Wearing colourful wigs and quirky costumes, competitive swimmers took to soggy waters at the weekend for the World Bog Snorkelling Championships.

Participants, dressed as mermaids, Spider-Man or even wearing boat or toilet seat replicas on their backs, swam two lengths of a weed-filled 60-yard (55m) trench as fast as they could. The wet weather did little to dampen spirits at the event, held annually in the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells.

Dan Norman, 18, took this year's title with a time of 1:26 minutes. Swedish swimmer Anna Lohman was the speediest amongst the women competitors with a time of 1:33 minutes.

Flushing away the competition. Photo: Rebecca Naden/ReutersFlushing away the competition. Photo: Rebecca Naden/Reuters

Thankfully, the only bog's only crocodiles were inflatable ones. Photo: Rebecca Naden/ReuterasThankfully, the only bog's only crocodiles were inflatable ones. Photo: Rebecca Naden/Reuteras

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