Olympic swimmer Ana Marcela Cunha added another impressive achievement to her resume in the open water discipline. This Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the 34-year-old athlete completed the challenging crossing of the English Channel, the strait that divides England and France. She covered 37 kilometers in 8 hours, 25 minutes and 29 seconds, setting a new South American record for the race, in both the men’s and women’s categories. This feat represents the realization of an old childhood dream for Ana Marcela.
With a history that includes sixteen medals in World Championships and a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Ana Marcela defined crossing the English Channel as her main objective for the current season. Recognized as one of the most arduous journeys in open water swimming, the channel presents challenges such as strong rip currents, tidal fluctuations, intense vessel traffic and notoriously unpredictable weather. The swimmer had a window of ten days, between July 20th and 29th, to complete the route and was successful on the second available day.
Wednesday’s weather conditions were considered suitable for the crossing. The ambient temperature registered around 23 degrees Celsius, while the water was around 19 degrees Celsius. Starting from Dover beach, in England, in the early hours of the day, Ana Marcela completed the 37 kilometers to Cape Gris-Nez, located in the French city of Audinghen, finishing the route in the aforementioned time of 8h25m29s.
To protect herself during the long journey, Ana Marcela applied lanolin, a natural product derived from sheep’s wool, to her body. This paste serves as a thermal insulator, waterproofing and friction reducer, preventing diaper rash, as the use of thermal clothing is prohibited for the record to be officially approved. The athlete had the support of a team on an accompanying boat, which included her coach Kafu, the Brazilian guide Igor de Souza – a reference in crossing the English Channel –, a boatman, a referee responsible for official validation, a representative from Guinness World Records and a videographer.
Despite the presence of a Guinness World Records member on the vessel, Ana Marcela did not aim to achieve an absolute world record. The women’s mark is held by the Czech Yvetta Hlavácová, who completed the crossing in 7 hours and 25 minutes in 2006. The best men’s time belongs to the German Andreas Waschburger, with a record of 6 hours and 45 minutes, achieved in 2023. Ana Marcela’s time, of 8h25m29s, places her as the holder of the South American record, standing out among the elite of water swimming open.
His preparation for crossing the English Channel was intense and specifically focused on the challenges of the race. The swimmer performed a 12-hour simulation, covering 42 kilometers of swimming at night at the Billings Reservoir, in São Paulo. Furthermore, she adapted to low temperatures by training in a swimming pool at Sesc Petrópolis, where the waters approached 17 degrees Celsius, an environment similar to that found in the English Channel.
