Greek swimmer Spyros Chrysikopoulos has achieved a historic feat, becoming the first person in history to swim from Greece to Italy.
Greek ultra-distance swimmer Spyros Chrysikopoulos has made history by becoming the first person to swim from Greece to Italy.
— WE News English (@WENewsEnglish) September 4, 2026
The 43 year old swimmer covered 91.4 kilometres of open sea from Othonoi, Greece, to Santa Maria di Leuca in southern Italy, completing the… pic.twitter.com/U9irQ0y1FX
According to a post the swimmer shared on his Facebook account, Chrysikopoulos covered a distance of 91.4 kilometres in 31 hours and 50 minutes. His gruelling journey began on Monday 31 August from Othonoi, part of the Diapontia Islands and the westernmost point of Greece, and ended at Santa Maria di Leuca in Italy on Tuesday 1 September.
The swim was recorded by the Marathon Swimmers Federation, a non-profit organisation that supports and documents solo long-distance swimming in open water.
On his personal Instagram account, Chrysikopoulos shared photographs taken before he set off on the demanding challenge. Shortly before diving into the sea, he is pictured on board a boat, covered in sunscreen to protect himself from the sun. Wearing swimming goggles and a special cap, he appears ready for his rendezvous with history.
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