Channel Swimming

Channel Swimming, endurance test first undertaken by Captain Matthew Webb, who swam across the English Channel from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in 1875. His time for the 34 km (21 mi) journey was 21 hours and 45 minutes. In 1926 American Olympic swimmer Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim across the English Channel.

The first to swim nonstop in both directions was Antonio Abertondo of Argentina in 1961. The current one-way record is 7 hours, 3 minutes, and 52 seconds by Christof Wandratsch of Germany in 2005. Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria reportedly broke the 7-hour mark in 2007 with a time of 6 hours, 57 minutes, and 50 seconds, but that time has not yet been validated by either the Channel Swimming Association or the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation. Both organizations are authorized to authenticate channel swims. Records exist for various feats, such as double crossing, most crossings, and youngest and oldest to complete a crossing.