On Saturday 6 February 2010, we held the eighth Braník Ice cold-water swimming competition. In water at 2.7°C, swimmers raced downstream over 100, 250, 500, 750 and 1,000 metres.
Race report
Thanks to the energy stored in the Vltava cascade of reservoirs, the river rarely freezes. Combined with the energy stored in winter swimmers, that alone promises ideal conditions for another Czech Winter Swimming Cup race. Conditions are objectively good too: water at 2.7°C, air at 1.3°C and a little precipitation. There is no sunshine, but, crucially, none of last year’s wind. The strong wind and unpleasant waves have gone; the current is three times stronger, and we are swimming downstream. With nearby races cancelled or restricted by frozen rivers, this really is ideal.
The opening ceremony welcomes the youngest participant, Anička Kuřinová, and a lady approaching a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very special birthday: I. PKO’s Boženka Černá, whose life demonstrates an admirable bond with winter swimming. English Channel swimmers Jan Novák — also today’s chief referee — David Čech and Petr Mihola are present too. The 107 swimmers from sixteen clubs set an event record. Almost a third, 34, represent host club I. PKO.
After the opening, swimmers walk upstream to their starting points. The untimed distances have 22 entrants over 100 metres, including twelve from I. PKO; 24 over 250 metres, including eight of ours; and thirteen over 500 metres, including two of ours. Among the newcomers is I. PKO’s Anička Kubistová, who evidently needs cooling down after returning from Finland: following two weeks’ training, she is tackling her first icy 100 metres.
The first timed race is the 750 metres, with sixteen swimmers, two from I. PKO. Fides swimmer Vladimír Hrbata wins comfortably. The battle for second makes the water boil, with Bedřich Hanuš eventually beating Náchod’s Martin Bárta by the width of a brook lamprey.
The kilometre has the largest field: 32 swimmers, eleven from I. PKO. There are no dramatic finish-line duels here. David Čech arrives first in 11:05, followed by the leading woman, Lenka Pacáková, in 11:26. Honza Váně is third in 11:58. This trio from Brno clubs is followed by a more tightly grouped Přerov contingent: Vlastimil Zaoral Sr in 12:09, Vlastimil Zaoral Jr in 12:13 and Adolf Goebel in 12:14. Six more swimmers finish in the next forty seconds. Interestingly, the first nine places would have remained unchanged from last year had Lenka Pacáková not skilfully inserted herself into the silver position. Of course, losing to a swimmer of her quality is a pleasure.
Braník was the final qualifier for the Czech Winter Swimming Championships in Brno. But after the Elbe froze and Lobkovice’s competition was cancelled, Brno now reports ice on the Svratka too. A replacement date for the championships is still to be decided. Braník remains the last race until 20 February, when Břeclav will welcome the winter swimmers.
I. PKO thanks everyone who helped prepare the races and all participating swimmers for a wonderful sporting experience.
— Richard “Leduzdar” Machálek