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Lithuanian aims to complete Baltic Sea swim

19 Aug 2007 14:56:36 GMT
Source: Reuters

VILNIUS, Aug 19 (Reuters) - A former Lithuanian triathlete set off on Sunday to finish a swim across the Baltic Sea he had to abandon 3 weeks ago due to bad weather.

Vidmantas Urbonas, 49, is attempting to swim a 145 km (90 miles) stretch from the port of Pavilosta in Latvia to the Swedish island of Gotland. This was the stretch he was on, though going from Gotland, when he halted his swim last time.

"He started before noon (0900 GMT) on Sunday and is swimming at a speed of about 3.5 km per hour," Tomas Ramanauskas, the captain of a yacht accompanying Urbonas, told Reuters by phone.

He did not know when Urbonas would complete the distance.

"I do not want to guess. It will not be today, it will not be tomorrow," he said.

Urbonas, the 1998 world ultra-triathlon champion, began his first attempt to cross the sea from Kalmar in southeast Sweden on July 22, but had to give up with 90 km to go during the final leg of the swim from Gotland to Pavilosta.

The total distance from Kalmar to Pavilosta is 209 km.

Despite failing to become the first person to swim across the Baltic Sea in one go, Urbonas has said he was happy he had attracted attention to the sea's environmental problems.

Experts say the sea is among the most polluted in the world.

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Last updated:Sun Aug 19 14:59:23 2007