The coveted title of World Champion Bog Snorkeller went on Monday for the third year in a row to a 17-year-old Welsh student who saw off 140-odd competitors at one of Britain’s more unusual sporting events.
The World Bog Snorkelling Championships Llanwrtyd Wells, Britain’s smallest town, saw flipper-clad entrants snorkel two lengths of the murky Waen Ryth peat bog, overcoming mud, weeds and creepy crawlies in their quest for glory.
Philip John of Bridgend, south Wales, a sports science student who tried out for the British Olympic swimming team earlier this year, scooped the first prize — a year’s supply of ice cream — for the third year running.
”It’s an unusual sport and it’s a way to raise money for charity,” said John, who completed the course in one minute 38 seconds — three seconds off the record that he set last year.
Funds raised from the championships are donated to the Mid Wales division of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Besides bog snorkelling, Llanwrtyd Wells plays host every year to a one-of-a-kind marathon that pits men against horses. ‒ Sapa-AFP