EGYEgypt
Abdel Latif Abou Heif
1955 Butlins Channel race winner · three historical solos
3 selected Channel performances
ATHRECS SWIMMING ARCHIVE
English Channel swimmers
Explore the people who swam between England and France. Each biography links to selected performances, dates, times and the evidence behind them.
95 swimmer profiles · 188 Channel performances · 111 other events
How the records were checked
Each crossing links to the published records, observer accounts or contemporary reports used to check it. The entry explains any disagreement and identifies federation ratification where established. Each continuous swim counts once. Relay times belong to the team.
This archive covers selected swimmers and performances. Dates and clock times appear at the precision the sources support.
95 swimmers shown
BRABrazil
Abílio Couto
Three Channel crossings · England-to-France record setter in 1959
3 selected Channel performances
GGYUK [Guernsey]
Adrian Sarchet
English Channel in 14:02 · Oceans Seven completed in 2020
1 selected Channel performance
ENGEngland
Alison Streeter
43 career crossings · first woman to complete a three-way swim
11 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Amelia ‘Millie’ Gade Corson
Second woman and first mother across the Channel · August 1926
1 selected Channel performance
GERGermany
Andreas Waschburger
England–France in 6:45:25 · 8 September 2023
1 selected Channel performance
INDIndia
Anita Sood
1987 Channel crossing · 8 hours 15 minutes · CSA annual fastest-woman award
1 selected Channel performance
ARGArgentina
Antonio Abertondo
First two-way English Channel swim · 43h 10m · 1961
4 selected Channel performances
MEXMexico
Antonio Argüelles
Mexican Oceans Seven swimmer · Channel, Catalina and Manhattan
3 selected Channel performances
INDIndia
Arati Saha
First Asian woman across the Channel · 29 September 1959
1 selected Channel performance
HUNHungary
Attila Mányoki
2013 Channel solo · CSA fastest-man season award
1 selected Channel performance
ISRIsrael
Avishag Turek
2017 Channel crossing · 13 hours 35 minutes
1 selected Channel performance
INDIndia
Bhakti Sharma
2006 Channel solo · 13 hours 55 minutes
1 selected Channel performance
ENGEngland
Brenda Fisher
Two women’s Channel race victories · 1951 record of 12:42
2 selected Channel performances
PAKPakistan
Brojen Das
First Asian Channel swimmer · Six successful crossings
2 selected Channel performances
INDIndia
Bula Choudhury
Two English Channel crossings · 1989 and 1999
2 selected Channel performances
CHIChile
Bárbara Hernández Huerta
Oceans Seven finisher · two-way English Channel in 27:18:48
2 selected Channel performances
NZLNew Zealand
Caitlin O'Reilly
2023 Channel solo · Oceans Seven completed in October 2024
1 selected Channel performance
RSASouth Africa
Cameron Bellamy
2012 Channel solo · Oceans Seven completed in 2018
1 selected Channel performance
RSASouth Africa
Carina Bruwer
English Channel in 12 hours 3 minutes · Swimmer, musician and fundraiser
1 selected Channel performance
USAUnited States
Chad Hundeby
1991 world 25 km champion · English Channel record in 1994
1 selected Channel performance
USAUnited States
Charles Toth
1923 France–England crossing · historical timing conflict
1 selected Channel performance
NZLNew Zealand
Charlotte Brynn
2024 England-to-France solo in 11:43 on her sixth attempt
1 selected Channel performance
AUSAustralia
Chloë McCardel
44 career crossings · record-breaking swim on 13 October 2021
7 selected Channel performances
GERGermany
Christof Wandratsch
Former Channel speed record holder · European marathon swimming champion
2 selected Channel performances
CANCanada
Cindy Nicholas
First woman to complete a continuous Channel double · five career doubles
3 selected Channel performances
ARGArgentina
Claudio Plit
Won the 1981 international Channel race in 8 hours 58 minutes
2 selected Channel performances
SCOScotland
Colleen Blair
Scottish Triple Crown swimmer · Channel, Manhattan and ice swimming
1 selected Channel performance
AUSAustralia
Cyril Baldock
Channel solos in 1985 and 2014 · Bondi lifesaver · OAM
2 selected Channel performances
ESPSpain
David Meca
Two Channel solos below eight hours · world open water champion
2 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
David Yudovin
1996 Channel solo · pioneering international channel swimmer
1 selected Channel performance
AUSAustralia
Des Renford
19 successful Channel crossings · Australian marathon-swimming pioneer
8 selected Channel performances
CROCroatia
Dina Levačić
2017 Channel solo · Triple Crown in 84 days
1 selected Channel performance
USAUnited States
Doreen Miller
2014 Channel double · 26 hours 21 minutes
3 selected Channel performances
ENGEngland
Edward Harry Temme
First swimmer successful in both directions · 1927 and 1934
2 selected Channel performances
ENGEngland
Eileen Fenton
1950 Daily Mail race · first woman home in 15:31
1 selected Channel performance
ITAItaly
Enrique Tirabocchi
First successful France-to-England crossing · 12 August 1923
1 selected Channel performance
GERGermany
Ernst Vierkötter
A Cologne swimmer who broke the Channel record in 1926 and won Toronto’s inaugural 21-mile marathon swim in 1927.
1 selected Channel performance
TURTurkey
Ersin Aydın
Two separate Channel solos, France to England in 1975 and England to France in 1977
2 selected Channel performances
AUSAustralia
Eva Buzo
An overnight English Channel crossing on 5–6 June 2024, followed that summer by a swim from Italy to Albania.
1 selected Channel performance
USAUnited States
Florence Chadwick
First woman to swim the Channel in both directions, on separate swims
3 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Gertrude Ederle
First woman across the Channel · Friday 6 August 1926
1 selected Channel performance
ARGArgentina
Gustavo Oriozabala
1993 England-to-France solo in 8 hours 59 minutes, CSA fastest swim by a man
1 selected Channel performance
EGYEgypt
Hassan Abd el Rehim
1950 Channel race winner · 10 hours 50 minutes
2 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Henry Sullivan
First American across the Channel · 5–6 August 1923
1 selected Channel performance
ENGEngland
Hilda Sharp
From Cap Gris-Nez to the cliffs below Dover in 14 hours 58 minutes, August 1928.
1 selected Channel performance
EGYEgypt
Ishak Helmy
First Egyptian Channel swimmer · 1928 · 23 hours 40 minutes
1 selected Channel performance
ENGEngland
Ivy Hawke
Interwar Channel pioneer · France to England in 19:16
1 selected Channel performance
ENGEngland
Jackie Cobell
More than a day in the Channel · 28 hours 44 minutes
1 selected Channel performance
DENDenmark
Jenny Kammersgaard
Danish breaststroke swimmer in the 1950 and 1951 Daily Mail Channel races
2 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Jon Erikson
First three-way English Channel swim · 38 hours 27 minutes
2 selected Channel performances
AUSAustralia
Linda McGill
First Australian Channel swimmer · three solos and a 1967 women’s record
3 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Lynne Cox
England-to-France record in 1973 · 9 hours 36 minutes
2 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Marcella MacDonald
Three solo England–France doubles · first American woman to complete a double
4 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Marcia Cleveland
1994 Dover Solo author · 2003 two-way relay · Oceans Seven in 2025
2 selected Channel performances
MEXMexico
Mariel Hawley
Mexican Channel solo swimmer and Sport City Mexico relay member
2 selected Channel performances
CANCanada
Marilyn Bell
Youngest Channel swimmer at the time · 31 July 1955
1 selected Channel performance
ENGEngland
Matthew Webb
First successful Channel swim · 21 hours 45 minutes
1 selected Channel performance
ENGEngland
Mercedes Gleitze
First British woman across the Channel · 7 October 1927
1 selected Channel performance
ENGEngland
Mervyn Sharp
First swimmer to seven Channel crossings · King of the Channel, 1974–1975
4 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Michelle Macy
Three English Channel solos · Oceans Seven completed in 2013
3 selected Channel performances
INDIndia
Mihir Sen
1958 English Channel solo · 14 hours 45 minutes
1 selected Channel performance
GERGermany
Nathalie Pohl
2016 solo crossing · 11 hours 10 minutes · 2026 team relay also documented
2 selected Channel performances
IRLIreland
Ned Denison
2005 Channel solo · Cork Distance Week founder
1 selected Channel performance
TUNTunisia
Nejib Belhedi
First Tunisian Channel swimmer · 1993 solo in 16:35
1 selected Channel performance
MEXMexico
Nora Toledano Cadena
First Latin American woman to complete a two-way English Channel swim
4 selected Channel performances
RSASouth Africa
Otto Thaning
Channel solos in 1994 and 2014 · Guinness age record at 73
2 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Pat Gallant-Charette
Two Channel solos · women’s age record in 2017 at 66
2 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Penny Lee Dean
1978 Channel speed record · 7 hours 40 minutes
1 selected Channel performance
BULBulgaria
Petar Stoychev
First Channel crossing under seven hours · 6h 57m 50s
3 selected Channel performances
RSASouth Africa
Peter Bales
1969 Channel solo · Cape open water swimming founder and pilot
1 selected Channel performance
NZLNew Zealand
Philip Rush
Continuous three-way Channel swim · 28 hours 21 minutes
2 selected Channel performances
INDIndia
Prabhat Koli
English Channel at sixteen · Triple Crown · Oceans Seven completed in 2023
1 selected Channel performance
INDIndia
Rashmi Sharma
Three recorded one-way Channel completions · 2006, 2007 and 2009
3 selected Channel performances
NIRUnited Kingdom (Northern Ireland)
Ray Cossum
France-to-England solo in 13:41 and coach of Ireland's 1978 junior Channel relay
1 selected Channel performance
ENGUnited Kingdom (England)
Roger Allsopp
Two Channel solos · cancer-research fundraising · age record in 2011
2 selected Channel performances
INDIndia
Rohan Dattatrey More
Oceans Seven finisher · English Channel in 13:23:00
1 selected Channel performance
INDIndia
Rupali Repale
Channel completion at twelve · CSA youngest successful swimmer, 1994
1 selected Channel performance
SWESweden
Sally Bauer
Swedish Channel pioneer · successful crossings in 1939 and 1951
2 selected Channel performances
JERJersey
Sally Minty-Gravett
Channel swims in six consecutive decades · continuous double in 2016
4 selected Channel performances
ENGEngland
Samantha Druce
Youngest female Channel swimmer · 1983
1 selected Channel performance
AUSAustralia
Shelley Taylor-Smith
1990 Channel solo · 1997 three-way relay team member
2 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Stella Taylor
Two England-to-France solos and a women's age record in 1975
2 selected Channel performances
AUSAustralia
Sue Oldham
Two solo Channel crossings · Masters swimmer and relay teammate
3 selected Channel performances
ENGEngland
Sunny Lowry
1933 Channel crossing · later CSA president
1 selected Channel performance
AUSAustralia
Susie Maroney
Channel soloist at fifteen · 1991 women’s double-crossing record
2 selected Channel performances
INDIndia
Taranath Narayan Shenoy
Three Channel crossings · Triple Crown swimmer
3 selected Channel performances
USAUnited States
Ted Erikson
Second swimmer to complete a Channel double · 30 hours 3 minutes
2 selected Channel performances
ENGEngland
Thomas William Burgess
Second successful Channel swimmer · 22 hours 35 minutes
1 selected Channel performance
USAUnited States
Tina Neill
Channel freestyle and backstroke successes · 2003 and 2005
2 selected Channel performances
ENGEngland
Tom Blower
Three Channel crossings · pioneer of the North Channel
3 selected Channel performances
AUSAustralia
Trent Grimsey
England–France in 6h 55m · 8 September 2012
1 selected Channel performance
CANCanada
Vicki Keith
Butterfly Channel crossing · 23 hours 33 minutes
1 selected Channel performance
CANCanada
Winnie Roach-Leuszler
First Canadian Channel swimmer · 1951 · 13:25
1 selected Channel performance
CZECzech Republic
Yvetta Hlaváčová
CS&PF women’s Channel record · 7:25:15 in 2006
3 selected Channel performances