NASSAU, Bahamas – Australian swimmer Chloe McCardel has successfully completed a 78-mile (126-kilometer) swim between two islands in the Bahamas.
McCardel's support team says the 42 ½ hour effort is the longest open-water solo, continuous marathon swim in history, though such claims come with complications. The Marathon Swimmers Federation says it is difficult to compare marathon swims because currents vary in different locations and some previous efforts were not well-documented.
The 29-year-old athlete from Melbourne set out from the southern tip of Eleuthera island and reached the capital of Nassau at about 1 a.m. local time Wednesday.
She made the attempt under rules that included not being permitted to intentionally touch her support boat or hold on to anything.