Chinese to try Cook Strait Swim

PRACTICE RUN: Zhang Jie, left, and Wei Gang acclimatise themselves at Oriental Bay, Wellington, before their attempt to swim Cook Strait.

Photo: CRAIG SIMCOX/DOMINION POST

Two Chinese swimmers who had never swum in the sea before this week are lining up to conquer Cook Strait.

But Beijing Sport University swim students Zhang Jie, 20, and Wei Gang, 23, are determined to succeed where many others have failed, to make what is rated as one of the toughest swims in the world.

Shivering under a blanket after a brief training swim at Oriental Bay yesterday, Zhang said she was a little bit afraid, and the water was much colder than the Beijing pool where she does most of her training.

The water in that pool was 26 degrees celsius - much more comfortable than the 18C summer Wellington sea temperature she will have to cope with.

"This is much colder. I will keep warm by keeping swimming," she said.

Companion Wei said the cold was going to be his biggest challenge. "I will try my best."

He admitted being a bit frightened of what he was taking on, but vowed to do it for his country. The swim is one of five big ocean swims being tackled by the Beijing swimming team to publicise next year's Olympics.

Veteran Cook Strait swimmer Philip Rush, who is acting as their technical consultant, said they had been training in Wellington Harbour this week to get used to the conditions they can expect on the 27-kilometre crossing.

"I think if the weather conditions are good they'll have as good a chance as anybody." He said there had been 65 successful crossings since 1963, but of the three swimmers who had tried it this year, only one had made it.

"It is a ruthless piece of water. It's a big challenge and one of the toughest."

If the weather is suitable they will make the attempt tomorrow.