AS HAMPSHIRE feels the chill of an Arctic blast taking a dip in a freezing lake is furthest from most people’s minds.

But for a host of athletes visiting the county this week we are enjoying the ideal weather for their sport.

They are competitors in the first ever UK’s ice swimming contest.

The National Ice Swimming Championships, the Great Britain 1km Open, will draw in crowds to the Andark Lake in Swanwick this weekend to watch plucky athletes brave the icy waters in the new sport.

But residents will also be able to see if they have what it takes.

Run under the IISA (International Ice Swimming Association) rules, ice swimmers must take to water of 5 degrees Celsius or less wearing only a regular swimming costume, a pair of goggles and swim hat to stay warm.

This Saturday’s elite class – who have to undergo strict medical tests and qualifying swims before competing – will race the kilometre in a bid to qualify for a place in the world championships in Germany later this year.

The following day residents can head down to the lake to try the sport for themselves.

There will be races for individuals who wish to wear wet suits or go for the full ice swimming experience and just don a regular costume.

They can choose distances from 50m up to 500m.

Health and safety officers will be checking that people are fit to swim.

Hampshire ice swimming champion Kate Steels-Fryatt, an IISA GB board member, has been involved in organising the event.

The 46-year-old, of Bishop’s Waltham, who works as a policy project manager for Hampshire County Council, has been using Andark Lake, a new watersports facility built two years ago and already used by open water swimmers, to train for some time.

Last year the Daily Echo reported how Kate risked hypothermia to become the 110th person to brave the dangerous ice mile mission, completing 1,650m in just under 33 minutes.

She went on to compete in the first-ever Ice Swimming World Championships in Russia, where her 19mins 30secs swim placed her sixth, giving her the English record and the world record in the 45 plus age category.

“I’m thrilled that ice swimming is coming to my home county and we’re putting the sport well and truly on the map,” she said.

Managing director of Andark Lake, Andy Goddard said: “We’re delighted to be hosting this event and bringing it to Hampshire, plus providing people with the exciting opportunity to actually give it a go.

“Hopefully once they’ve seen the elite pros they’ll be inspired and get in the water.”

Places are limited so for further information or to register interest in swimming visit andarklake.co.uk.