17.01.2026 19:02
Ultra marathon swimmer Bengisu Avcı set a Turkish record by swimming 1 mile in 4.5-degree water at the IISA International Ice Swimming Championship.
Bengisu Avcı, completing OCEAN's 7 with the motto 'Why should the future be a risk?' and drawing attention to climate change, focused on the melting of glaciers and became both the first in her first international championship and broke the Turkey record. At the IISA International Ice Swimming Championship held at Lake Cavazzo in Italy, Bengisu Avcı entered the water at 4.5 degrees Celsius and completed the 1-mile (approximately 1,609 meters) course in 25 minutes and 35 seconds.
BENGİSU AVCI BROKE THE TURKEY RECORD
The athlete from Izmir, who came very close to the world record of 24.35, managed to break the Turkey record while winning a gold medal in the 1-mile category at the championship, which is considered one of the most prestigious competitions in cold water swimming, with athletes from 10 countries participating.
The IISA International Ice Swimming Championship is held on a specially prepared course at Lake Cavazzo in Venice. Before entering the lake, the water temperature is measured, and for the scores to be valid, the water must be below 5 degrees. Bengisu Avcı, who continues to compete in the championship, will compete in the 50-meter breaststroke, 50-meter butterfly, and 500-meter freestyle categories over the weekend.
Last year, at the IISA 6th Ice Swimming World Championship in Molveno, Italy, Avcı won a gold medal by breaking the 25-29 age world record in the 200-meter individual medley and finished first in the 100-meter butterfly, achieving third place in the world. The swimmer also shared the first place podium in the 4x50 meters with Egor Tropeano, Irem Damar, and Berker Göker at the IISA International Ice Swimming Championship in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 2024, where she finished first in the 1000 meters freestyle and 100 meters breaststroke.
'IT REQUIRES A MENTAL AND PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATION'
After OCEAN's 7, Bengisu Avcı stated that ice swimming is a very different challenge, saying, "In the ocean crossing, you are fighting against distances, darkness, sea creatures, giant waves, and strong currents. Due to the effects of climate change, these courses have started to become increasingly difficult. Ice swimming requires a complete mental and physical transformation. We set out focusing on the melting of glaciers. This year, my ice swimming series will continue in different locations," she said.