In the year 2000 Georgios successfully swam the English Channel, the 34km distance between England and France.
The English Channel is one of toughest open-water marathon swims in the world and is widely accepted as the crown in open water swimming.
Georgios completed the English Channel swim in 9 hours and 20 minutes, the world’s fastest time for the year 2000 and a performance for which he was awarded the Channel Swimming Association’s Rolex Award.
Historical Background
In 1875 the British captain Matthew Webb was the first to complete the English Channel swim in just under 22 hours. It took 36 years and almost 80 failed attempts for another swimmer to finally succeed in 1911.
Swimmers are only allowed to wear a regular swimsuit, a swimming cap and goggles, while further they are not allowed to touch the accompanying boat at any time. A swimming judge is present aboard throughout the swim to ensure that the rules and regulations of the English Channel Association are adhered to.
In order to successfully swim the English Channel, one must face and overcome the challenges presented by the cold water, fast-moving and changing tides, unpredictable weather conditions, underwater marine life, as well as the unavoidable large waves created by passing ships due to the fact that the Channel is one of the busiest shipping passages in the world.