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| Cuba-US swimmer Diana Nyad to face her critics | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Diana Nyad is planning to meet sceptics who have questioned her 53-hour swim from Cuba to the US. | Diana Nyad is planning to meet sceptics who have questioned her 53-hour swim from Cuba to the US. |
| In online forums and social media, marathon swimmers have suggested Ms Nyad, 64, may have been pulled along or transported by a support boat. | In online forums and social media, marathon swimmers have suggested Ms Nyad, 64, may have been pulled along or transported by a support boat. |
| Ms Nyad, whose team says a stretch when her speed doubled was down to favourable currents, will meet marathon swimmers on Tuesday. | Ms Nyad, whose team says a stretch when her speed doubled was down to favourable currents, will meet marathon swimmers on Tuesday. |
| Her swim was the first across the Florida Straits without a shark cage. | Her swim was the first across the Florida Straits without a shark cage. |
| Alexandra Crotin, a spokeswoman for Ms Nyad, said: "Diana is proud of what she and her team accomplished last week, and she is committed to complete transparency." | Alexandra Crotin, a spokeswoman for Ms Nyad, said: "Diana is proud of what she and her team accomplished last week, and she is committed to complete transparency." |
| She is due to meet "her peers in the swimming community" on Tuesday, Ms Crotin added. | She is due to meet "her peers in the swimming community" on Tuesday, Ms Crotin added. |
| GPS data | GPS data |
| The swimmer's progress during the 110-mile (177-km) journey was tracked online via GPS by her team, and some say the data is inconsistent. | The swimmer's progress during the 110-mile (177-km) journey was tracked online via GPS by her team, and some say the data is inconsistent. |
| Andrew Malinak, a Seattle long-distance swimmer, told the Associated Press news agency: "When you know how hard it is, you kind of want those details." | Andrew Malinak, a Seattle long-distance swimmer, told the Associated Press news agency: "When you know how hard it is, you kind of want those details." |
| Specifically, critics have focused on a seven-hour stretch when Ms Nyad's average speed was more than 3mph (4.8km/h), compared with her 1.5mph average. | Specifically, critics have focused on a seven-hour stretch when Ms Nyad's average speed was more than 3mph (4.8km/h), compared with her 1.5mph average. |
| The rules of the swim meant she was not allowed to hold on to the support boat at any time. | The rules of the swim meant she was not allowed to hold on to the support boat at any time. |
| But her team told the Associated Press over the weekend that Ms Nyad was aided only by favourable currents. | But her team told the Associated Press over the weekend that Ms Nyad was aided only by favourable currents. |
| "At some points we were doing almost four miles an hour," navigator John Bartlett said. | "At some points we were doing almost four miles an hour," navigator John Bartlett said. |
| "That's just the way it works. If the current is in your favour at all, that explains it." | "That's just the way it works. If the current is in your favour at all, that explains it." |
| 'Not about hate' | |
| He said data collected by him and two observers would be submitted to three open-water swimming associations and the Guinness World Records for verification. | He said data collected by him and two observers would be submitted to three open-water swimming associations and the Guinness World Records for verification. |
| Ms Nyad walked out of the water on to the Florida beach a week ago after leaving a Havana yacht club early on 31 August. | Ms Nyad walked out of the water on to the Florida beach a week ago after leaving a Havana yacht club early on 31 August. |
| Following four failed tries - one in 1978, two in 2011 and one in 2012 - she had vowed that it would be her last attempt to cross the Straits. | Following four failed tries - one in 1978, two in 2011 and one in 2012 - she had vowed that it would be her last attempt to cross the Straits. |
| Debate about Ms Nyad's swim has been split on the Marathon Swimmers Forum website. | |
| One user, rosemarymint, wrote: "We all love a good heart-warming story where a human being achieves something absolutely extraordinary, but the initial data do not pass the smell test." | |
| Another, ZoeSadler, said that other marathon swimmers would be less successful in attracting sponsorship for a 21-mile English Channel swim, "given that a 64 year old lady can do 103 miles". | |
| "That's why we want to see independent verification and data to support this extraordinary swim," wrote the commenter. "It's not about 'hate'. I actually want to believe this is true." |