Belgian adventurer Matthieu Bonne has broken the world record for non-stop swimming in the sea: in 60 hours and 55 minutes, he swam 131 kilometres in one stretch in the Bay of Corinth in Greece.
Bonne started his world record attempt on Thursday, a day later than planned due to strong winds and too-high waves in the Bay of Corinth in Greece.
"His whole body, but especially his lips hurt very badly due to the salty seawater. On top of that, a fierce wind picked up at the end," his team said. "It was a tough finish, but despite his worn-out body, Matthieu kept smiling and going."
Bonne deliberately chose the Gulf of Corinth for his record attempt, because he could swim more than 100 kilometres in a straight line – making it the ideal location for his challenge.
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The previous record was held by Neil Agius, an Olympic swimmer from Malta who covered 125.7 kilometres. As Bonne's world record could not be homologated until he effectively set foot on land, he still had to cover three more kilometres than planned. Immediately after he set foot ashore, he was also examined by a doctor.
Earlier this year, the athlete already set a world record by cycling 3,619 kilometres in seven days.
On Sunday, Bonne will travel back to Belgium.
