Josef Köberl swims across the Cook Strait in New Zealand as the first Austrian
With this achievement, Köberl has already mastered his third channel of the "Ocean’s Seven" after the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar – the ultimate challenge in long-distance swimming.
“This is now the third channel of the Ocean’s Seven – I am very happy!” said Köberl after the successful adventure. He continued: “It was much harder than expected. The current, the cold, the strong waves – all of this wears you down. But that’s exactly where the appeal lies: finding out how far you can really endure.”
Cook Strait had 13 degrees water temperature
The Cook Strait had a water temperature of 13 degrees. Only in the last 2 hours did the temperature rise to 16 degrees. Due to the strong current, Köberl had to swim 31 kilometers. He completed this distance in 8 hours and 43 minutes – with only swim trunks, a swim cap, and earplugs, without any thermal protection.
To prepare, the 48-year-old civil servant from Grundlsee trained for months in icy waters – including in the Old Danube at 9°C – as well as at a training camp in Spain. Additionally, he slept in an altitude tent for six weeks to enhance endurance performance.
He was accompanied by a boat with a four-person team, including his partner and coach Barbara Anderl. According to the regulations, touching was not allowed – even the provision of food had to be contactless.
A special day for Köberl – also personally
April 24 is not only a memorable date for Josef Köberl in sports: On this day, his youngest daughter Virpi also celebrates her birthday. “She was cheering from home – this gives the whole achievement an additional emotional depth,” said Köberl.
Köberl thanks his partners: Biogena, Holdhaus Nord, Gairrit Altitude Training, Soluni/Finland, and Dryrobe, who accompanied and supported him on this journey.
Next up for Köberl is the North Channel (35km) between Ireland and Scotland – notorious for its extreme cold, jellyfish, and currents. A previous attempt had to be aborted, now a new attempt is to follow.
(Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.