Romanian sports teacher wants to become the fastest to swim the English Channel in 10 years
Paul Georgescu, a former professional water polo player who currently works as a sports teacher, wants to become the fastest Romanian to swim across the English Channel.
He has been preparing for over a year for this swim and predicts that he can get from Dover in England to Audingham in France in under 8 hours. If he achieves his predicted time he will be the fastest swimmer to make the crossing in the last 10 years.
Moreover, Georgescu will also try to break the current world record at swimming the Channel in Speedos, which is 7 hours and 17 minutes.
Australian-Romanian Dan Canta became the first Romanian who swam the English Channel in August 2015. Canta, who was only 16 at that time, completed the swim in 14 hours and 32 minutes.
Triathlon athlete Andrei Rosu also successfully crossed the Channel in June 2015 as part of the Arch to Arc ultra-triathlon. However, Rosu used a wetsuit and his performance is not officially recognized.
Paul Georgescu has a long history associated with high performance water sports. As a member of the Steaua Bucharest Waterpolo Team, he was a Junior National Champion, a Senior National Champion, and won the Romanian Cup. He then competed as a professional water polo player in the German Premier Water Polo League playing for SGW Frankfurt.
Georgescu is currently working as a sports professor at the International British School of Bucharest (IBSB), a physical therapist, a triathlon instructor, a water polo referee, and in addition to this regularly participates in triathlons, running events, and swimming events around Romania.
He will also use this event to try and raise money for the Light into Europe charity. People can make donations here.
Paul will start his swim on Thursday, July 28.
Another Romanian, Avram Iancu, who works as a librarian in Petrosani, will also make another attempt to swim the English Channel at the end of July. He also tried in 2015, but didn’t manage to complete the swim.
Only 1,352 people have managed to swim the Channel since 1875.
editor@romania-insider.com
