The spectacle is rather unusual on this chilly January day in the sumptuous setting of the Alps in Samoëns (Haute-Savoie): at the call of the race judge, a first group of swimmers in swimsuits and caps more classic slide into the 25-meter pool just cleared of its layer of ice.
Below, the temperature is 4.3 C°, cool enough for this young discipline which is practiced in waters at less than 5 C°.
On the edges, the atmosphere is concentrated: the 1,000 meters, queen category, is also "the race of all dangers" because of the risk of hypothermia: body temperature can drop to 32-33 C °, slips a judge .
To deal with any failure, swimmers are closely watched by dozens of officials, rescuers and divers who can force them out of the water if they perceive a danger.
Each competitor is also accompanied by a "chaperone" watching over the grain.
"The cold is very deceiving, they are in a kind of euphoria," said another manager.
After the race, the half-dazed, half-exalted swimmers, their skin mottled by the bite of the frost, are directed to the "warm-up rooms" where they go through sauna, jacuzzi in several stages: a "work of recovery and return in the heat which requires a lot of energy", explains the commentator of the race at the microphone.
The discipline mainly attracts people in their forties and fifties in search of surpassing themselves and a personal challenge.
The youngest often come from the world of classic swimming like Ludivine Blanc, 27, who broke a new world record in the 50 meter backstroke on Thursday.
"I'm very afraid of the cold, it's really a phobia. So I'm getting into it!" She smiles, barely out of the water.
The "ice siren"
To prepare for the big ice bath, everyone has their own method.
Barbara Hernandez, a tall 37-year-old Chilean brunette, trained "among the glaciers of southern Chile in Patagonia, and also in the mountains".
Swimmers compete in the 50m backstroke of the world swimming championships in frozen water on January 12, 2023 in Samoëns at Lac aux Dames © JEFF PACHOUD / AFP
"In February I will also go to Antarctica. In Chile, and here too, they call me the mermaid of the ice", laughs the radiant young woman, who according to the specialized sites has multiplied the exploits of this type in recent years. , like crossing the Strait of Magellan - ancient glacial valley in southern Patagonia.
In the absence of such an exceptional setting, some swimmers take cold showers or have "bins with ice cubes" at home, explains Catherine Plewinski, the director of the competition, herself a former swimming champion.
"Adaptation is done little by little, as for any discipline".
Another participant, Florian Milesi, relies on breathing exercises and short stays in a freezer.
"I did twice three minutes at 0.3°C to get ready. When I get into the water it doesn't feel cold to me...", he explains.
It's a sport that tends to "attract all the crazy people a bit", he admits.
"Wacky Idea"
The practice of ice bathing has existed for a long time - it is notably a well-established ritual in Orthodox countries during Epiphany, on January 19.
The "wacky idea" of turning it into a swimming competition germinated about fifteen years ago in the mind of a former South African entrepreneur, Ram Barkai, famous in the sphere for his adventures in extreme environments.
A swimmer recovers in a sauna after her 1000m at the world swimming championships in frozen water on January 12, 2023 in Samoëns © JEFF PACHOUD / AFP
This dashing 60-year-old organizes swimming courses in Antarctica and in 2009 founded the International Ice Swimming Association in order to provide a secure environment and to "professionalize" it.
"For the past 15 years, I've been told in absolutely every language that I'm crazy, that it's dangerous and stupid, but I believed it," he laughs.
"People love it," he says, pointing to the enthusiastic audience gathered at the edge of the Samoëns basin.
"It's a very interesting combination of stimulation and challenge, like fire in ice. Mentally it's very tough but when you go out people walk on water."
© 2023 AFP