China News Service, Heilongjiang, November 11 (by Tang Fenglai) — The two-day 2024 28th National Winter Swimming Championships concluded successfully on the 10th at the Jingpohu Lake Scenic Area in Mudanjiang, marking the prelude to the winter ice and snow tourism season at Jingpohu. This December, the scenic area will also host the 3rd International Winter Swimming Challenge, warmly inviting winter swimming enthusiasts from across the country to brave the icy waves and compete with passion at Jingpohu.

From the 9th to the 10th, after intense competition, events such as the 50m and 100m freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, as well as the 4×50m freestyle and 4×50m medley relays were successfully completed, awarding 128 individual prizes, 4 team awards, and 6 relay event awards. The top three overall team scores were secured by the Mudanjiang Jingpohu Lake team, Shanghai Jiading Swimming Association, and Ganzhou City Swimming Association.

The participating athletes unanimously expressed that competing against top talents from across the country not only enriched their competition experience but also strengthened their mental resilience. They pledged to engage more actively in swimming exercises going forward, embracing a happy and healthy lifestyle every day.

During the competition, Jingpohu's unique natural environment and the warm, attentive service provided by the organizers left a deep impression on the participants. In their view, competing in such a beautiful place was a rare experience and enjoyment.

"All 11 members of our team are visiting Jingpohu Lake for the first time, and we find the natural environment here incredibly beautiful. It’s also our first time experiencing the charm of winter swimming in natural waters," said Bao Rongqing, leader of the Hongshan Winter Swimming Association from Urumqi, Xinjiang. He added that upon returning, he would definitely encourage more swimming enthusiasts to visit and experience Jingpohu. Cui Wenyun, a winter swimmer from Jiading, Shanghai, shared that this was her first time swimming in such a cold place, especially within such a scenic area and under the magnificent waterfall, which provided her with a unique and refreshing experience. "Now I feel that traveling thousands of miles to participate in this competition was absolutely worth it. I’ll definitely come back again if I get the chance."

To ensure the safe and orderly conduct of this winter swimming event, the organizers meticulously planned and refined the procedures, ensuring venue readiness and logistical support to comprehensively safeguard the physical and mental well-being of participants. "The preparations for the event were very thoughtful, from facilities to services—it's first-class among winter swimming competitions," praised participants from the Fushun Winter Swimming Association in Liaoning, the Jialongxiang Swimming Association in Heilongjiang, and other regions, giving a thumbs-up to Jingpohu. Zuo Guiqing, a competitor from the host Jingpohu Lake team, proudly remarked, "Competing in my hometown is both an honor and a joy. The facilities are thoroughly prepared, and we warmly welcome swimmers from across the country to visit Mudanjiang and Jingpohu Lake for the stunning scenery and winter swimming."

In recent years, the Jingpohu Lake scenic area has fully leveraged its advantages by continuously hosting various types of sports events, including the China Roller Skating Open, Jingpohu Lake Ice Marathon, and Ice Dragon Boat competitions. In 2022, it was designated as a National Sports Tourism Demonstration Base by the General Administration of Sport of China and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This initiative aims to transform the "traffic" generated by sports events into "retention" for cultural and tourism consumption, continually invigorating the tourism market and achieving dual success. (End)