INDIndia

Anita Sood

1987 Channel crossing · 8 hours 15 minutes · CSA annual fastest-woman award

Also recorded as Anita Sood-Mankar.

Country: India
Also recorded as: Anita Sood-Mankar
Coach: Sandeep Divgikar
Club: Otters Club, Mumbai
National honour: Arjuna Award, 1983
Selected Channel crossing: 17 August 1987 · 8 hours 15 minutes
CSA annual award: Fastest Swim by a Lady, 1987

Biography

Anita Sood is an Indian swimmer whose career connects national pool competition with one of the notable Channel performances of the 1980s. She trained with Sandeep Divgikar at Mumbai’s Otters Club. Contemporary reporting about the coach describes Sood as an early leading pupil and links his long-distance coaching to her Channel preparation.

Her achievements in the pool had already brought national recognition: the Swimming Federation of India lists her as a 1983 Arjuna Award recipient. In a later interview, Sood singled out her victories at the 1986 Nationals among the memories she valued most from competition.

She crossed from England to France in 8 hours 15 minutes in 1987. Dover’s individual entry supplies the date, 17 August, while the Channel Swimming Association confirms the successful solo and names her as the recipient of its Fastest Swim by a Lady award for that year. The time and annual award capture the significance of the performance without treating a historical record description as a current ranking.

Sood’s 2004 interview also reflects on life after elite competition and the transition to family responsibilities. World Aquatics maintains an individual profile under Anita Sood, while the CS&PF’s swimmer index also records the surname form Sood-Mankar.

Selected Channel swim records

English Channel solo crossing

Ratifying body's record checked

The association’s individual entry also records its 1987 Fastest Swim by a Lady award. This is an annual historical honour, not a present-day speed ranking.

Recorded swim date · Monday, 17 August 1987 · Start or finish date not specified by the source

Elapsed swim time · 8h 15m

Duration of the complete swim

Started · Exact start date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed

Finished · Exact finish date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed

Timing note · Dover supplies the swim day; the association gives the year and elapsed time. No departure or completion clock has been established.

Format · Solo · 1-way

Direction · England → France

Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming Association

How this record was checked

CSA swim 2778 explicitly identifies Anita Sood, India, a successful one-way solo England-to-France swim in 1987 and 08:15, followed by the CSA 1987 Fastest Swim by a Lady award. Dover’s individual entry supplies 17 August and agrees on the time and route. The national federation award list, coach reporting, original interview and World Aquatics athlete page support the biographical identity. Ratifier-checked means the published CSA entry was inspected; no original observer log, pilot or vessel was established.

CSA: Anita Sood, 1987 — swim 2778

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Names India, a one-way solo England-to-France completion in 1987, 08:15 elapsed and the CSA 1987 Fastest Swim by a Lady award.

Limitations · The CSA page supplies the year, not the exact day or departure/arrival clocks.

Dover.UK.com: Anita Sood, 17 August 1987

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Supplies 17 August 1987, 8:15, India, England-to-France route and age 21.

Limitations · Secondary historical compilation; pilot, vessel and observer are unknown. The date is not explicitly departure or arrival.

Career milestones

Youth competition

1977

Won nine medals at the national age-group meet in Trivandrum.

Arjuna Award

1983

The Swimming Federation of India lists Sood among its Arjuna Award recipients for swimming.

National championship memories

1986

In her 2004 interview, Sood recalled her wins at the 1986 Nationals as a career highlight.

English Channel in 8:15

Monday, 17 August 1987

The named CSA success and Dover’s dated entry document her England-to-France solo; CSA also lists its annual fastest-woman award.

Reflecting on life after competition

January 2004

An original interview revisits her sporting memories and changing responsibilities after her elite swimming career.

Recordings & media

Anita Sood: life after competitive swimming

Open media page

Interview

Original 2004 written interview with Sood about her career memories and life after competition. No full-crossing footage was established.

Link checked 2026-10-31

English Channel questions

Which English Channel swims are included for Anita Sood?: This profile includes 1 selected solo performance for Anita Sood. It is a selected history, not a complete career total. A continuous multi-way swim counts as one performance.
When was Anita Sood’s featured English Channel swim?: The featured swim is recorded on Monday, 17 August 1987. The source does not establish whether that date means departure or arrival.
How long did Anita Sood’s featured Channel swim take?: The featured solo crossing has a published elapsed time of 8 hours and 15 minutes.

Latest source review 2026-10-31.