Swimmers seek to conquer Taiwan Strait

2014-08-21

A total of 14 swimmers from Taiwan and mainland China launched the first attempt to swim the 130-kilometer Taiwan Strait Aug. 18, with the feat estimated to take 72 hours.

The swimmers take turns in relay fashion, with each of the 12 men and two women swimming three hours at a stretch. They are set to cross from Nanliao, Hsinchu County in northern Taiwan to Pingtan County in mainland China’s Fujian province.

Owing to the effect of tides and currents, the distance swum will seem more like 200 to 250 kilometers.

“The weather conditions look perfect, with the sea at 28 C,” said Lin Tien-chin, head of Master Swimming Taiwan and organizer of the relay.

The swimmers wear wetsuits to guard against sunburn and jellyfish stings, and carry shark repellent sonar. A support boat is also following them throughout the journey.

Taiwan’s Su Tzu-chieh, who swam the initial stage, said he has recently undergone intensive training and is confident everyone on the team is capable of meeting the challenge. “I’m nervous but fully prepared.”

The two female participants, Su Shih-han from Taiwan and Zhang Jie from mainland China, said they were looking forward to a cooperative success.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=220817&CtNode=413)