More than 140 swimmers took on the freezing waters of Lake Aguelmam Azegza during the 8th annual “Ice Swim” in Morocco, the country’s premier ice swimming competition, held this past weekend in Khenifra.
The Moroccan Association for Sport and Nature co-organized the contest in partnership with the Royal Moroccan Swimming Federation and the province of Khenifra.
Moroccan extreme swimmer and event organizer Hassan Baraka participated, in addition to notable competitors such as 80-year-old American swimmer Penelope Armstrong. Several Moroccan and international celebrities also took part despite the baltic temperatures.
Competitors battled across six race distances: 50 meters (m) breaststroke, 50 m, 100 m, 250 m, 500 m, and 1,000 m freestyle. This year’s competition also introduced two new relay races: the mixed 4×50 m and the national 4×100 m relay.
Moroccan competitor Baraka highlighted the significance of Lake Aguelmam Azegza as the first in Morocco to receive the Blue Flag label. He noted that over the years, efforts to promote ice swimming in Morocco have earned the Ice Swim contest a place among the top 100 open water swimming events worldwide, according to the “World Open Water Swimming Association” in 2022.
Mustapha Bairiz, General Director of the Atlas Tourism Development Corporation in Beni Mellal-Khenifra, pointed out the region’s natural and tourist assets. He stated that the Ice Swim in Morocco enhances the region’s international image and positions Lake Aguelmam Azegza as a premier destination for cold-water swimming.
Since 2018, this international ice swimming competition has attracted elite swimmers from 16 countries, including Morocco, Germany, the UK, the US, Switzerland, and France among others.