Italian 55-year-old sets sea swimming world record Doctor swam 250km from Tunisia to Sardinia in seven days

(ANSA) - Rome, July 29 - A 55-year-old Italian doctor set a new world record for swimming on the open sea Thursday when he completed a 250km crossing from Tunisia to Sardinia.



Giovanni Brancato swam 11 hours a day for seven days at an average rate of 54 strokes a minute to break his own previous mark of 145km for a 2008 crossing between Corsica and the Ligurian coast on the Italian mainland.

''It's a dream I've been cultivating for some time,'' Brancato told reporters after arriving at the seaside resort of Villasimius. ''I have to touch myself to believe it's true.''

The first person to greet Brancato was his 13-year-old daughter Margherita, who dived into the sea and swam out to him as he was coming into shore. ''He's a mad man, but that's part of the reason why we love him'' the girl said.



''He isn't always easy but thoroughbred champions never stop amazing you''. Brancato, who is from Messina in Sicily, said there are no secrets behind his ability to pull off such feats of endurance at such an advanced age.



''I don't have any magic recipes, just a simple, natural healthy diet,'' he said.



''When I'm swimming I have plenty of sips of almond milk, pear and pomegranate juice and tonic water as well as dark chocolate''.



He added that more adventures are in store. ''While I was finishing I was already thinking of my next endeavour,'' he said.



''I've an idea for a sea-land-sea one, but I'll talk about it when I've taken this in. The taste of success is like a drug, it makes me want more''.



photo: Sardinian seaside resort Villasimius.