video transcript

In the misty, damp, muddy Welsh countryside, what better way to spend a bank holiday than immersed in muck. That's what brave competitors did at the 26th World Bog Snorkelling Championship. Swimmers don snorkelling gear and some, even fancy costumes, and try and clock the fastest time submerged in the swamp. Not everybody's cup of tea. (SOUNDBITE) Competitor Laura Roberts, saying (English): "One of our friends talked us into coming for the day he's failed to turn up and then here we are in the middle of Wales in the rain on a bank holiday weekend." SOUNDBITE: Competitor, Oliver, saying (English): "Tiring, it's really difficult to breathe in the snorkel, but it was good fun, good fun and you can't see a thing, it's completely black." Defending champion Dan Morgan was very enthusiastic though, determined to win and break his own record. SOUNDBITE: Competitor, Dan Morgan, saying (English): "This year I wanna go quicker obviously, break the world record again, thinking one minute twenty something like that, so be the first man to do that sort of like the old erm four minute mile thing, that's how I'm looking at it." Despite his best efforts though, Morgan's record was shattered by winner Andrew Holmes - who surprisingly, has no intention of defending his title. SOUNDBITE: Andrew Holmes, saying (English): "No, I'm not coming back again, it's horrible, (laughs)" Event organiser Sheelagh Tomkins disagrees, and has big plans for bog snorkelling. SOUNDBITE: Event organizer Sheelagh Tomkins, saying (English): "We are going to go for Olympic status I mean why not, I mean everybody has come from all over the world to take part, there's got to be something in it, something in that water." Indeed there is; lots of mud and cold, grimy snorkellers. Tara Cleary, Reuters.