MEXMexico
Antonio Argüelles
Mexican Oceans Seven swimmer · Channel, Catalina and Manhattan
View athlete profileAlso recorded as Antonio Arguelles, Antonio Argüelles Díaz González, Antonio Arguelles Diaz Gonzalez.
Biography
Antonio Argüelles is a Mexican marathon swimmer whose life in the water has developed alongside work in education, public service and writing. He learned to swim in his grandfather’s pool in Cuernavaca and recalls watching Felipe Muñoz win Olympic gold in 1968 as a decisive childhood inspiration. After studying German Studies and Economics at Stanford, he returned to Mexico and held public-sector posts, including leadership of Conalep.
His sporting interests also included marathons and Ironman triathlons before he returned to long-distance swimming. He completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming in 1999 and again in 2009; his English Channel crossing that September is recorded at 12 hours 54 minutes. He completed the Oceans Seven in 2017, taking his career across markedly different seas and conditions.
Argüelles subsequently pursued longer challenges. His 2019 Catalina swim was a completed double crossing. A 2021 Channel double attempt ended after he had completed its first leg, and must be understood as a single successful crossing within an unfinished attempt. In 2022, a double circuit of Manhattan included the final component of his third Triple Crown. Beyond competition, his Brazada Abrazada programme brings aquatic education to children in public schools, connecting his sporting experience with his longstanding interest in learning.
Selected Channel swim records
English Channel solo crossing
Published account checked
Recorded swim date · Sunday, 6 September 2009 · Start or finish date not specified by the source
Elapsed swim time · 12h 54m
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 · The source gives a swim date, without defining departure or arrival. Clock times were not located.
Format · Solo · 1-way
Direction · England → France
Pilot / piloting team · Mike Oram
Escort vessel · Gallivant
Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation
How this record was checked
Dover’s individual entry supplies the date, duration, route, pilot and vessel. The athlete’s own career pages connect this crossing to his 2009 Triple Crown. Federation affiliation is reported by Dover; the original observer record was not inspected.
Dover: Antonio Arguelles, 6 September 2009
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Selected English Channel result.
Limitations · Compiled record, not the observer report; date phase unspecified.
Antonio Argüelles: Triple Corona
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Three Triple Crown completions and the 2022 Manhattan double.
Limitations · Athlete account; not an organiser result sheet.
First English Channel solo
Ratification reported by source
Nora Toledano is listed as trainer for this first Channel success.
Recorded swim date · Friday, 3 September 1999 · Start or finish date not specified by the source
Elapsed swim time · 18h 19m 0s
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 · Reported departure 00:54:00 and arrival 19:13:00 accompany a generic swim date, not explicitly dated phases. No time zone or phase dates are inferred.
Format · Solo · 1-way
Direction · England–France
Pilot / piloting team · Michael Oram
Escort vessel · Aegean Blue
Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming Association (reported by CS&PF)
Conditions · The historical entry’s swimmer comment describes strong currents and high winds.
How this record was checked
CS&PF historical entry 443742 identifies the Mexican swimmer by his full name and records the 3 September 1999 solo. It attributes ratification to CSA. Dover’s matching 1999 result corroborates date, route and boat; original CSA paperwork was not inspected.
CS&PF historical entry: Antonio Argüelles, 3 September 1999
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · 18:19:00 England–France, date, Michael Oram/Aegean Blue, Nora Toledano as trainer and reported clocks.
Limitations · Federation-hosted historical compilation; its Ratifying Organisation field reports CSA. A generic Date field does not establish departure or arrival dates.
Dover: Antonio Arguelles, 3 September 1999
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Matching first solo date, route, 18:19 and Mike Oram/Aegean Blue.
Limitations · Secondary historical compilation; its Date field does not establish the departure or arrival phase.
Completed outward leg of the 2021 attempt
Published account checked
The planned double stopped before the return to England was finished. His retrospective gives 23:15 for that entire unfinished attempt; it is not used as a completed-double result.
Completed outward crossing; the intended return leg was not completed.
Recorded swim date · Wednesday, 4 August 2021 · Start or finish date not specified by the source
Elapsed swim time · 12h 58m 0s
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 · The database prints departure 04:54:00 and arrival 17:52:00, without explicit phase dates or time zone. The 12:58:00 result covers the successful first leg only.
Format · Solo · 1-way
Direction · England–France
Pilot / piloting team · Michael Oram
Escort vessel · JohnMary Rose
Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation
How this record was checked
CS&PF individual entry 445647 and the 2021 successful-solo row record 4 August, 12:58:00 and JohnMary Rose. His first-person retrospective explains that the intended return was not completed. The annual list is subject to its committee-ratification disclaimer.
CS&PF: Antonio Argüelles, 4 August 2021
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · 12:58:00 England–France solo, date, Michael Oram/JohnMary Rose and reported 04:54/17:52 clocks.
Limitations · Published CS&PF database entry; the ratifying-body label is not an inspected committee decision. Generic Date and separate clocks do not explicitly date the phases.
CS&PF: 2021 successful swims
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Antonio Argüelles Díaz González row, 4 August, 12:58:00, Mike Oram / JohnMary Rose.
Limitations · The annual list retains the disclaimer that results are unofficial until committee ratification. No separate decision or observer log was inspected.
Antonio Argüelles: The Joys and Challenges of Swimming
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Original first-person account published 9 October 2024: the 2021 two-way ended short of England and the 2024 plan was postponed.
Limitations · A retrospective athlete narrative; its 23:15 is the whole unfinished attempt, not the successful one-way time.
Other events & swims
Cook Strait
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Sunday, 19 March 2017 (event date)
New Zealand
Completed North Island to South Island.
Elapsed time · 11h 22m 17s
Published account checked
How this event was checked
NZOWSA recognised-swim row 104; linked to the athlete’s Oceans Seven account.
NZOWSA: recognised Cook Strait swims
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Selected recognised-swim rows and their published dates, routes and durations.
Limitations · The selected older rows lack the asterisk reserved for NZOWSA ratification; no new ratification claim is made.
Antonio Argüelles: Siete Mares
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Oceans Seven career bridge and component years.
Catalina Channel — double crossing
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Monday, 26 August 2019 (event date)
California, United States
Completed mainland–Catalina–mainland; total for both legs.
Elapsed time · 24h 17m 49s
Ratifying body's record checked
How this event was checked
CCSF’s 2019 row publishes MCM and a cumulative total; his own account confirms the double.
Catalina Channel Swimming Federation: successful solo swims
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Selected individual result rows; CM = Catalina to mainland, MC = reverse, MCM = double.
Limitations · Date of Swim does not by itself specify departure or arrival; clocks and logs not inspected.
Antonio Argüelles: Mi historia
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · First-person biography, nationality, education, swimming background and later challenges.
Limitations · The award-year and single-season claims are not used; the 2021 double was unfinished.
Catalina Channel
Open-water swimming · Solo swim
Wednesday, 27 August 2025 (event date)
California, United States
Completed Catalina to mainland.
Elapsed time · 13h 50m 28s
Ratifying body's record checked
How this event was checked
CCSF lists his full name and Mexico in its 2025 results.
Catalina Channel Swimming Federation: successful solo swims
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Selected individual result rows; CM = Catalina to mainland, MC = reverse, MCM = double.
Limitations · Date of Swim does not by itself specify departure or arrival; clocks and logs not inspected.
Antonio Argüelles: Mi historia
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · First-person biography, nationality, education, swimming background and later challenges.
Limitations · The award-year and single-season claims are not used; the 2021 double was unfinished.
