Lynne Cox

Second England-to-France record swim

Published account checked

Elapsed swim time · 9h 36m

Duration of the complete swim

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

Finished · Friday, 10 August 1973 · Clock time not confirmed

Timing note · The contemporary newspaper report describes a Friday-night completion, corresponding to 10 August 1973. The start date and both clock times are unconfirmed in the inspected sources.

Format · Solo · 1-way

Direction · England → France

Departure · Dover, England

Arrival · Cap Gris-Nez, France

How this record was checked

The Hall of Fame and Dover Museum agree on the 9:36 England-to-France performance. A contemporary report in the 16 August 1973 Grosse Pointe News supplies the finish-day context and endpoints. No original observer report was inspected.

International Swimming Hall of Fame: Lynne Cox

Checked 2026-10-30

Dover Museum, Channel Swimming Dover: Lynne Cox

Checked 2026-10-30

Grosse Pointe News, 16 August 1973, page 1: contemporary Channel report

Checked 2026-10-30

First record-setting Channel crossing

Ratifying body's record checked

Recorded swim date · Thursday, 20 July 1972 · Start or finish date not specified by the source

Elapsed swim time · 9h 57m

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 · CSA preserves minute precision. The historical statistics supply a generic swim date only; no departure or arrival clock is inferred.

Format · Solo · 1-way

Direction · England → France

Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming Association

How this record was checked

CSA successful individual entry 2515 confirms Lynne Cox’s one-way England-to-France performance and 09:57. CS&PF’s Channel crossing records table has a named Cox row dated 20 July 1972, with 09:57:00 in the overall and women’s record columns.

CSA: Lynne Cox, 1972

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Successful England-to-France solo in 09:57.

Limitations · Published CSA successful individual result inspected; original observer documents were not inspected.

CS&PF: selected multiple-crossing and record statistics

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Streeter 1992 double, row 18; McCardel 2012 double, row 36; Cox 20 July 1972 record row.

Limitations · Historical compilation. McCardel’s displayed 2012 splits sum to 19:20 although the total column says 19:21; that disagreement remains unresolved.

Catalina Channel

Open-water swimming · Solo swim

Sunday, 22 September 1974 (event date)

Completed mainland → Catalina Island.

Elapsed time · 8h 48m

Historical account checked

How this event was checked

CCSF’s 22 September 1974 Lynne Cox row matches the 8h48m Catalina achievement in her ISHOF Channel-swimmer biography.

CCSF: successful Catalina Channel solo swims

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Selected named individual rows: swim date, direction and elapsed time.

Limitations · The register date is not labelled departure or arrival; original observer paperwork was not inspected. Pre-1981 swims are retrospective entries.

ISHOF: Lynne Cox

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Career identity bridge between English Channel, Catalina and Cook Strait swims.

Limitations · Cook Strait duration differs from the NZOWSA register; the disagreement is retained.

Cook Strait

Open-water swimming · Solo swim

Tuesday, 4 February 1975 (event date)

New Zealand

Completed North Island → South Island; first woman. NZOWSA and NZ History publish 12h07m; ISHOF publishes 12h02m.

Elapsed time · 12h 7m

Sources disagree

How this event was checked

NZOWSA row 4 and government history agree on 4 February 1975 and 12h07m. ISHOF links the Channel and Cook identities but gives a five-minute shorter duration. The conflicting duration remains visible.

NZOWSA: Cook Strait recognised swims

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Selected named rows, nationality, recorded date, route and duration.

Limitations · Only starred entries explicitly indicate NZOWSA ratification; these historical selected rows are unstarred. Original observer records were not inspected.

NZ History: first woman swims Cook Strait

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Government history corroborates Cox’s 4 February 1975 swim at 12h07m and Rush’s 13 March 1984 non-stop double.

Limitations · Historical interpretation, not an original ratification certificate.

ISHOF: Lynne Cox

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Career identity bridge between English Channel, Catalina and Cook Strait swims.

Limitations · Cook Strait duration differs from the NZOWSA register; the disagreement is retained.

Catalina crossing

1971

Crossed with a group of teenage teammates.

England-to-France record

1972

Completed the route in 9 hours 57 minutes.

Improved Channel mark

10 August 1973

Finished the England-to-France crossing in 9 hours 36 minutes.

Cook Strait pioneer

1975

Became the first woman to swim Cook Strait.

Bering Strait crossing

1987

Swam between American and Soviet territory.

First Channel speed record

Thursday, 20 July 1972

The federation’s historical record progression lists her 9:57 England-to-France crossing, preceding her faster 1973 swim.