Our autumn triple event — 1 October 2021
On Friday afternoon, 1 October 2021, we gathered at the clubhouse and its surroundings for our traditional “triple event”. Read more…
Clubhouse reopening from 7 June 2021
Dear cold-water swimmers,
The I. PKO Praha clubhouse will reopen on 7 June 2021, subject to the following rules indoors:
1. Visitors must have no clinical symptoms of COVID-19.
2. On entry, visitors must show a negative COVID-19 test, proof of vaccination or proof of recovery, in accordance with the detailed requirements below points 1–7.
3. Sign the visitors’ book with your first name and surname.
4. Wear a respirator covering your nose and mouth.
5. Keep at least two metres apart.
6. Ensure as much ventilation as possible.
7. The member on duty (keyholder) will check compliance; visitors must follow the instructions of these authorised members.
Miloš Paseka will be the keyholder on Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 June. Other club keyholders, please contact him with the times when you can volunteer for duty.
At last — SEE YOU BY THE WATER! :-)
Tomáš Prokop, club chair.
PS: The “Palouček” refreshment kiosk by the clubhouse is open again. Given the impact of the pandemic and its efforts to keep prices unchanged, we will not be using last year’s “cold-water swimmers’ discount”. Read more…
Branické ledy cancelled; individual training and new members
Government restrictions responding to the COVID-19 pandemic remain in force and will continue for the foreseeable future. We have therefore unfortunately had to cancel Branické ledy on its originally planned date, 30 January 2021.
For the same reason, the clubhouse remains closed, although our members continue to train individually.
Despite the restrictions, we are accepting new members throughout the winter. If you would like to join, please email otuzilci-praha@email.cz.
To arrange a Vltava swim in the permitted one-to-one format, contact experienced cold-water swimmer Miloš Paseka on 731 492 098.
The 74th Alfred Nikodem Memorial, 2020
In all our memories, 2020 will forever be associated with a previously unfamiliar word: “coronavirus”.
At the end of every year, I. plavecký klub otužilců Praha organises the traditional Christmas cold-water swimming event in the Vltava beside the National Theatre — the Alfred Nikodem Memorial.
The first public Christmas swimming demonstration in the Vltava took place in 1923, led by Alfred Nikodem himself. During the war, swimming in the river was strictly forbidden on pain of death. Nevertheless, veteran winter swimmer Oldřich Liška is known to have swum across it illegally.
Since 1947, under the name Alfred Nikodem Memorial, the December swimming tradition has never been interrupted. If even the Nazis could not prevent cold-water swimming demonstrations, the current organisers were determined that coronavirus should not stop this year’s 74th edition either. Read more…
Programme and provisional timetable for the 74th Alfred Nikodem Memorial
- As of 22 December, 322 swimmers have entered.
- The programme has two parts. Recreational 100- and 300-metre swimmers go first, from 08:30. A formal interval, probably between 11:00 and 11:30, will welcome Prague 1 Deputy Mayor Petr Burgr and Czech Swimming Federation president Petr Ryška, and honour this year’s English Channel swimmers Jana Procházková, Jakub Valníček and Chun Kong Mak with commemorative trophies. The competitive 750-metre heats follow.
- Times are approximate.
- Parking on Slovanský Island is for the organising team only.
- On arrival at the island’s footbridge, everyone will have their temperature checked and sign a document consenting to personal-data processing for COVID-19 testing and declaring that they have no clinical signs of infectious disease.
- The two testing teams can process approximately 108 people per hour in total.
- An organiser will escort groups of nine from the footbridge to testing.
- Samples will be taken in a ventilated room in Žofín Palace.
- THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT SHOWS YOUR APPROXIMATE TEST TIME AND PERSONAL NUMBER, WHICH IS ALSO YOUR TEST SAMPLE NUMBER. FOR 750-METRE SWIMMERS, IT WILL ALSO BE THE RACE NUMBER MARKED ON YOUR BODY.
Alfred Nikodem Memorial: the latest update
The Vltava’s temperature at the venue was 6.1°C on 19 December and 6.0°C today, 20 December. Measurements were taken with a calibrated thermometer between 10:30 and 12:30. According to the river authority’s forecast, the flow on race day will be approximately 40 m3/s: a very gentle current, practically still water. To answer questions about whether the Memorial will go ahead if the Czech Republic returns to pandemic alert level five: yes. Compliance with the conditions set by the Ministry of Health’s exemption ensures that the event can be held safely, and the exemption remains valid at level five.
The 74th Alfred Nikodem Memorial will go ahead on 26 December 2020!
New government measures came into force today, 18 December 2020. Among other things, our clubhouse has closed again and sporting events such as our Christmas swim are generally prohibited. The good news, however, is that the National Sports Agency supported our event and the Czech Ministry of Health subsequently granted an exemption allowing it to take place.
In answer to the many enquiries, we can therefore confirm that the 74th Alfred Nikodem Memorial will indeed go ahead. Under the binding hygiene and public-health conditions, the following rules apply:
- Every participant will have a contactless temperature check. Anyone above 37.5°C may enter only with permission from the organiser’s appointed doctor; a restrictive approach will be taken. Read more…
Alfred Nikodem Memorial 2020: information for unaffiliated swimmers
Given the current COVID-19 situation and government restrictions, I. plavecký klub otužilců Praha is ready to organise the Alfred Nikodem Memorial. As usual, it will take place on 26 December 2020 at the northern tip of Slovanský Island. If we need to spread the event over a longer period, the traditional 11:00 start may change. Arrangements will reflect developments over the coming weeks, with a detailed programme published here approximately one week beforehand. With few leisure sports available in recent months, open-water cold swimming has really taken off. We are waiting to see whether this enthusiasm brings more public interest in Christmas swimming beside Prague’s National Theatre. We are delighted that you are interested in the event’s 74th edition.
Swimmers who are not registered with the Czech Swimming Federation are welcome, provided they meet these requirements: Read more…
The clubhouse reopens and the Czech Cup resumes
From Monday 7 December, the Braník clubhouse will reopen under special arrangements, admitting ten men and ten women at a time. Members can find time-slot bookings, detailed information, booking instructions and a contact for questions in the private I. PKO members’ Facebook group.
Both scheduled Czech Winter Swimming Cup events are expected to take place before the end of the year: Náchod on 12 December 2020 and the Alfred Nikodem Memorial beside Prague’s National Theatre on 26 December 2020. Current coronavirus restrictions will affect how the events are run. Detailed arrangements for our Alfred Nikodem Memorial will be published here approximately a week before the event, taking account of the developing situation.
Clubhouse closure and suspension of Czech Winter Swimming Cup events
Dear cold-water swimmers,
Because of government restrictions responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, we must close our Braník clubhouse until further notice.
It is a shame, because sport in general, and cold-water adaptation in particular, strengthens immunity. But closing the clubhouse does not mean we stop practising. Quite the opposite: take cold showers and swim outdoors individually — be ready when winter comes.
I also ask all keyholders to respect the closure. The clubhouse has just been disinfected, and, above all, the same rules apply to everyone.
By respecting the closure, we can help bring normal operations back sooner. Let us hope that is soon! Read more…