Central Otago District Council (CODC) is excited to announce that the Alexandra Pool is once again set to host New Zealand’s Ice swimming pool championships, commencing on 9 July 2024.
The inaugural event was held at Alexandra Pool in 2022, and CODC is delighted to welcome it back for a second year. The 2024 Aotearoa NZ ice swimming championships will span from Tuesday to Saturday (9-13 July 2024), taking place at the outdoor pool in Molyneux Park, Alexandra.
For those unfamiliar with ice swimming, it involves swimming in water with a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius or lower. Swimmers are unassisted and equipped with only a silicon cap, a pair of goggles, and swimming togs. The International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) has established a comprehensive set of safety and swimming rules, along with worldwide swim records.
Carly Getson, the Aquatics Manager at CODC, shared her enthusiasm about the return of the ice swimming championships for 2024. “It’s truly inspiring to see the bravery of the swimmers who participate. Despite the water temperature dipping to a frosty 3 degrees, we’ve had swimmers training in the outdoor pool for the past month. We’re especially excited to see local swimmers join the competition. Currently, the pool temperature is 3 degrees, with the air temperature having reached lows of -5 degrees in recent weeks.”
This year, the competition will also include a 200 metre individual medley to the program on Friday, 12 July. This is a new event for the IISA, and no one in the world has swum it yet. This means that if swimmers win their age group, they will hold a world record.
All participants must have a medical examination and an ECG done prior to the event. These are submitted and reviewed by the chief medic and the event organiser. Any medical conditions are noted, and extra care is taken with those swimmers. Must be over 16 years old to participate.
The event is open to spectators (competition times below) but wrap up warm because it’s going to be cold!
Tuesday 10am-2pm
2pm-3pm
Wednesday 9am-3pm
Thursday 10am-12pm
2pm-4pm
Friday 9am-4pm
Saturday 10am-1pm
For more information about this event please go to https://www.iceswimming.co.nz/
