long Island, Bahamas. Jana Strain, a Canadian Freediver and resident of Santa Monica, CA, set a new Canadian, North American, and Pan American Women’s Freediving Record with a no fins swim to 51 meters (167 feet) in two minutes and seventeen seconds in Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas. Jana was performing a Constant Weight No Fins (CNF) dive during the Vertical Blue competition taking place on Long Island in the Bahamas. Jana broke the existing Canadian Record of 50 meters (164 feet) set as a world record by Mandy-Rae Cruickshank in April of 2005. This is the best performance by a woman in the Western Hemisphere in almost four years.
Jana is a relative newcomer to the sport of freediving having only taken her first course last year. She was subsequently selected to represent Canada at the team world championships last year. Upon her return she attained her first freediving record smashing the Dynamic Apnea record for North America with a mark of 171 meters (560 feet) in October of last year. The Constant No Fins record is another jump in her quick rise in the sport of freediving. Jana stated, “It’s wonderful to get out of the pool and into the deep. I find that no fins is an incredibly natural way to connect with the water, I am happy to have accomplished the goal that I had set for myself coming into this competition.”
Jana’s record was officiated by Grant W. Graves, United States Apnea Association (USAA) President and AIDA Level A Judge Instructor and Linden Wolbert, AIDA Judge.
Vertical Blue is an annual competition hosted by world record freediver William Trubridge. This year’s competition is ongoing and will conclude on April 11, 2008. www.verticalblue.net.
Constant Weight No Fins (CNF) tests the freediver’s ability to swim to depth and return without the use of fins while holding their breath. CNF is one of the most difficult disciplines in freediving. Athletes use a modified breaststroke technique to propel themselves to depth and back. Other disciplines of freediving include tests in depth and time.
The International Association for the Development of Freediving, AIDA, is the international sanctioning body for freediving, individual and team competition, and freediving world record attempts. For more information about AIDA please visit http://www.aida-international.org.
Contact: Jana Strain
jana@janastrain.com
323-916-1649