Marathon runner Paula Radcliffe won the championship in Europe and attributed her victory to its use.[26] She reportedly said "It's absolute agony, and I dread it, but it allows my body to recover so much more quickly."[27] She reported taking ice baths before racing and preferred her pre-race bath temperature to be "very cold."[24] After the Radcliffe comment, the technique has grown in popularity.[26] It is gaining in popularity among athletes,[6][7][26] such that some athletes "swear by it"[26][28][29] but other accounts suggest it may be a fad.[24][26]