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Australian sets record for oldest Channel swimmer | Australian sets record for oldest Channel swimmer |
(35 minutes later) | |
A 70-year-old Australian man has set the record for the world's oldest person to swim the English Channel. | A 70-year-old Australian man has set the record for the world's oldest person to swim the English Channel. |
Cyril Baldock, from Bondi Beach in Sydney, completed his second round of the journey between the UK and France. | Cyril Baldock, from Bondi Beach in Sydney, completed his second round of the journey between the UK and France. |
Mr Baldock managed to complete the leg, which spans at least 40km (25 miles), in 12 hours and 45 minutes. | Mr Baldock managed to complete the leg, which spans at least 40km (25 miles), in 12 hours and 45 minutes. |
A 73-year-old Australian woman is due to challenge his record by completing the swim later this week. | |
His first Channel swim was in 1985, when he was the 5th Australian to do so. | His first Channel swim was in 1985, when he was the 5th Australian to do so. |
When his coach, Des Renford, died of a heart attack, it sparked an idea within Mr Baldock, he told ABC. | |
He took it upon himself to fulfil his coach's dream of becoming the oldest person to swim the Channel. | He took it upon himself to fulfil his coach's dream of becoming the oldest person to swim the Channel. |
"I told Des that when I got to that age I'd have a go at it. But little did I know over that 30-year period the oldest went up 10 years, so I had to wait a while," he told AP. | "I told Des that when I got to that age I'd have a go at it. But little did I know over that 30-year period the oldest went up 10 years, so I had to wait a while," he told AP. |
His current coach, Vladimir Mravec, has put Mr Baldock through an intense training scheme, swimming at least 40km a week. | His current coach, Vladimir Mravec, has put Mr Baldock through an intense training scheme, swimming at least 40km a week. |
"It's helped my fitness, I've got five grandkids and I'm able to do things with them that a lot of 70-year-olds couldn't do," Mr Baldock told ABC. | "It's helped my fitness, I've got five grandkids and I'm able to do things with them that a lot of 70-year-olds couldn't do," Mr Baldock told ABC. |
Although the English Channel is 34km straight, currents often mean that swimmers end up covering more than 40km. | Although the English Channel is 34km straight, currents often mean that swimmers end up covering more than 40km. |
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