European Ice Swimming Championship in Molveno: a week of ice water and domestic bliss
Molveno had a winter look for the start of the European Ice Swimming Championship (3 to 7 February 2026): snow on the edge of the pool, clear mountain air, a water temperature of 1.5 degrees. The conditions immediately made it clear what this week would demand of Andreas Waschburger. It marked the beginning of what would be a very special European championships for him in both sporting and personal terms. Waschi made his first appearance on the national squad of the German Swimming Federation (DSV), which officially included ice swimming as a discipline last year.
Thursday was the 500 metres, his first race in the ice-cold water. He knows this stretch well: he became European champion here in 2024 and world champion in 2025. However, this time many things had changed. Sleep had been in short supply in recent days – between the hospital, the birth, getting home and getting settled, plus efforts to establish a rhythm as a family.
He won the 500 metres in 5:43.50 minutes to retain his European championship title. This was a particularly important victory for him as it builds on his successes in recent years and demonstrates that he can perform consistently here despite the unusual circumstances.
The 250 metres followed a day later – a short distance that unsurprisingly comes less naturally to him, but which he likes to tackle aggressively. In water at 1.39 degrees, he swam his way to second place in 2:44.72 minutes, 1.72 seconds behind the winner. Silver represented a good result for him – especially as he was second in this distance at the 2025 World championships and knew how fast a race on this short distance would feel.
Friday brought the main event: 1,000 metres in the ice water – the distance he both loves and fears the most. ‘Your skin is burning, your hands and feet are completely numb, it’s hard to catch your breath, and your body is screaming for you to stop.’ This is the moment where he relies on what has kept him going for years: stay calm, keep swimming, don’t give up. He won this distance for the third time in a row. After his 2024 European championship win and his 2025 world championship title, he once again confirmed his status as ‘king of the ice’.
Your skin is burning, your hands and feet are completely numb, it’s hard to catch your breath, and your body is screaming for you to stop.
Andreas Waschburger
Saturday was the relay event. He and Alisa Fatum, Kilian Graef and Marie‑Therese Bartl swam the 4×250‑metre mixed relay for Germany in 12:00.30 minutes to finish in third place. This was a tight race that gave the team a bronze and a positive end to the final day of competition.
However, the real story of this European championship took place off the water. During the run-up to Molveno, it remained unclear for quite a while whether he would even be competing. His daughter Mila was born right at the point when other athletes were completing their final push of training. He, on the other hand, was juggling the hospital, home, tiredness, and efforts to establish a rhythm as a family. The fact that he still managed to finish on the podium four times is something that he did not take for granted, instead noting that it was only possible thanks to his wife’s support during this time. Mila was in his thoughts during every race – providing not pressure, but gentle support.
After the awards ceremony on Saturday evening, he was clear what came next: head home, breathe, settle. This was a successful European championship, but above all a very special one. Now, he is entering a period that he is at least as excited about as any upcoming competitions – time as a family of three.