AUSSIE EYES

Ultra-marathon swimmer aims for quadruple crossing of English Channel

SYDNEY

AN Australian swimmer plans to attempt a world-first non-stop quadruple crossing of the icy English Channel, a torturous feat never before tried and widely considered impossible.

Chloe McCardel, arguably the greatest ultra-marathon swimmer ever, is aiming to set off on the 136km odyssey on Aug 29, depending on the weather.

It is likely to take her at least 48 hours.

The 32-year-old has swum the Channel 21 times, including becoming the first Australian and only the fourth person ever to complete a triple crossing in 2015, 27 years after it was last achieved.

She also holds records for the world’s longest unassisted ocean swim (124.4km in 41.5 hours) and the world’s most Channel crossings