Winter Swimming World Champs - Part III

Onwards and upwards to day #3 of racing - this time reserved for the seemingly more serious business of freestyle. Talya and Noelene were entered for both 25m and 50m (gulp), and Sara and I had gamely (rashly) signed up last minute for 25m. Well it seemed a pity to go all that way and only swim for 25 seconds.

Hopefully you know the drill by now (it's bloody cold and you swim as fast as you can through ice crystals then zoom into hot tub before hunkering down with a cardamom bun - got it?).

So without further ado, here are Sara and Noelene, handily grouped into a single race for the 25m, waiting nervously in the assembly tent:

Prepare for take-off (your clothes)

Sara even managed to get a cool pic of the startline from competitors' perspective (complete with icicles forming on the lane ropes)

For the race Sara was placed in lane 1 (nearside) and Noelene in lane 3, both recognisable in white Icicle hats. Hopefully you can just make out Noelene getting prodded down into the water with a stick by her marshall before the off (all part of the fun to make sure everyone starts with shoulders submerged).

(Sorry I didn't quite catch you finishing Sara - got distracted with watching)

Cheers!

17th for Noelene and 25th for Sara - nice one Icicles! Time to make friends with some Scandinavian swimmers - both in the sauna:

...and the hot tub:

Up next: the mighty Talya - a natural in the water and several knots faster than the rest of us.

With minimal fuss and fanfare, she emerges, she swims... and comes 6th!!! 6th I tell you!! Hooray for Talya!!

This calls for some well-earned rejuvenation in the er, hottie tub:

Now for my turn. And unlike Talya, I like to get my knickers in a twist as part of the build-up:

Long johns silver

 (Again I wonder, "Why am I not in a home?")

Cowering outside assembly tent

I was delighted to discover I was again racing with Polish Jola and Brasilian Luisa from our head-up breast-stroke race and with yesterday's experience under my belt, excitement just about got the upper hand over race nerves. Inside the assembly tent I was seated directly behind a row of tall steely muscular men limbering up, and again I was struck but the sheer absurdity of clumsy weedy me being in the same competition as these athletic specimens.

I was glad to be placed in lane 1, closest to the crowd and therefore Icicle family, who gave me a hearty cheer off the start. (Thanks to Clare for steady hand in filming. I particularly like the bag sequence at the end)

An enduring memory will be the first time I breathed to my left and came face to face with a huge block of ice that was the edge of this temporary river pool. Amazing!

20th place for me, although to look at my reaction you'd think I'd won:

Brockwell bicep-curls

We were pleased to catch up with our new friends Ram, inventor of the Ice Mile (and therefore Noelene's hero):

Everyone say "Ice Mile"

 ...and gentle giant Darren Miller of very-hardcore-but-also-fun-and-friendly Team America (he's on the left in pic below - didn't catch middle chap's name):

 
Now onto the 50m freestyle - yes TWO whole lengths, eek.

Here we have courageous Noelene, heading out amongst the snow flurries and conveniently placed in the nearside lane for optimal spectator experience. I particularly enjoyed her little rest at the turn, so very Brockwell (hope you don't mind, Noelene!) Note also some bonus footage at the end of poolside attendants removing ice from the water as it forms.

 Fantastic 15th place for Noelene - this calls for celebration:

Noelene fortifies the sinews

"Would you like some brandy?"

"Sure why not"

Doing the rounds

"Bastards drank all my brandy"

At least the obscenery affords some diversion:

Team Tooting were also out in force, 60 strong and devastating in both vim and vigour.

All that remained was Talya's 50m freestyle. Expectations - and therefore nerves- were high amongst the Icicles.

As we waited outside the assembly tent, I nipped round the side and caught an exclusive glimpse of Talya hatting up:

Icicle hats - our secret weapon

Here she comes and it's game on for our last race of the day:

A stonking performance resulting in an amazing 4th place!!

The mighty Talya (world ranking: 4)

We all rushed around gleefully cheering "Talya came 4th!" for hours. Meanwhile, our star Icicle was following recommended rewarming procedure...

For the evening's entertainment we had the thrill of the gala dinner (the competition's social event) to look forward to.

Quick nip back to apartment to don gladrags and spruce tails - Talya, Liz and I picking through the wreckage of our room after previous late night and frantic hungover scrabble to get to races in the morning:

The kids' room

The dinner itself was held in a huge function room arrayed with tables and silverware at the Santa Claus Hotel (and on the Festive Floor, no less) in downtown Rovaniemi, and consisted of a huge buffet replete with all manner of salmon, hearty salads, bread, cheese, the works. I even tried some reindeer pate (seemed rudi not to), which came with a sauce of red cranberries that looked disturbingly like little noses.

We made a goodly feast and treated ourselves to some fizz to celebrate our many swimming successes, before heading down to hit the dancefloor, heaving with the world's most dedicated winter swimmers!

For once we are not Entirely Surrounded By Water - for tonight girls, it's raining men...