With the upcoming IISA 6th World Championship being held in the ice-ready 50m swimming pool in Molveno, Italy next week between January 13th and 19th, how many International Ice Swimming Association (@international_ice_swimming) world records will be broken?
Several new world records will undoubtedly be set, predicted by ice swimming prognosticator Steven Munatones – and possibly many if the water temperature is just below 5°C and the air temperature hovers around that IISA limit. “The competition will be fierce, now that everyone can taste the possibility of an ice swimming event being added to the Winter Olympic Games. Not only is the level of athleticism in the sport of ice swimming continues to increase, but also the focus and attention to cold water training, both mentally and physically is off the charts. I think we are going to see an incredible number of records being set – both overall and across all age groups.”
On the women’s side, of the 13 events on the race schedule, the powerful women’s team from New Zealand hold an astonishing 8 records or 61.5% of all the world records. The team is led by 20-year-old Emilia Finer (250m freestyle in 2:56.69 + 200m individual medley in 2:40.21 + 100m butterfly in 1:10.42, shown on left above), 100m freestyle: 32-year-old Laura Quilter (@auramove.nz, 100m freestyle in 1:01.17 + 100m backstroke in 1:09.12 + 50m freestyle in 27.56 + 50m butterfly in 28.81, shown in middle above), and 18-year-old Sophie Winter (100m individual medley in 1:12.82, shown on right above). Additionally, the women are joined by 200m individual medley men’s world record holder Cameron Stanley (200m IM in 2:29.05). All their records were set in July 2024 at the IISA New Zealand and Southern Hemisphere Pool Championships when the water temperature was 2.26°C with a wind chill of -3.00°C – so they are ready to swim fast in the 50m swimming pool in Molveno.
But if you are interested in distance freestyle, there is no faster duo that the German team led by Andreas Waschburger (@andreaswaschburger, 1000m in 11:24.20 and 500m freestyle in 5:32.72) and 29-year-old Alisa Fatum-Böker (@alisa_fatum, 1000m in 12:41.35 and 500m freestyle in 6:07.32), both shown above. In particular, Waschburger has been on a roll in the channel swimming world where he set world records swimming across the English Channel and Molokai Channel. Whereas, year by year, Fatum-Böker always seem to get faster and faster.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is no one who made a splash like 20-year-old Keaton Jones (@keatonjones_swim) who won 5 events at the IISA 5th World Championship in Samoëns, France in 2023. He subsequently finished 5th in the 200m backstroke at the 2024 Paris Olympics, mere tenths of seconds from standing on the Olympic podium. Jones could become the next person to accomplish a Stoychev Double if he eventually wins a World Aquatics title in the 200m backstroke over the next quadrennial or two.
What are the current IISA World Records? See below for the latest:
Men’s IISA World Records
- 1000m freestyle: Andreas Waschburger, Germany in 11:24.20
- 500m freestyle: Andreas Waschburger, Germany in 5:32.72
- 250m freestyle: Andrei Enache, Romania in 2:35.94
- 200m individual medley: Cameron Stanley, New Zealand in 2:29.05
- 100m freestyle: Keaton Jones, USA in 55.69
- 100m breaststroke: Przemyslaw Gorczyca, Poland in 1:09.07
- 100m individual medley: Sławomir Wilkowski, Poland in 1:03.55
- 100m backstroke: Keaton Jones, USA in 1:00.27
- 100m butterfly: Dragos Ghile, Romania in 58.91
- 50m freestyle: Keaton Jones, USA in 25.22
- 50m breaststroke: Przemyslaw Gorczyca, Poland in 31.50
- 50m butterfly: Sebastian Engel, Germany in 26.78
- 50m backstroke: Keaton Jones, USA in 27.93
Women’s IISA World Records
- 1000m freestyle: Alisa Fatum-Böker, Germany in 12:41.35
- 500m freestyle: Alisa Fatum-Böker, Germany in 6:07.32
- 250m freestyle: Emilia Finer, New Zealand in 2:56.69
- 200m individual medley: Emilia Finer, New Zealand in 2:40.21
- 100m freestyle: Laura Quilter, New Zealand in 1:01.17 [shown below]
- 100m breaststroke: Marion Joffle, France in 1:24.00
- 100m Individual medley: Sophie Winter, New Zealand in 1:12.82
- 100m backstroke: Laura Quilter, New Zealand in 1:09.12
- 100m butterfly: Emilia Finer, New Zealand in 1:10.42
- 50m freestyle: Laura Quilter, New Zealand in 27.56
- 50m breaststroke: Marion Joffle, France in 38.01
- 50m butterfly: Laura Quilter, New Zealand in 28.81
- 50m backstroke: Ludivine Blanc, France in 32.90
The Molveno pool is ready as 754 athletes representing 48 countries around the world are descending upon the Italian epicenter of ice swimming over the next week.
IISA founder Ram Barkai says, “The Ice Swimming World Championship 2025 will bring the world’s most elite ice swimmers to the stunning shores of Molveno Lake in the heart of the Italian Dolomites. This championship from January 14th to the 18th promises to celebrate human endurance, mental resilience, and international camaraderie among athletes from 48 countries worldwide.
The IISA 6th World Championship is bound to be freezing, heart-warming, and exciting. Ice Swimming is not for the faint-hearted. We are not doing it because it is easy. We do it because it is hard and benefits our body and mind. Ice Swimming is a team experience. One minute, we compete against one another; the next minute, we are helping each other. We do it for the safety and the love of the ICE.“
Live coverage of the IISA 6th World Championship will be shown here, hosted by multi-lingual Olympic swim coach Chris Morgan, and organized by Ice Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Swimmer Paolo Chiarino.
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