Australian swimmer Chloe McCardel breaks men's record for most English Channel crossings
Aug 17, 2020
Sydney [Australia], Aug 17 : Australian swimmer Chloe McCardel has broken the men's world record for the most swims across the English Channel after making her 35th journey.
The 35-year-old completed the roughly 35-kilometre swim between Dover, in south-east England, and northern France in 10 hours and 40 minutes on Sunday. It was her fourth crossing of the channel in 16 days, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The swimmer had received a travel exemption from the Australian government to travel to the United Kingdom amid the coronavirus pandemic and contest the men's record.
McCardel surpassed Kevin Murphy who holds the record for the number of men's crossings after completing his 34th swim in 2006.
He has been beaten only by British long-distance swimmer Alison Streeter, who has made 43 crossings.
"I am just so excited, it is a really special moment to really nudge ahead of all the men and be the second-highest English Channel swimmer in history. I am just elated," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted McCardel as saying.
In 2016, McCardel set a record for the number of English Channel swims by an Australian with her 20th crossing.
