Winter swimming gaining popularity

Winter swimmers stand to form the number 2008 in hopes of successfull Beijing Olympic Games before diving into the sea in Weihai, East China's Shandong Province, December 23, 2007

Winter swimmers wave their hands before diving into the sea in Weihai, East China's Shandong Province, December 23, 2007.

Contestants dive into the icy river during a winter swimming contest in Shangqiu, Central China's Henan Province, December 23, 2007. A total of 511 winter swimmers from Henan and nearby provinces participated in the competition