Diving deep: Anqi Lim continues to set new national freediving records

Singaporean freediver Anqi Lim has set several new national records while competing in various tournaments in South and Central America.
At the 2019 World Freediving Championships, Ms Lim set three Confederation Mondiale des Activites Subaquatiques (CMAS) just after setting three Aida (International Association for Development of Apnea) International record in the Caribbean Cup.
CMAS and Aida are the two government associations for the sports and divers can choose to compete under either of the associations’ rules.
Under CMAS rules at the competition in Honduras, the 36-year old broke the Singapore national record she previously set in the free immersion discipline with a depth of 62m. She also set new national records for the constant weight without fins (45m), constant weight with fins (60m) and constant weight with bi-fins (65m).
Under Aida rules for the Caribbean Cup, Ms Lim set the national record for constant weight without fins (47m) and with bi-fins (60m), and free immersion (60m).
After the competitions in August, Ms Lim decided to travel around Mexico for a much needed break before returning to Singapore. While she was there, Ms Lim couldn’t resist participating in the Azul Freediving Challenge held in Bacalar, Mexico.
Speaking to Straits Times, Ms Lim said she didn’t feel like she was in shape when entering the challenge in Bacalar, and she was also unused to competing in freshwater. Still, she was pleasantly surprised that she managed to not only win a discipline but set yet another Aida national record, this time in the constant weight bi-fins.
Ms Lim told ST that this was the first time she had competed in freshwater, where she found the water to be less dense than saltwater, making for a smoother descent but a challenging ascent. She said it was “physically and mentally more challenging” as she had to keep kicking all the way up.
With these new national records under her, Ms Lim gears up for her last competition of the year – the Sabang International Freediving Competition in Indonesia.
Ms Lim said, “I feel more motivated because the target this year for constant weight bi-fins was 69m and I reached 70m so I’m very happy about that.
“To be able to see that target now just before I come home, I will have another chance in Indonesia to do something there and achieve something significant.”