The 7th Jinan Winter Spring Swimming International Invitation and IWSA World Cup Promotional took place on Jan 12 and 13 in Jinan, capital city of East China's Shandong province.

The international event attracted a total of 956 swimmers from 31 countries and regions including the United States, Russia and Britain, who braved the freezing conditions on the opening day, with temperatures dipping to −6 degrees Celsius.

After some fierce competition, Ye Qianpeng from Taizhou, East China's Jiangsu province took the first place of the men's open water racing in group A in a time of two minutes 28.51 seconds.

"I'm a swimming coach, I like swimming very much. I heard that Daming Lake is a winter swimming resort in Jinan, so I came here. So unexpected that I can win the first place this year," he said.

As the world's only winter swimming event held in spring water, the Jinan winter spring swimming competition provides swimming enthusiasts with a chance to get close to the spring water and enjoy the beauty of Jinan city, said Wang Guiying, the deputy mayor of Jinan city at the opening ceremony.

Hosted by the Jinan municipal government, the event has been held for six successive years and has in its time gained an international reputation. It is also listed in the 2019 Sino-Finland Winter Sport Year series.

The inauguration ceremony for the 7th Jinan Winter Spring Swimming International Invitation is held in Jinan on Jan 12. [Photo/dzwww.com]

Swimmers dive into the icy spring water at Daming Lake, Jinan. [Photo/dzwww.com]

Winners celebrate on the podium after a race in Jinan. [Photo/dzwww.com]