Alfred Nikodem Memorial 2017 – First Prague Cold-Water Swimming Club

Updated 31 December 2017 (further media coverage), 30 December (video reports) and 28 December (Jaroslav Kroš’s photo gallery, final results and press coverage).

On St Stephen’s Day, 26 December 2017, the traditional Alfred Nikodem Memorial took place for the 71st time. Organised by our club, it was held beside Prague’s National Theatre. This year the Vltava was 4.5°C and the air −1°C before the competition, but sunshine smiled on swimmers and spectators alike.

The upward trend in participation continued, with another record: 377 swimmers, comprising 275 men and 102 women. Including late entries registered at the venue, the final total was eight higher than the figure announced at the opening and repeated by the media. Once again, Žofín Palace provided the base and races started from the pontoon on Slovanský Island. The three distances were again 750, 300 and 100 metres.

As usual, the greatest attention focused on the 750-metre František Venclovský Memorial, contested by 87 men and 26 women. Although the Winter Swimming Cup keeps separate men’s and women’s standings, also divided into age groups, heats are generally arranged by ability. The favourites therefore met immediately in the first heat, regardless of gender. Lenka Štěrbová, born 1994, I. PKO, race number 1, did not disappoint: once again this year she was the fastest swimmer on the course, beating long-standing international long-distance swimmer Rostislav Vítek, born 1976, I. PKO, number 2. Petr Šlajs, born 1990, I. PKO, number 3, was third overall. The fastest trio thus justified the organisers’ expectations, finishing in the order of their race numbers. Other leading finishers were Michal Slanina, born 1990, Fides Brno, third among men; and Victoria Mori, born 1993, I. PKO, and Renata Nováková, born 1997, SCPAP, second and third among women.

The shorter distances were untimed, with no placings. The 300-metre Oldřich Liška Memorial drew 152 swimmers, 109 men and 43 women, while the 100-metre Štěpán Polák Memorial had 112, comprising 79 men and 33 women.

Once again, the competition formed part of the Czech Union of Sport’s “Sportuj s námi” — “Play Sport with Us” — project. As part of that partnership, popular Czech director, actor and all-round sportsman Jakub Kohák supported the event in person, cheering swimmers on from the Vltava pontoon and then hosting the awards in the beautiful Žofín Palace. Alongside medallists over the longest distance, many other swimmers won lovely partner-donated prizes in a draw from a hat. Although axes and knives supplied by one partner flew through Jakub Kohák’s hands, everyone left uninjured. Czech Swimming Federation chairman Petr Ryška lent his lucky hand to the draw and presented winners’ trophies. Prague 1 Mayor Oldřich Lomecký also took turns drawing prizes; his district is the event’s traditional co-organiser. The day’s highlight was his presentation of the Prague 1 Mayor’s Cup, awarded to the club whose three leading swimmers were fastest in the main 750-metre race. This year there was no doubt: host-club I. PKO Praha swimmers occupied the first three places overall — Štěrbová, Vítek and Šlajs. Fides Brno took second in the Mayor’s Cup through Slanina, Okurková and Ondřej Smisitel, followed by Sokol Hradec Králové’s Richard Nyáry, Dezider Pék and Jan Holý.

For the statisticians, the oldest participant was again host-club swimmer Boženka Černá, aged 87, and the youngest were the Chytil brothers, Martin, eight, and Jakub, nine. Adding a special touch were relatives of Alfred Nikodem, founder of Prague’s cold-water swimming tradition: his great-niece Miroslava Košumberská and her son Lukáš Košumberský, both new members of our club. You can also see them at the traditional cold-water swimmers’ baptism, our next event, to which you are warmly invited: Sunday 7 January 2018 at 15:30, in the Vltava channel beside the Kotva campsite in Prague-Braník, Nádraží Braník stop on trams 3 and 17.

Downloads

Final results

Videos

The Czech Republic’s oldest cold-water swimming race attracts a record 369 swimmers (article and ČTK video report)
369 swimmers tempted into the cold Vltava (article and short iDnes video report)
369 cold-water swimmers enter the Vltava; Štěrbová wins the Alfred Nikodem Memorial again (short ČT24 report)

ČT1 Události, 26 December 2017 at 19:00

Video report on iDNES.cz

Video report by online TV Praha 1

ČT sport — Cold-Water Swimmers on the Vltava 2017 (first broadcast 30 December 2017 at 11:50)

Press articles and further media coverage

Picture of the day — The Guardian

Picture of the day in Britain’s The Guardian: Prague, Czech Republic: Girls kiss a swimmer as she climbs out of the Vltava river

Photo gallery by Jaroslav Kroš Jr and Lucie Krošová

Alexander Lichý’s photo gallery

Martin Braun’s photo gallery

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Partners of the 71st Alfred Nikodem Memorial

The main partner of the 71st edition was Oborová zdravotní pojišťovna, the health insurer for employees in banking, insurance and construction.

Further support came from Mladá fronta a.s., Etewa s.r.o., SUPTel a.s., BYTOSTAV s.r.o., Fiskars, Agama Diving, Prague City Hall and the Prague 1 district, the event’s co-organiser.

Financial support:

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Cold-water swimmers’ baptism: come and watch the traditional ceremony on Sunday 7 January 2018 at 15:30, in the Vltava channel beside the Kotva campsite in Prague-Braník, Nádraží Braník stop on trams 3 and 17.