COMPETITION RULES
GDYNIA WINTER SWIMMING CUP 2026
24-25 January 2026
AWARDS
Medals (for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place) in age categories in accordance with IWSA regulations for distances from 25 m to 450 m.
Trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the 4×25 m relay in age categories in accordance with IWSA regulations.
BALTIC COLD BEAST 1 km – prizes within the BALTIC COLD BEAST category: a finisher’s medal and awards for the top three competitors in the women’s and men’s categories.
SWIM FOR FUN and “Morświnki” for children – no prizes will be awarded. These are recreational swims, without time measurement, for fun.
DISTANCES
Saturday, 24 January 2026
50 m freestyle
100 m breaststroke
100 m freestyle
25 m for ADULTS, first winter start, for fun, without time measurement
25 m freestyle
1 km “BALTIC COLD BEAST” (not counted towards the World Cup points)
Sunday, 25 January 2026
200 m freestyle
50 m breaststroke
50 m butterfly
450 m freestyle
25 m “SWIM FOR FUN”
4×25 m relay freestyle
TIME LIMITS
25 m, 50 m – 2 minutes
100 m – 5 minutes
200 m – 10 minutes
450 m – 15 minutes
1 km – 25 minutes
4×25 m relays – 5 minutes
SWIM FOR FUN, FIRST ADULT 25 m START – 5 minutes
The Organiser may decide to change the time limit or shorten the distance due to weather conditions.
LIMIT OF PARTICIPANTS PER DISTANCE
50 m freestyle – 60 participants
100 m breaststroke – 60 participants
100 m freestyle – 60 participants
25 m for ADULTS, first winter start, for fun, without time measurement – no limit
25 m freestyle – 60 participants
1 km “BALTIC COLD BEAST” – 24 participants
200 m freestyle – 30 participants
50 m breaststroke – 60 participants
50 m butterfly – 30 participants
450 m freestyle – 20 participants
25 m “SWIM FOR FUN” – no limit
4×25 m relay – 18 teams
At the starting line, competitors will receive the following commands (at the specified intervals):
Take off your clothes.
Enter the water (five seconds).
Take your marks (three seconds).
Competitors may not use any internal or external substances that retain or increase body heat. Swimming under the influence of alcohol or drugs is prohibited. Any competition judge or lifeguard may order a competitor to leave the water if they consider that the competitor is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or poses a danger to themselves, other competitors, judges or spectators.
Swimwear must be appropriate and non-transparent. Swimming topless or without swimwear is prohibited. The swimsuit must not extend below mid-thigh or beyond the shoulders (i.e. it must not have legs or sleeves) and must not provide thermal protection or buoyancy.
Competitors may not use any devices or equipment designed to improve performance (including, but not limited to, paddles, snorkels, fins or buoyancy devices).
With the exception of a cap, competitors may not wear any additional clothing (e.g. gloves or neoprene socks) or wetsuits in any form, regardless of material, even for a short immersion in the water.
Competitors must wear something on their head – this may be a swimming cap, a woollen hat or other warm head covering.
The Organiser’s decision as to whether a competitor’s outfit is appropriate is final.
RULES FOR BREASTSTROKE STARTS
The permissible stroke for breaststroke is defined by World Aquatics (page 62) (head-up breaststroke is not required in events as of 2025): with the exception of turns and finishing which can be with one hand (on the wall, not steps).
LONGER DISTANCES
A competitor may take part in the 450 m distance if they prove that they have already swum this distance in water below 5°C.
A competitor may take part in the 1000 m distance if they prove that they have previously competed over 1 km in water below 5°C (this distance is not counted towards the IWSA World Cup points).
For the 450 m and 1 km distances, each participant must have a support person.
BALTIC COLD BEAST 1 km – awards in the BALTIC COLD BEAST category: a finisher’s medal and awards for the first 3 competitors in the women’s and men’s categories.
Documentation for the 450 m and 1 km distances must be sent to kontakt@gwsc.pl before the event. The Organiser reserves the right to verify the documentation and to request additional information enabling verification of eligibility to start at a given distance.
A competitor who is under 18 years of age on the day of the competition must present written consent from their parents or legal guardians to participate and to accept the Regulations.
Competitors are verified by the Organiser or persons designated by them. The Organiser’s decision is final.
False starts will not be repeated. Gross false starts will result in disqualification. Minor false starts will result in a 5-second penalty added to the race time. The referee’s decision is final.
FREESTYLE RACE RULES
The swimming style is standard freestyle. All races start in the water, meaning swimmers must start from the water. Diving starts are strictly forbidden and result in immediate disqualification. After entering the water, each competitor will be instructed by lane judges and the head referee to place their shoulders underwater and take the starting position. In this position, each competitor must visibly hold the ladder with one hand.
Each swimmer finishes the race by touching the pool wall at the end of their lane with at least one hand. Note: the swimmer must touch the wall with at least one hand before turning. Tumble turns are forbidden and result in immediate disqualification.
RELAYS
The distance is 4 × 25 metres.
Each team must be mixed-gender and consist of 4 swimmers (e.g. three males and one female).
Each team must have a captain. It is recommended that the team captain registers the team and provides the details of all team members.
After being called to the pool zone, team members will be instructed to take their positions in their lane according to the start order.
The first and third swimmers occupy the first part of the lane, while the second and fourth swimmers occupy the end of the lane near the turn.
Swimmers start when their predecessor touches the wall. Be ready in the water when your teammate finishes.
The team finishes the race when the fourth swimmer touches the wall at the end of the lane.
ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES
GWSC supports and encourages the participation of swimmers with disabilities.
GWSC will approach each disabled swimmer individually, with the safety of the competitor as the primary objective. Every effort will be made to provide necessary facilities and assistance, but due to limitations of certain venues, this may not always be possible.
Any athlete with a disability who wishes to participate in the IWSA World Cup in Gdynia should contact kontakt@gwsc.pl before registration for verification with the organisers.
Any disabled athlete who wishes to participate must provide a medical certificate confirming that participation will not have a negative impact on their health.
After receiving confirmation by email from the Organiser following submission of the required documents, the competitor will be allowed to start.
The organisers may prevent a swimmer with a disability from starting at any time if they consider the conditions to be unfavourable and/or the venue to be unsuitable for the specific disability, as safety must always be the priority. The swimmer must accept this decision as final.
Swimmers with disabilities will be awarded according to IWSA age categories.
PROTESTS
Protests may be lodged against a judge’s decision or if a judge does not follow the competition rules.
All protests must be submitted in writing and delivered to the Competition Organiser or a designated person at the Competition Office.
A protest must include the name and surname of the applicant, a description of the disputed situation and the applicant’s handwritten signature.
A protest fee of PLN 250 is required. If the protest is upheld, the fee will be refunded. The Organiser’s decision on the protest is final.
The protest fee is PLN 250.
SWIMWEAR
A competitor may use a maximum of two silicone caps.
Swimsuit (must not be made of neoprene):
a) men – short swim briefs or pool swimwear,
b) women – one-piece or two-piece swimsuit, without legs or sleeves, or pool swimwear.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The average water temperature in the Gulf of Gdańsk in January is about 2°C.
The lane length is 25 m, with wall push-off.
Qualification is mandatory for the 450 m and 1000 m distances.
Participants and all other persons present at the competition venue are obliged to behave in a way that does not endanger the safety of others, and in particular to comply with the provisions of these Regulations.
The participant consents to photographic and audiovisual recording of the competition and its subsequent publication.
The Organiser is the controller of the personal data of registered participants. The participant has the right to access and correct their data.
The competition will take place regardless of weather conditions (except for extreme or unusual climatic situations specific to the location).
The Organiser reserves the right to cancel or interrupt the competition, as well as to change the schedule and distances if they determine that weather changes may threaten the safety of participants or persons acting on behalf of the Organiser. This decision is final.
The competition route will be secured by appropriate rescue services both on land and on water.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Organiser is released from liability for any damage caused by participants as a result of their participation in the competition and is not obliged to repair such damage.
Each competitor participates at their own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Organiser is released from liability for any damage, injuries or deterioration of health that may result from participation in the competition, and is not obliged to compensate for such damage.
During the competition, the competitor must present a valid photo ID at the request of the Organiser.
The entry fee is non-refundable once paid. A refund is only possible for health reasons, in the case of withdrawal by 9 January 2026.
The Organiser is not responsible for cancellation of the competition due to reasons beyond their control and impossible to foresee.
In matters not regulated by these Regulations, decisions are made by the Organiser.
The Organiser reserves the right to verify any application and cancel a given registration or transfer a participant to another distance without giving a reason.
The Organiser reserves the right to amend these Regulations.
Additional information about the competition and its organisation can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gwscgdynia/