The annual swimming festival on the Vltava glacier in Prague this year attracts 360 people from 8 countries, including Poland, the US, and the UK. Athletes compete in distances of 100, 300, and 750 m.

The outdoor temperature on December 26 was -6 degrees Celsius, while the water temperature was 3-4 degrees Celsius, the lowest in recent years.

Long-distance swimmer Lenka Sterbova completed 750 meters in a time of 9 minutes and 11 seconds. “This year the weather was freezing cold. When I got out of the water, I had to rush into the house to get close to the fireplace to warm up,” said Sterbova.

Kamila Sindelarova, a newcomer to this year’s swim event, said she chose the 100m race and will increase it to 300m next year.

The annual Christmas Swimming Festival in Prague honors Alfred Nikodem, the famous jeweler and founder of winter swimming in the Czech Republic. He crossed the frozen glacier in Prague with his students in 1923. More than 50 people swam with him five years later. This tradition has been preserved ever since.

According to newsnpr.org