On January 4th at the vEltSbad Cup 2025 (@team_veitsbad_eisschwimmen), experienced Austrian ice swimmer and coach Gerald Daringer (@daringer.gerald) won both the 250m and 500m freestyle events
The 48-year-old raced in the 50m pool in Veitsbronn, Germany in Central Franconia and Bavaria in 0.9°C water, part of the German Ice Cup that includes the Silbersee-Ice-Cup Langerhangen, vEltSbad Cup, Burghausen Cup, and Zollhaus Open. Daringer said, “After several months, it was very unusual to swim in a 50-meter pool again, as the regular turns are missing. But that’s exactly why I’m very happy with the swimming times, because in ice swimming you don’t swim with a starting jump and roll turn, but with a water start and a tipping turn. In addition, at such low temperatures the body cools down much faster and physiologically defends itself even more radically against this exposure.”
Ice Zero Mile
The next day on January 5th, the water temperatures dropped overnight to 0.37°C. He attempted and became the 22nd person (and first Austrian and 7th European) to achieve an Ice Zero Mile (1,609m) in 28 minutes, the 6th fastest time for an Ice Mile under these water temperatures.
Daringer has completed an Ice Mile in Europe (in 3.2°C water in 36:24 in Austria in 2021 and in 4.9°C water in 42:16), an Ice Mile in Africa (in 4.57°C water in 29:21 in Morocco, and two Ice Kilometers in Poland in 2.39°C water in 16:47 and in Austria in 1.17°C water in 16:10.
Daringer who serves as the President of the Tyrolean Disabled Sports Association, wrote, “Of course, such extreme attempts are carried out under strict control of the rules of the International Ice Swimming Association and medical supervision, so an ice mile must be completed with certified observers and certain conditions. It is not advisable to imitate something like this without training, but it can be learned at any time under professional guidance.” Daringer coaches ice swimming on Lake Achensee (see here for newcomers and here for experienced swimmers).
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