The first American Olympic swimmer to compete in ice swimming was Keaton Jones (20, IISA bio here, @keatonjones_swim), a sophomore at the University of California Berkeley and 2024 Paris Olympian who dominated both the IISA 5th World Championship in Samoëns, France and the IISA 6th World Championship in Molveno, Italy.
His dominance and enthusiasm for ice swimming may be the catalyst for other American Olympic swimmers to join others in the ice.
Cody Miller (33, @codymiller) was the next American Olympic swimmer to compete in ice swimming and becoming an IISA athlete. Miller won a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke and a gold medal in the 4×100m medley relay at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He describes himself as “just an Olympic swimmer sharing fun adventures. Trying to brighten your day...” He creates and posts all kinds of entertaining, educational and enjoyable on his YouTube Channel @CodyMillerAdventures. In his latest post, he described the reasons for joining the Enhanced Games.
As a result, the International Ice Swimming Association banned Miller from its IISA events.
IISA Statement on Enhanced Swimming and Clean Sport
Following the public announcement by one of our members and former Olympic swimmer, Cody Miller, regarding his decision to join Enhanced Swimming, the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) wishes to clarify its position on enhanced competition and its commitment to clean and fair sport.
As IISA continues to grow and expand worldwide, issues concerning athlete safety, integrity, and fairness have become increasingly crucial. It is our duty to address these concerns proactively to safeguard the sport of ice swimming.
Therefore, IISA has decided to suspend Cody Miller’s IISA membership with immediate effect. He will not be permitted to participate in or swim at any future IISA-sanctioned events.
This decision is neither a moral nor a personal judgment against the athlete. Instead, it reflects IISA’s firm stance on maintaining the integrity of our sport. Safety is also a consideration, though it is not the primary factor in our decision. Currently, there is limited knowledge about the effects of enhanced substances on athlete safety, particularly in the extreme physiological conditions associated with ice swimming.
Ice swimming by IISA, as an aspiring Winter Olympic sport, aligns with World Aquatics and the Olympic Code of Conduct, which are founded on the principles of fair and clean competition.
IISA will further review and consider amendments to its rules to address increased participation in more detail and to prevent athletes who compete in or commit to Enhanced Games events from taking part in IISA competitions in the future.
For the safety of our athletes and the integrity of ice swimming.
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