SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 Freediver Nordblad: A mermaid in icy water SOMERO: As a young girl she dreamt of becoming a lion tamer. Johanna Nordblad became a freediving sensation, capable of incredible exploits under the ice. No woman has ever before managed to swim over 50 meters under the ice in freezing temperatures wearing just a swimsuit. The 41-year-old set a new world record at Lake Paijanne in her native Finland in March 2015, braving the tenebrous depths to swim 55 seconds between two small holes drilled in the thick ice. “If someone had said to me ten years ago that one day I would dive under the ice I would have said ‘no never’,” Nordblad told AFP. “I like the idea of constantly testing myself. I like to really know where my limits are. I tell myself I can’t do something but then when I do I find it’s quite easy. I was just scared.” Nordblad tried freediving for the first time aged 25. Four years later she was a world record holder after covering 158 meters underwa- ter with flippers. Capable of holding her breath for over six minutes, she could have continued to push the limits solely in snorkeling. But a serious biking accident in 2010 that almost took her leg opened another door. The only relief for the shattered bones in her leg was cold water treat- ment. “Little by little I got used to it and after several months I wanted to put the two legs in cold water. And then I dived. I’m a freediver, it’s normal for me to dive in the water. Even if it’s cold.” ‘Beautiful, scary’ She’s aware that she is doing something different, but for her nothing extraordinary, the result of training and self awareness. “Most people are convinced they would panic. So they are fascinated because I’m very relaxed. “People think it’s so cold, its so scary and it’s so dark but it’s not like that, for me it’s beautiful. “I like to dive, it makes me happy. I don’t have to go to the other side of the world,” she said. In two months she will participate in the Finnish freediving national championships before bid- ding to break her own world record in 2018 and the record of Dane Stig Avall Severinsen, who swam 76.2 meters under the ice on April 17, 2013. WASHINGTON DC: Kevin Shattenkirk #22 of the Washington Capitals and Cody McLeod #55 of the Nashville Predators Living in Helsinki with her 15-year-old son Kasper - who battle for the puck during the second period at Verizon Center. — AFP prefers computers Nordblad divides her time between training, her job as an animation artist and her shared activities with her photographer sister Elina Manninen, Arvidsson lifts Predators “I’m just a normal person even if I don’t have many friends who do the same as I do,” she explained. “I have to eat, I have to sleep, I have to work and I have to take care of over Capitals with 2-1 win many things, and then I have free time for me.” But Nordblad sees herself foremost as an artist. “I like to WASHINGTON: Viktor Arvidsson scored BLUE JACKETS 2, PANTHERS 1 loss Tuesday night at Florida. With 13 design. I want to make drawings that make people happi- 1:05 into overtime and the Nashville Zach Werenski and Josh Anderson games left of their regular season, the er. “When I was young I loved art and water. Maybe I’ve Predators bucked their season-long trend scored 3:26 apart in the second period Maple Leafs hold a one-point advantage never grown up,” she laughs. — AFP of OT struggles by beating the to lead Columbus over Florida. Sergei over their closest wild card rivals Tampa Washington Capitals 2-1 in the NHL on Bobrovsky finished with 33 saves for Bay and the New York Islanders. Tampa Thursday night. Arvidsson’s goal his NHL-leading 38th win to help Bay, 12-3-3 over its last 18 games, pulled N Korea hockey improved the Predators to 4-7 in the 3- Columbus pull two points behind Andrei Vasilevskiy six minutes into the on-3 period this season and 7-19 over the Washington in the Presidents’ Trophy second after he allowed four goals on 15 team asks to past two years. Pekka Rinne made 22 race for the best record in the league. shots. The goalie had gone 6-0-1 over saves but didn’t face a shot in overtime The Blue Jackets have won six of their his previous seven games. After Rielly play in South from the Capitals, who lost for just the last eight games. scored 2:24 into the second, Martin eighth time in 36 home games. James Jonathan Marchessault scored with made it 3-0 on the next shift. Brown, on Neal also scored his 21st goal for PYEONGCHANG: North Korea’s women’s ice hockey 1:45 left in the first period for Florida, the power play, and van Riemsdyk Nashville, which extended its winning team has asked for permission to play in South Korea, which lost for the ninth time in 11 added goals later in the period. streak to three and its point streak to five. an official said yesterday, in what appears a positive games. Columbus tied it with 4:05 left Brett Connolly scored the Capitals’ regu- in the second when Werenski’s shot KINGS 2, SABRES 0 sign ahead of next year’s Pyeongchang Olympics. The lation goal, and Braden Holtby stopped from the far left side of the ice caught Jarome Iginla and rookie Adrian team wants to play next month’s Division II Women’s 22 of the 24 shots he faced. Washington goalie James Reimer looking for his Kempe scored in the third period and World Championship in Gangneung, the ice hockey fell to 7-3 in overtime this season. venue for next year’s Olympics, a spokeswoman for the 11th. Anderson, who had an assist on Jonathan Quick earned his first Games organizers told AFP. North Korea are scheduled BLACKHAWKS 2, SENATORS 1 Werenski’s goal, then put the Blue shutout of the season in Los Angeles’ to play the championship’s opening game against Richard Panik scored the tiebreaking Jackets ahead with 39 seconds victory. Dustin Brown had two assists Australia on April 2 but they will first need permission goal late in the third period, lifting remaining in the second when he for the Kings, who haven’t given up from South Korea’s Ministry of Unification. Chicago over Ottawa. Panik scored on knocked Jack Johnson’s blue-line shot on their playoff hopes despite sitting “Right now the Ministry of Unification is reviewing the power play off a pass from Patrick down and into the net for his 15th. four points behind St. Louis for the whether to grant their approval,” Nancy Park of Games Kane with 3:01 remaining. Duncan Keith final wild card spot in the Western organizing body POCOG said. “All of this is a good sign. also scored and Scott Darling made 33 MAPLE LEAFS 5, LIGHTNING 0 Conference. We always encourage participation of all the countries saves to help the Blackhawks get their Morgan Rielly and Matt Martin Los Angeles wrapped up its seven- in the Olympics.” North Korea’s women have already second straight win. Kyle Turris scored scored 15 seconds apart during game homestand with four victories, missed qualifying for the Olympics, but the rare trip for Ottawa, and Mike Condon finished Toronto’s four-goal second period and but back-to-back losses earlier in the south by athletes from the country augurs well for next with 26 saves as the Senators squan- Frederik Andersen made 33 saves as the week allowed the Blues to surge ahead year’s Games. Relations between the two Koreas, who dered a chance to move in to first place Maple Leafs moved into the lead for the with just 11 games to play. Robin remain technically at war, have plummeted in recent in the Atlantic Division. The Blackhawks second Eastern Conference wild-card Lehner stopped 34 shots for the months and in 1988, the North boycotted the Summer took a 1-0 lead at 8:04 of the third as spot. Roman Polak, Connor Brown and Sabres, who have lost six of seven and Games held in Seoul. — AFP Keith’s shot eventually found its way James van Riemsdyk also scored for 10 of 12. Buffalo was shut out for the across the goal line. Toronto, which was coming off a 7-2 first time since Nov. 7 at Boston. — AP .