8 Incredible Swimming Feats
Lord Byron swims the Dardenelles: Greek myth says that Leander swam roughly three miles to cross the Dardenelles.
Duke Kahanamoku dominates the 100-meter freestyle: When the royally-named Hawaiian smashed the world record 100-yard freestyle in Honolulu Harbor in 1911.
Gertrude Ederle crosses the English Channel in record: By age twenty, Gertrude Ederle already had an admirable swimming resumé, having won a gold medal.
Dawn Fraser dominates the 100-meter freestyle: Australia produces more than its fair share of champion swimmers, but the all-time greatest might be Dawn Fraser.
Abdul Latif Abu Heif crosses Lake Michigan (1963): If you had walked past the Egyptian marathon swimmer Abu Heif on the street.
Mark Spitz goes seven-for-seven (1972): Mark Spitz had plenty of reasons to be confident when he arrived in Mexico City for the 1968 Olympics.
Lynne Cox swims from the U.S. to Russia: In the summer of 1987 with the Cold War underway, marathon swimmer Lynne Cox decided to perform a peace gesture.
Michael Phelps goes eight-for-eight: You didn’t think we’d get through this list without mentioning the Baltimore Bullet.