Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

Brendan Capell, one of the fastest marathon swimmers in the world, will take a shot at Petar Stoychev’s world record in the English Channel this summer.

The experienced Australian 25 km world champion has the speed and the ocean swimming pedigree to do a fast time…but the English Channel is unforgiving, unyielding and unrelenting.

That August day in 2007 when Stoychev set the English Channel world record of 6 hours 57 minutes was truly something special.

The weather and tides were in his favor, but most importantly he was flawlessly navigated by Michael Oram and he was pushed by Yuri Kudinov.

Let’s see if circumstances are created for a similarly special swim this summer…by Brendan or one of the other 250+ individuals who will attempt the Channel. Even cracking the All-time Top 10 English Channel swims is to be among the crème de la crème:

1. 6:57 by Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria) in August 2007
2. 7:03 by Christof Wandratsch (Germany) in August 2005
3. 7:05 by Yuri Kudinov (Russia) in August 2007
4. 7:16 by Vitek Rostislav (Czech Republic) in August 2009
5. 7:17 by Chad Hundeby (USA) in 1994
6. 7:20 by Christof Wandratsch (Germany) in 2003
7. 7:21 by Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria) in 2006
8. 7:22 by David Meca (Spain) in 2005
9. 7:25 by Yvetta Hlavacova (Czech Republic) in 2005
10. 7:40 by Penny Lee Dean (USA) in 1978

Photo of Brendan Capell by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images Sport at the Australian Open Water Swimming Championships at St.Kilda Beach in Melbourne Australia.

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