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- Popular test of endurance since Captain
- Matthew Webb (1848-1883) first swam across
- the English Channel from Dover to Calais in
- 1875. His time was 21 hr 45 min for the 34
- km/21 mi journey. The current record is 7 hr
- 40 min by Penny Dean of the USA 1978. The
- first to swim nonstop in both directions was
- the Argentinian Antonio Abertondo in 1961.
- The Channel Swimming Association was formed
- 1927, and records exist for various feats;
- double crossing, most crossings, and youngest
- and oldest to complete a crossing.
-