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NZLNew ZealandSport:SwimmingPhilip Rush is a New Zealand marathon swimmer whose career includes repeated crossings of the English Channel and Cook Strait. His long-distance achievements also extend to Lake Taupo, where he completed the first double crossing. His recorded career includes ten Channel crossings and eight Cook Strait crossings.
In 1987 Rush completed a continuous three-way English Channel swim: England to France, back to England, then to France again. The complete performance took 28 hours 21 minutes. That demanding sequence is presented here as one continuous swim with three legs.
Rush completed Cook Strait doubles in 1984 and 1988. He later applied that experience to supporting other marathon swimmers. Through Cook Strait Swim, he provides guidance on preparation and works alongside navigators and boat crews during crossing attempts, extending his involvement from athlete to guide and supporter.
His 1987 support team included coach Tony Keenan and escort pilot Michael Oram. A report published that week describes calm conditions and Rush considering a fourth length before finishing after three. In a later filmed interview, he discussed the Channel swim alongside his Cook Strait and Lake Taupō career.
Continuous three-way Channel swim · 28 hours 21 minutes
Crossing details, recordings & verificationSolo swim
Sunday, 16 August 1987 (recorded swim date)
England → France → England → France
Elapsed time · 28h 21m
Start clock · Clock time not confirmed
Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed
Sources disagree · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
Solo swim
Monday, 9 September 1985 (recorded swim date)
Elapsed time · 17h 56m
Start clock · Clock time not confirmed
Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed
Published account checked · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Sunday, 24 February 1980 (event date)
New Zealand
Completed North Island → South Island.
Elapsed time · 8h 56m
Published account checked · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Tuesday, 13 March 1984 (event date)
New Zealand
Completed North Island → South Island → North Island, the first non-stop double. Published elapsed accounts differ by one minute.
Sources disagree · Details and qualifications are in the career evidence.
13 March 1984
Completed a north-to-south and return crossing.
1987
Completed a continuous three-way swim in 28 hours 21 minutes.
9 February 1988
Completed another continuous out-and-back crossing.
Achievements update from recorded results. A tick means the supporting results are verified.
No eligible completed results are linked yet. Link a completed result to start the achievement collection.
First recorded finish
1 more finish needed
0 of 1 recorded
Selected swimming performances appear in the English Channel record above.
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