Chinese law professor Wang Gangyi successfully challenged the
icy Arctic waters off the island of Mageroya on Thursday
afternoon.
Wang, a 50-year-old professor from Dalian University of
Technology in northeast China's Liaoning Province, plunged into the cold water
near Nordkapp at 4:55 PM (local time in Oslo) and swam for 58
minutes and 35 seconds, setting another record in his adventures in
cold bodies of water.
Wang is the first Chinese to swim in both Antarctic and Arctic
areas.
"I was feeling choked and sleepy," Wang said after he was hauled
to an accompanying boat.
Wang was so exhausted it took more than an hour of massaging
from his staff to get him to come to.
"The temperature of the water was 8 C, but it was the rough
waves made me so exhausted," Wang said.
Wang tried the water one day before and felt so excited that he
did not sleep well that night.
Wang originally planned to start swimming 6 hours earlier, but
the foggy weather delayed his dip.
The Norwegians sent two boats for the first-aid staff and
cameramen. Hugo Salamonsen and another Norwegian captain guided and
witnessed his swimming.
Wang signed a letter of notarization with the local
administration, as he does before each of his adventures,
demonstrating his acceptance of full responsibility for any
consequences of his actions.
Unlike his previous adventures in winter, Wang chose summer to
challenge himself this time.
During his drive from Finland to Norway, Wang swam in the Gulf
of Finland and the Lake of Inari to acclimate to the region's cold
water.
Despite the rapid climate transition from his hometown with an
average temperature of about 30 C to almost 0 C and the weariness
of his long journey, Wang had planned to swim in the cold Norwegian
water for at least 20 minutes.
Wang learned how to swim 10 years ago and has been interested in
winter swimming ever since.
"I kept training and discovered an effective method of keeping
from getting cold," he said.
Wang said systematic training could help human beings withstand
cold water.
In February of 2001, Wang set a record by swimming for 52
minutes in the icy waters of the Antarctic Ocean. He also swam in
Chile's Magellan Strait, Japan's Hokkaido and the Titanic disaster
site in the North Atlantic.
(China Daily July 29, 2006)