Online Exhibition - Swimming the
Channel
Records and Firsts
1872
First attempt to swim the
Channel
J. B. Johnson (England)
Abandoned after 1 hour 3 mins
1875
First 'swim' single-handed
crossing
Captain Paul Boyton (USA).
In inflatable rubber suit with canvas sail fixed to left boot and
double-bladed paddle. 23 ½ hours.
1875
First man to swim the
Channel
Matthew Webb (England)
England to France. 21 3/4 hours. 24 August
1890
First man to swim Channel,
France to England
Davis Dalton (USA)
Debated and unconfirmed
1923
Slowest crossing of the
Channel
Henry Sullivan (USA)
26 hours, 50 minutes
First man to swim Channel,
France to England (confirmed)
Enrico Tiraboschi
(Argentina)
16 ½ hours. 12 August
1926
First woman to swim the
Channel
Gertrude Ederle (USA)
1927
First man to have swum the
Channel both ways
E. H. Temme (England)
1933
First attempt by a limbless
swimmer
Charles Zibelman ('Zimmy the Human Fish')
Failed due to jellyfish sting
(in 1990, Lucy Krajewska (Poland) made the first successful
crossing by a legless person)
1934
First man to swim Channel
twice
E. H. Temme (England)
1927 and 1934
1935
First relay team
crossing
Team of 6 Calais swimmers
1951
First woman to swim the
Channel twice and to have swum both ways
Florence
Chadwick (USA)
1950 and 1951
Florence Chadwick and Jack 'Pop' Burwill, channel pilot for many
channel swimming attempts
1951
First crossing by a
grandmother
Betty Cohn (aged 50)
1952
Shortest ever
attempt
Bruno Tajana, a Swiss swimmer, gave up after 100 yards (water was
knee-deep)
1953
Greatest non-race
attempt
Butlins Channel Race of 5th August - 8 competitors, 2 did not
start, 6 did not finish
1954
First person to die swimming
the Channel
Ted May (England)
Drowned whilst attempting an unescorted crossing
1961
First man to swim both ways
non-stop
Antonio Abertondo (Argentina)
43 hours 5 mins
1962
First man to swim the Channel
underwater
Fred Baldasare (USA)
19 hours 1 min in frogmans suit
1981
First non-stop 3-way
crossing
Jon Erikson (USA)
1987
Oldest swimmer to cross the
Channel
Clifford Batt (Australia), aded 67
1988
Youngest swimmer to cross the
channel
Thomas Gregory (England), aged 11 years
(Since 1994 the rules forbid solo attempts by swimmers under the
age of 14