The 7th World Championship of the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) takes place in Oradea, Romania, from 18 to 24 January 2027. It is close to the Hungarian border: for many Hungarian swimmers this may be their first world championship. This summary is based on the IISA announcement (as of October 2026); the official announcement always applies.
The venue
Oradea has two 50-metre pools. The outdoor pool is the competition pool, the indoor one is the warm-up pool and the swimmers' muster hall (call room).
Schedule
- 16–17 January 2027: arrival, registration, medicals; official clinic with European Aquatics
- 17 January: test swims in the competition pool (at most 4 swimmers at a time, at most 200 m or 5 minutes each), opening ceremony in the evening
- 18–24 January: competition
- 24 January: closing ceremony and dinner
Two events, two entries
IISA has published two events: Oradea 2027 Age Group + Para and Oradea 2027 Elite. You can enter both, but not the same distance in both. You need to qualify for each event and distance; the elite qualifying times are much faster. There are finals only in the elite event, not in the age group event. New: the 200 m backstroke and 200 m breaststroke have become world record distances.
| Distance | Age group and para qualifying time |
|---|---|
| 1000 m freestyle | 22:00 |
| 500 m freestyle | 12:00 |
| 250 m freestyle | 6:30 |
| 200 m medley, backstroke, breaststroke | 5:10 |
| 100 m freestyle | 3:15 |
| 100 m breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly | 3:30 |
| 50 m freestyle | 1:15 |
| 50 m breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly | 1:55 |
The key steps
- IISA membership: your Global Membership must be valid for the dates of the championship – extend it if it would expire.
- Qualification: check that your IISA profile shows a swim within the qualifying time for each distance you want to enter.
- Medical check: the IISA medical form and an ECG are compulsory for every swimmer. Book your appointment now; it will be hard in the December rush. Details: Medical requirements.
- Entry: entries have been open since 1 July 2026 and close on 10 December 2026. The entry fee is paid on entry, with no refunds. The 1000 m and 500 m have a strict capacity limit – don't leave it to the last day.
- Tell the association: every swimmer competes under their country's IISA association and must notify their country chair. As a Hungarian swimmer, let MAJETUSZ know about your entry: [email protected]. Every team also has a team captain: [NAME OF THE HUNGARIAN TEAM CAPTAIN].
- Second and travel: for 500 m and longer you need a second. It is worth arranging accommodation and travel with the team: [DETAILS OF JOINT TRAVEL].
The general competition rules, the course of race day and the second's tasks are on the Competitor's guide page.
Entry fees
In the age group and para event the fees range from €50 (50 m) to €140 (1000 m freestyle); in the elite event they are roughly half of that. Relays (2 women + 2 men, open to all) are entered during the championship, by 10 am each day, at €40 per team.
Links
- Competition page: Ice Swimming World Championship 2027
- Entries on the IISA website: age group and para, elite
- IISA announcement and forms: Documents