Saturday and Sunday where the days for the official constant weight training. This official training has a strict timetable. One hour each day for each team. The competitors where obliged unexpected to use a safety lanyard for security reasons. A piece of rope with a carbine on each end, one hooked in on the cable the second one on the weight belt. Unfortunately the used piece of rope was a transparent only 1,5mm nylon rope which guided to a lot of problems. All the teams which had arrived on the training beach had to wait at least, due to a not working timetable, for 2 hours, the most of them already in their suits to be punctual in any case for their training - barbecue time.

The Austrian team took their training, checked out the competition boat and decided to not participate the official training of the next day and do their on stuff. During the night the weather became stormy and the training was cancelled anyway. The only thing left to do was pool training.
Sunday evening the team captains had to announce the depth of each diver to the jury.

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Christian's announcement of -40m did put him in the first group. The weather was still stormy and the organisation decided to change the place of the competition to the other, more protected side of the island.
Christian and team captain Dieter arrived in the harbour of St. Eulalia to change in their suits there and to go with a shuttle boat to the competition zone. The transfer was windy and very wet and at the end everybody had to jump in the water to swim the last meters to the warm up boat. The strong wind on the now wet dive suit made Christian freeze very hard, not the best preconditions. Later, during the warm up in the water, he could recover a little bit. 45 min after the beginning of the warm up time he was on the competition table. A good start. With no signs of equalisation problems he faded out of sight in about 30 meters. Soon he faded back in, holding the tag in the hand. The last meters, the exit. Some quiet seconds, then some movements like electric shock waves running through Christians body, a Loss Of Motor Control - disqualification, zero points.
Austria's chances for the rostrum where gone.

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Today the depths between 45 and 50 are absolved. Nobody of the Austrian team has to dive. There is enough time to train static in the pool, make a last relaxed constant training and have a lot of talks with other divers.
Of course new plans are made to reach still a good ranking but Christian refused to train for a 8 min + static to gain back his lost 40 points.

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The reserve day for constant was not used, so all the teams had one day off. Herbert had to tell the story of his world record to other athletes and media again and again. Most of the teams took the chance to take some pictures in and out of the water. Media everywhere. Rene, the fifth Austrian team member became more and more the team photographer. In the afternoon many teams made a last small static training. Then another thrilling moment. The static starting list with the time announcements was published. There were two persons with 7 minutes on the list. Martin Stepanec, current static world record holder with 8:06, and Herbert, who did several static's over 8 min in the last training days. A lot of discussing stuff for dinner.

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With busses all competitors where brought to the swimming hall near Ibiza town. During static competition always five athletes will have their attempts at the same time. Starting order is from the shortest to the longest announcements. Dieter was the first, then Christian and at least in the last start group Herbert. Dieter gave a low announcement for his time, so he had to compete first and was finished and could take care of Christian and Herbert. Classic opera music gave the competition the special touch. Dieter and Christian made their attempts without problems, afterwardss Herbert had to start his warm up. The team tactic was clear. Herbert tries to get so much points as possible, to give back the team the chance for a good ranking, and if he will come to 7:45 he will try to go for a new world record in nearly any case. When he entered the competition zone, next to Martin Stepanec, everybody could feel the tension in the hall. Start time. 5 minutes, 6 min - the first control sign to the safety diver, Martin finishes his attempt, 7 min, Herbert with both hands on the edge of the swimming pool works already hard against the contractions, the urge to breath. Dieter talks to him quietly counting him down the last seconds to a new world record but Herbert takes very abrupt his head out of the water. Deep fast breathing and a very small uncontrolled shaking of the head. Dieter tells Herbert immediately that the attempt probably will not be valid because of a small loss of motor control but everybody in the hall, especially the press acts like crazy. The stopwatch shows 8:07, one second to less for a new world record, the difference must be two seconds but nobody cares. Later the decision of the jury that the attempt is not valid - disqualification. The Austrians are ranking somewhere but this day is unforgettable.

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The big tent in Club Med was the place for the closing ceremony. Herbert could not participate because his plan back left already. Some speakers, some videos and then the results. Canada women and Italy men win. High spirits in the tent and never ending boring discussions about some of the disqualification's of the day. The tent became empty and then started two things. Big changing of the team dresses and the foam party in the disco. For the party see the pictures, they tell you more than thousand words, for the ranking of the Austrian team take a look in the future in Greece 2003, there Austria will be on the victory rostrum placed as...

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