Muscat – Diver Omar Abdullah al Ghailani has added a feather in his cap by winning two golds, two silvers and the overall winner title in the AIDA Freediving World Cup 2022 held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, from May 16 to 23.

Ghailani also created four new national records and broke the Asian record in the Constant Weight Bi-fins 92m category.

Speaking to Muscat Daily from Sharm el Sheikh, Ghailani said competitions in the tournament were held in four depth categories. “I claimed first place in Constant Weight Bi-fins 92m and Free Immersion 92m, and second in Constant Weight 92m and Constant Weight No Fins 61m dives.”

The competition saw 17 divers from 14 countries, including Switzerland, Germany, China, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Portugal and Finland.

He described the competition as ‘tough’ owing to the participation of experienced divers from around the world. Additionally, the temperatures encountered in the depths to which he dived were ‘challenging’.

“I had a plan for each day, but often I was compelled to alter these according to the prevailing condition, like unexpected waves or water temperature.”

Ghailani’s preparations for the tournament stared early in January this year. He also took part in a preparatory camp three weeks before the tournament in Sharm el Sheikh which helped him acclimatise to the temperatures of the water in which the tournament was held.

In July 2021 in the same event, Ghailani claimed four medals, including overall winner and a bronze.