There were lots of smile over the weekend among the 3,000 swimmers at the Great Manchester Swim at Salford Quays.
The unique swim features an easy-to-view urban course and ends in a festive finish with live music, entertainment and cooking demonstrations despite the soggy conditions.
The inexperienced started first and the elite pros last as the mass of swimmers navigated the waterways.
Olympians Jana Pechanova from the Czech Republic and Chad Ho of South Africa won in close races. Pechanova was fine-tuning her speed for the upcoming Olympic Games and said, “We usually just swim in front of coaches and judges so it was great to swim in front of so many supporters. I loved seeing so many other swimmers racing throughout the day.”
The number of participants doubled from 2011.
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