Santo Domingo.- 50,000 pounds of ice dumped in the Olympic Center swimming pool lowered the water temperature to two degrees Celsius, for the ultra distance swimmer Marcos Diaz to train under conditions similar to those he’ll soon face when he attempts to cross the Bering Straits between Russia and Alaska.

The crossing aims to link the Asian and American continents and with it conclude the Swim of the Continents, as reported by the Website I Swim with Marcos.com, sponsored by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.