Prague, Dec 26 (CTK) – A record 369 swimmers, three more than a year ago, took part in the 71th Alfred Nikodem Memorial race of hardy people’s contests in the Vltava River in the centre of Prague on Tuesday.
The water and air temperatures were 4.5 and -1 degrees Celsius.
Like last year, the race was won by Lenka Sterbova, the youngest Czech female swimmer to cross the English Channel in 2010 at the age of 16.
Again, the second place went to Rostislav Vitek.
As usual, there were three distances for the racers, with the longest measuring 750 metres and the other two 350 or 100 metres.
The oldest participant was 87 and the youngest eight.
Along with Czech and Slovak swimmers, there were also participants from Poland, Belgium, Britain, Argentina, Russia, Austria and one from Angola.
The memorial has been named after Alfred Nikodem (1864-1949), a Prague goldsmith who made winter swimming popular in Czechoslovakia.
