From May 26 to June 5, the deep dive competition of Asian Free diving Cup 2024 was held on Panglao Island, the Philippines. Hundreds of top free divers from around the world gathered to push their limits. Henan diver Yu Zhiying performed exceptionally well, earning a white card in FIM with a depth of 100 meters, securing the third position in the event. Currently, with this achievement, Yu Zhiying ranks third in China and sixth in Asia, becoming the first post-90s Chinese diver to break the 100-meter record in FIM.
Born in 1992, Yu Zhiying is a native of Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan. Five years ago, during a trip to Mauritius, Yu Zhiying experienced the joy of diving, igniting his dream of free diving. "Having been undergoing professional training since 2021, I successfully passed the Free diving Instructor assessment and obtained the coaching certificate accredited by the international authority AIDA. In October 2021, I participated in the Mini Competition organized by the Nanshan Diving Association in Shenzhen and achieved third place in static apnea with a time of 5 minutes and 42 seconds." Yu Zhiying told the reporter.
Ordinary people may feel discomfort in their ears when diving to a depth of 2 meters in a swimming pool, as this represents only 1.2 times the pressure at sea level, let alone diving to a depth of 100 meters in the ocean. Free diving without carrying oxygen tanks has thus become one of the most physically and mentally challenging extreme sports in the world. In addition to muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness, free diving also involves training for carbon dioxide tolerance, low oxygen tolerance, etc. Moreover, it demands a high level of psychological preparation and resilience. "Free divingis different from other competitive sports in that during competitions, one cannot be too excited. Instead, one must enter a very relaxed state in order to lower heart rate, reduce oxygen consumption, and thus achieve good results. I really enjoy the process of adjusting my breath on the water's surface before the competition. In that moment, it feels like the whole world is just me alone. Every time I dive, it's impossible to say I'm not nervous, but once I'm on the 'battlefield', I have to instantly get into the zone." Yu Zhiying told the reporter. (Chinese source: Henan Daily Reporter: Hu Tiange Translator: Yang Jiaxin Intern: Qiu Changqi Proofreader: Chen Xingjie and Zhao Hanqing)
