(Geneva) Thousands of swimmers dressed as superheroes or embodying characters of all kinds braved the cold on Saturday by throwing themselves into the waters of Lake Geneva in Geneva to participate in the traditional “Christmas Cup”.
Some 4,000 amateur and professional swimmers had registered to participate over two days – Saturday and Sunday – in this annual race which has taken place since 1934.
PHOTO VALENTIN FLAURAUD, ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Every year we break records,” Christophe Jacot, President of the Christmas Cup Organizing Committee, told AFP. “There, we see 4,000 swimmers, there are more and more requests, and there are already waiting lists for the 85e editing ! “.
On Saturday morning, some swimmers had giant butterfly wings, others wore Venetian masks and colorful wigs. They threw themselves into the water at 8.8° Celsius in an outside temperature of -2° Celsius and had to swim 100 m…
“We’re fine inside but when we go out, with the water on our clothes, it’s not great…”, recognized Frédéric, one of the swimmers dressed, like his whole team, in a yellow suit of minionsthe American-French-Japanese animated film released in 2015.
PHOTO VALENTIN FLAURAUD, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Christophe Jacot acknowledged that the change in temperature could be brutal, while emphasizing that there is “security, you are not swimming alone: you have a problem, you raise your hand, presto, we are coming to get you”.
“But the goal is to go all the way,” he said. “It’s going to sting when you come out,” he said, before adding: “You have to breathe, exhale, go easy on it!” »
A little further on, a group of women dressed as Pharaohs were popping champagne in a hot tub after the race while eating oysters. It was the tenth time they had taken part in the Christmas Cup.
“We are starting to know the equipment, what to do after, during, what to eat, how to sustain ourselves after the race, we have to regain our strength, we have experience! “, said one of them, saying that this Christmas Cup “is only happiness! »