https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Sweden in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Recreational, competitive or for health reasons, Scandinavians aren't short on excuses for jumping into the cold winter waters of the north. In Skellefteå they even celebrate it with a yearly festival. https://www.thelocal.se/20200221/in-pictures-ice-swimmers-plunge-into-swedish-waters Fri, 21 Feb 2020 12:43:25 +0100 in-pictures-ice-swimmers-plunge-into-swedish-waters Residents and visitors to Malmö have been warned to avoid swimming at all beaches and bathing spots along the southern city's coastline due to dangerous algae bloom in the water. https://www.thelocal.se/20190724/malm-swimmers-warned-to-stay-out-of-water-due-to-dangeous-algae Wed, 24 Jul 2019 13:59:30 +0200 malm-swimmers-warned-to-stay-out-of-water-due-to-dangeous-algae As Sweden starts to get the first proper heat of the summer, there's good news for fans of open air swimming: close to 90 percent of Sweden's bathing spots are ranked as good quality. https://www.thelocal.se/20190520/this-map-reveals-swedens-cleanest-swimming-spots Mon, 20 May 2019 17:46:31 +0200 this-map-reveals-swedens-cleanest-swimming-spots Outdoor swimming is one of the best parts of any Swedish summer, and in Stockholm you can do that close to the city centre. https://www.thelocal.se/20180531/the-absolute-best-spots-for-a-swim-in-stockholm Thu, 31 May 2018 14:48:42 +0200 the-absolute-best-spots-for-a-swim-in-stockholm Images of a group of Swedes turning the inconvenience of flooding in central Uppsala into an opportunity to relax have gone viral, after they were photographed swimming through the central rail station’s underpass with inflatables and water pistols. https://www.thelocal.se/20180730/in-pictures-swedes-go-for-a-swim-in-rail-station-underpass-after-torrential-rain-caused-floods Mon, 30 Jul 2018 13:22:15 +0200 in-pictures-swedes-go-for-a-swim-in-rail-station-underpass-after-torrential-rain-caused-floods The dry, hot Stockholm weather means there is currently a ban on using portable barbecues in the open air, putting a dampener on a staple of the Swedish summer. But fear not: there are some special spots where grilling is still permitted. We've picked out five of the best locations in the Swedish capital. https://www.thelocal.se/20180524/the-best-places-to-have-a-safe-barbecue-in-stockholm Thu, 24 May 2018 16:10:23 +0200 the-best-places-to-have-a-safe-barbecue-in-stockholm The exceptionally warm Swedish summer has had unfortunate consequences when it comes to the frequency of accidental drownings occurring in the country, with the number of child fatalities between May and June reaching the same level as the entirety of 2017. https://www.thelocal.se/20180716/sweden-sees-rise-in-number-of-drownings-in-connection-with-heatwave Mon, 16 Jul 2018 16:01:35 +0200 sweden-sees-rise-in-number-of-drownings-in-connection-with-heatwave Sweden's Sarah Sjöström set a new short-course record for the women's 100m freestyle in Moscow on Thursday, her eighth world record in total. https://www.thelocal.se/20170804/another-week-another-new-world-record-for-swedens-sarah-sjostrom Fri, 04 Aug 2017 10:19:06 +0200 another-week-another-new-world-record-for-swedens-sarah-sjostrom Swedish swimming icon Sarah Sjöström won the women's 50m freestyle gold at the world championships on Sunday for her third sprint title in Budapest. https://www.thelocal.se/20170731/sarah-sjostrom-finishes-world-championships-with-three-gold-medals-and-two-world-records Mon, 31 Jul 2017 10:11:42 +0200 sarah-sjostrom-finishes-world-championships-with-three-gold-medals-and-two-world-records Sarah Sjöström says there is more in the tank, with the women's 100m freestyle world record again under threat after powering her way into Friday's final at the world championships. https://www.thelocal.se/20170728/sarah-sjostrom-out-to-break-more-records-at-world-championships Fri, 28 Jul 2017 08:59:36 +0200 sarah-sjostrom-out-to-break-more-records-at-world-championships Sweden's Sarah Sjöström has booked a place in the 100m freestyle semi-finals at the World Aquatics Championships with the fastest time in the morning heats. https://www.thelocal.se/20170727/swedens-sarah-sjostrom-books-place-in-100m-freestyle-world-semi-finals Thu, 27 Jul 2017 15:28:51 +0200 swedens-sarah-sjostrom-books-place-in-100m-freestyle-world-semi-finals Sweden's Sarah Sjöström became the first woman to win four golds in the women's 100 m butterfly on Monday at the world championships, and the swimming hero was shocked at how close she came to matching her own world record. https://www.thelocal.se/20170725/swedens-sarah-sjostrom-makes-more-history-with-new-gold-medal Tue, 25 Jul 2017 09:05:53 +0200 swedens-sarah-sjostrom-makes-more-history-with-new-gold-medal Swedish swimming ace Sarah Sjöström clocked a world record of 51.71secs for her leg of the women's 4x100m freestyle relay final at the world championships on Sunday. https://www.thelocal.se/20170724/sarah-sjostrom-makes-history-with-stunning-new-freestyle-relay-world-record Mon, 24 Jul 2017 09:14:18 +0200 sarah-sjostrom-makes-history-with-stunning-new-freestyle-relay-world-record More people have drowned in Sweden so far this year than in any other year this century. The good weather is getting the blame. https://www.thelocal.se/20160726/record-number-of-drownings-in-sweden Tue, 26 Jul 2016 10:57:49 +0200 record-number-of-drownings-in-sweden Sweden’s heatwave has seen many people heading to enjoy a swim in one of the country’s countless lakes. But just as the water has become warm enough to enter, authorities are warning that high levels of bacteria have made many bathing spots unsafe. https://www.thelocal.se/20160722/dont-come-in-the-waters-filthy-germs-swedish-lakes Fri, 22 Jul 2016 10:47:04 +0200 dont-come-in-the-waters-filthy-germs-swedish-lakes Men and boys are being temporarily banned from a swimming pool in southern Sweden on Tuesday, but the International Women's Day initiative is making a splash for all the wrong reasons. https://www.thelocal.se/20160307/swedish-pool-in-hot-water-for-man-free-bathing-day Mon, 07 Mar 2016 16:38:37 +0100 swedish-pool-in-hot-water-for-man-free-bathing-day A rising number of public swimming pools across Sweden are launching blanket bans on smartphones and tablets in a bid to make inattentive parents help protect their children from drowning accidents. https://www.thelocal.se/20151103/swedish-pools-ban-parents-from-using-smartphones Tue, 03 Nov 2015 17:56:24 +0100 swedish-pools-ban-parents-from-using-smartphones Sweden's Sarah Sjöström broke the women's 100 metre butterfly world record for the second time in 24 hours to win gold in the final at the world swimming championships on Monday. https://www.thelocal.se/20150803/swedens-golden-girl-swims-to-new-record-in-final Mon, 03 Aug 2015 19:47:51 +0200 swedens-golden-girl-swims-to-new-record-in-final Swedish swimming champion Sarah Sjöström broke the women's 100m butterfly record on Sunday as China’s Sun Yang and America’s Katie Ledecky kept their 400m freestyle titles at the World Championships. https://www.thelocal.se/20150803/swedish-swimmer-smashes-butterfly-record Mon, 03 Aug 2015 10:24:18 +0200 swedish-swimmer-smashes-butterfly-record A Swedish synchronized swimming team have performed their world champion routine while drunk – to highlight the dangers of drinking and diving during the summer months. https://www.thelocal.se/20150618/swedes-in-boozy-dont-drink-and-dive-campaign Thu, 18 Jun 2015 10:05:00 +0200 swedes-in-boozy-dont-drink-and-dive-campaign