On Day 2 of the IISA 6th World Championship in Molveno, Italy, the spectators and swimmers around the pool deck expected another world record out of 20-year-old American Keaton Jones (@keatonjones_swim) in the 50m backstroke – and he delivered. Two races, two world records.

Similarly, 29-year-old Ludivine Blanc of France (IISA bio here, @_ludivineblanc) set another world record in the sprint backstroke this morning.

But there were also all kinds of age group world records set by many others – see list below.

IISA Founder Ram Barkai said after a busy first day, “Always my first concern in such big events is safety. But it is amazing to see the magic of the ICE. I always knew it was very special and it is amazing to see people discovering it. At the competition, we focus on speed. But now they talk about the ICE. The magic.”

The magic is happening every heat, every final, despite the cold.

To describe the water and conditions as cold is an understatement with the night air temperature at -1.1°C and the fresh water in the pool at 2.0°C where the ice shards need to be removed from the pool before the swimmers can compete – and the finals conducted at night without the benefit of the sun.

But that is not stopping the 754 athletes representing 48 countries around the world from enjoying the uplifting vibes and challenging themselves at the world championship.

Overall World Records Set on Day 2 in the Preliminary Heats

• Keaton Jones (USA, 20, IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 27.21
• Ludivine Blanc (France (IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 32.95

Age Group World Records Set on Day 2 in the Preliminary Heats

• Elke Ortloff (Germany, 71, IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 50.61 [shown on upper right]
• Isabella Castiglioni (Italy, 77, IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 1:07.84
• Inge Wolfs (Netherlands, 64, IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 45.05
• Marcelle Stiemens (South Africa, 57, IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 38.82
• Merle Vantsi (Estonia, 59, IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 42.92
• Melanie Holland (Australia, 50, IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 37.78
• Qing Li (USA, 34, IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 37.11
• Ezmee Jones (USA, 17, IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 34.94
• Yani Kukov (Bulgaria, 69, IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 48.85 [shown below]
• Artur Tikkerbaer (Estonia, 64, IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 38.82
• Andreas Stanzl (Germany, 59 IISA bio here) 50m backstroke 37.38
• Jonatan Kopelev (Israel, 33, IISA bio here) ) 50m backstroke 30.00
• Sallie Cheung (Great Britain, 70, IISA bio here) 50m breaststroke 52.88 [shown below]
• Wendy Figures (Great Britain, 59, IISA bio here) 50m breaststroke 46.63
• Linn Hansen (Norway, 55, IISA bio here) 50m breaststroke 44.23 [shown below]
• Caroline Larsen (Denmark, 15, IISA bio here) 50m breaststroke 43.16
• Mark Lautman (USA, 75, IISA bio here) 50m breaststroke 50.90
• Gaetan Beysard (Switzerland, 70, IISA bio here) 50m breaststroke 42.43 [shown below]
• Fred Boulay (France, 48, IISA bio here) 50m breaststroke 36.57
• Adrian Nae (Romania, 19, IISA bio here) 50m breaststroke 32.08
• Tricia Elmer (USA, 64, IISA bio here) 250m freestyle 4:22.09
• Inge Wolfs (Netherlands, 64, IISA bio here) 250m freestyle 4:13.26 [shown on upper left]

Watch the live coverage of the World Championship here, organized by Ice Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Swimmer Paolo Chiarino (@paolochiarino).

Cold Water Perception Scale

Cold is defined by various measures where everyone has their own individual cold water scale.  Steven Munatones has observed over the decade of ice swimming’s global growth, “The ice swimmers are extending the boundaries was is considered possible as they swim ever faster, ever further and ever longer in the cold water. But water temperature is different based on where and when you are swimming. For example, at the same measured water temperature, freshwater seems colder than saltwater, and high altitude swims seems colder than sea level swims.“

IISA Founder Ram Barkai commented that the 2°C water in the 50m pool in Molveno seems colder than the recent -1.0°C water that he experienced in Antarctica.

Munatones agrees, “The degrees of cold perception seem to be high altitude freshwater is the most difficult and sea level saltwater is relatively easier – at the same water temperatures.

But if you throw in air temperature, wind speed, clouds, darkness and jellyfish, then cold perception become more intense. Considering those various conditions, this is my perception scale of difficulty:

1. High altitude freshwater with low air temperatures and high winds at night
2. High altitude freshwater with low air temperatures and low winds at night
3. High altitude freshwater with low air temperatures and no wind at night
4. High altitude freshwater with low air temperatures and high winds during day
5. High altitude freshwater with low air temperatures and low winds during day
6. High altitude freshwater with low air temperatures and no wind during day
7. High altitude freshwater with moderate air temperatures and high winds at night
8. High altitude freshwater with moderate air temperatures and low winds at night
9. High altitude freshwater with moderate air temperatures and no wind at night
10. High altitude freshwater with moderate air temperatures and high winds during day
11. High altitude freshwater with moderate air temperatures and low winds during day
12. High altitude freshwater with moderate air temperatures and no wind during day
13. Sea level freshwater with low air temperatures and high winds at night
14. Sea level freshwater with low air temperatures and low winds at night
15. Sea level freshwater with low air temperatures and no wind at night
16. Sea level freshwater with low air temperatures and high winds during day
17. Sea level freshwater with low air temperatures and low winds during day
18. Sea level freshwater with low air temperatures and no wind during day
19. Sea level saltwater with low air temperatures and high winds at night
20. Sea level saltwater with low air temperatures and low winds at night
21. Sea level saltwater with low air temperatures and no wind at night
22. Sea level saltwater with low air temperatures, high winds at night, and jellyfish stings
23. Sea level saltwater with low air temperatures, low winds at night, and jellyfish stings
24. Sea level saltwater with low air temperatures, no wind at night, and jellyfish stings
25. Sea level saltwater with moderate air temperatures, high winds during day, and jellyfish stings
26. Sea level saltwater with moderate air temperatures, low winds during day, and jellyfish stings
27. Sea level saltwater with moderate air temperatures, no wind during day, and jellyfish stings
28. Sea level freshwater with moderate air temperatures and high winds at night
29. Sea level freshwater with moderate air temperatures and low winds at night
30. Sea level freshwater with moderate air temperatures and no wind at night
31. Sea level freshwater with moderate air temperatures and high winds during day
32. Sea level freshwater with moderate air temperatures and low winds during day
33. Sea level freshwater with moderate air temperatures and no wind during day
34. Sea level saltwater with moderate air temperatures and high winds during day
35. Sea level saltwater with moderate air temperatures and low winds during day
36. Sea level saltwater with moderate air temperatures and no wind during day

Barkai, who has officially completed the most number of ratified Ice Miles and Ice Kilometers, says, I agree there are a lot of variables and factors that can make every swim and record different. At the International Ice Swimming Association for record-keeping purposes, we decided not to differentiate between salt and fresh water. Salt water gives some form of advantage, but it is mostly swum in open water. Most IISA competitions are held in a frozen fresh water lake or outdoor fresh water pools. So it makes our life easier in comparing records in competitions.“

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