Havana: US marathon swimmer Diana Nyad continued to pursue her “Xtreme Dream” to swim across the shark-infested waters of the Florida Straits, from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida.
“22.2 miles into swim, Diana, swimming at 50 strokes per minute, looks comfortable and confident,” a message posted to her Twitter account said early on Sunday afternoon, after nearly a full day of swimming.
In a blue-and-black swimsuit and blue swim cap the long-distance swimmer jumped into the waters off the coast of Havana at the Hemingway Yacht Club on Saturday afternoon, a day earlier than planned, to take advantage of the bright, sunny weather and ideal water conditions for the 166-kilometre, 60-hour swim.
That message on Twitter contrasted starkly with earlier postings of kayakers swimming alongside her to keep sharks away and an almost constant attack by jellyfish.
Nyad, 62, suffered “multiple jellyfish stings, on her lips, forehead, hand, and neck” throughout the night, but was still going strong, her website said.
If successful, Nyad will become the first person ever to swim the 166-kilometre strait without the use of a protective anti-shark cage.
She has been forced to abandon three previous attempts, the last in September 2011, after swimming for 40 hours and covering two-thirds of the distance.
A month earlier, in August 2011, she was forced to call off another try after 29 hours of swimming, following an asthma attack and strong waves. (IANS)
