Italian
La nuotatrice maratoneta Chloë McCardel ha appena completato la sua 43esima traversata della Manica, eguagliando il record del maggior numero di traversate del canale realizzato dalla nuotatrice britannica Alison Streeter nel 2004.
Originaria di Sydney e cresciuta a Melbourne, ha completato l’estenuante traversata di 34 chilometri da Dover nel Regno Unito a Calais in Francia con un tempo di 10 ore e 54 minuti.
McCardel è ritornata nel Regno Unito via nave e si è presa del tempo per recuperare nelle coste di Dover.
“It was a really tough swim, the tide was very strong, the highest tide of the year. It was running at 11km per hour. I had to swim against it all day. It made finishing this one really tough. So it took an hour and a half longer than it would on any other day."
Il canale della Manica è una traversata complessa con diverse variabili in gioco – dalle difficili correnti che aggiungono distanze extra, e onde che spesso raggiungono i due metri in altezza - al trafficato flusso di navi cargo e traghetti che lo attraversano giornalmente.
Un altro problema era l’ipotermia, per la quale McCardel venne ospedalizzata nel 2011.
"I actually got smacked by a wave at the very swim's start after I had officially started so it was too late to restart, lost my goggles and swam back-stroke the first 400 metres in waves until I found the spare pair of goggles in the boat."
McCardel si è allenata per questa traversata per due mesi, preparandosi non solo a combattere contro le alte onde, ma anche contro le condizioni ventose, che rendono questo percorso particolarmente soddisfacente da completare.
“I was just in awe and in shock that I can finally have my name against Alison Streeter, an amazing marathon swimmer."
La nuotatrice si ritufferà in acqua per un’altra traversata, la numero 44, per infrangere il record del mondo.
In caso di successo, verrà incoronata “Regina del Canale”.
“As much as I love Alison Streeter, I am still looking forward to matching one more, getting the world record, bringing the title home to Australia. So I believe that swim will happen within a week, most likely this Sunday night Australian time as a swim start or possibly as late as this Wednesday night, but I am super confident it will happen in the next seven days."
L’anno scorso, McCardel ha infranto il record mondiale delle traversate degli uomini quando ha completato il suo 37esimo attraversamento.
È diventata la quarta persona, e la sola australiana, a completare il triplo attraversamento senza pause del canale della Manica nel 2015.
È stata l’unica persona a realizzare l’impresa in 25 anni.
English
Australian marathon swimmer Chloë McCardel has just completed her 43rd crossing of the English Channel, equalling the world record for most number of Channel crossings set by British swimmer Alison Streeter in 2004.
The Melbourne-raised Sydneysider completed the gruelling 34-kilometre swim from Dover in the United Kingdom to Calais in France in a time of 10 hours and 54 minutes.
McCardel returned to the U-K by boat, and took some time to recover on the shores of Dover.
“It was a really tough swim, the tide was very strong, the highest tide of the year. It was running at 11km per hour. I had to swim against it all day. It made finishing this one really tough. So it took an hour and a half longer than it would on any other day."
The English Channel is a challenging swim with a number of variables at play – from changing tides adding extra distance, and waves often reaching two metres in height, to the busy stream of cargo ships and ferries crossing daily.
Another concern was hypothermia, which McCardel was hospitalised with in 2011.
"I actually got smacked by a wave at the very swim's start after I had officially started so it was too late to restart, lost my goggles and swam back-stroke the first 400 metres in waves until I found the spare pair of goggles in the boat."
McCardel had been training for this swim for two months, prepped to not only battle the high waves, but windy conditions as well, making this swim particularly satisfying to complete.
“I was just in awe and in shock that I can finally have my name against Alison Streeter, an amazing marathon swimmer."
The swimmer will take to the water for one more crossing, number 44, to break the world record.
If successful, she'll be crowned Queen of the Channel.
“As much as I love Alison Streeter, I am still looking forward to matching one more, getting the world record, bringing the title home to Australia. So I believe that swim will happen within a week, most likely this Sunday night Australian time as a swim start or possibly as late as this Wednesday night, but I am super confident it will happen in the next seven days."
Last year, McCardel broke the Men’s World Record of 34 English Channel crossings when she completed her 37thswim.
She became the 4th person, and the only Australian, to complete a triple non-stop crossing of the English Channel in 2015.
She was the first person to do so in 25 years.
Report by Essam Al-Ghalib
