X-WATERS Slovenia 2026

Thank you for your kind email.

Competing in such a wonderful place as Lake Bled was one of the best experiences I have ever had in open water swimming, and to date, I have competed in 275 races.

The landscape is marvelous, the water is clean, and the temperature was pleasant on the day of the race.

I strongly recommend that all lovers of this magnificent sport swim in Lake Bled at least once in their lifetime.

I give permission to use my photos in any way you see fit for publication.

João Silva National Champion of the Portuguese Swimming Federation’s National Open Water Circuit Age group: 60-64 years

@João Silva

Thanks a lot to the X-Waters Slovenia team and volunteers - you are the best! It was a great pleasure and honor to participate in such amazing event! Can’t wait for the next year!

My first ever swimming competition! In open water @x_waters ! 1 mile (1.6km) in beautiful lake Bled.

Regardless of last place among men, I’m proud of myself. After only two months of training I’m able to do such things thanks to great coach @tatiana.stepniakova and awesome sport club @ilovesupersport_slovenia made by @vlad_litv

I was competing with myself and the result is better than I expected. Awesome event and great organisation! (First in Slovenia)

From Belarus to Slovenia for a swim? Easy! 😏 Dima @camelopardis went on an absolutely incredible journey just to take part—and then headed back the same day!

@juliakowalewskaja

X-WATERS World Championship, Bled - 5 km, 1.54

Today's competition was a great experience—not only because I swam in a wonderful location, but also because, for the first time in my life, the outside temperature was 8 degrees, and the water temperature was 17.5 degrees, which was a great challenge for me.

During the whole race, I felt somebody's kick in my left thigh in the first few meters, but the real shock was the cold water 🥶. My body couldn't really handle it in the first 600 meters—I was practically swimming, but only occasionally getting a little breath, as if my body was shaking from the cold. We started so intensely that the air simply wouldn't go in or out, and my pulse skyrocketed. I decided three times to put my hands up (give up), but then all kinds of mantras started working, the air finally came, my pulse calmed a bit, and I just had to keep pushing... 👊🏻🏊🏻☀️

Since I was swimming in a sleeveless neoprene suit, my left shoulder and elbow started to hurt by the end. Given that I would have only a 40-minute rest before the 1-mile race—and that there was only one other "crazy" person besides me who wanted to compete in both races—I decided to let it go.

Anyway, as we Hungarians say, "Who has seven mothers should swim in such cold water one more time" 🥶😁. Even though I struggled, I’ve now gotten to know the lake, and who knows—maybe I'll come back next year for an even better swim... 😉🫶🏻☺️☀️🌊

@Varga Emesével