The 2023 Rottnest Channel Swim saw nearly 2600 competitors this year with multiple records being broken across the categories.
Bailey Armstrong from Queensland took out the male solo category in a record time of three hours, 48 minutes and 11 seconds, smashing the previous record of three hours, 59 minutes and 28 seconds held by Solomon Wright by more than 11 minutes.
Mr Armstrong was closely followed by Kyle Lee, in second place (three hours, 52 minutes and 21 seconds), followed by Byron Kimber and Max Coten in third (three hours, 54 minutes and 12 seconds) and fourth place (three hours, 57 minutes and 39 seconds) respectively, all of who were under the previous record.
Chloe Truscott took out the female solo category in another record-breaking performance of four hours, 14 minutes and 31 seconds breaking the previous record of four hours, 21 minutes, 55 seconds held by Heidi Gan. Ms Truscott narrowly missed the overall record-holder Tamara Bruce’s 1993 time at the natural jetty of four hours, 10 minutes and three seconds.
The team’s category saw a ‘superteam’ full of Australian Swimming Team Members who smashed the team’s category record.
The team, consisting of Olympic champion Mack Horton, Bowen Gough, Josh Edwards-Smith and Cody Simpson completed the swim in three hours, 33 minutes and 49 seconds, smashing the previous record by more than three minutes.
The Rottnest Channel Swim had never seen anything like the “superteam” that blew the world record away on Saturday.
Pop sensation Cody Simpson and Olympic champion Mack Horton were among the star-studded quartet that shattered the previous record by more than three minutes.
Mr Simpson described the journey swim as “one of the coolest experiences of my life“.
“It was great to tackle and complete the 19.7km swim with some of my best mates,” said Mr Simpson.
We broke the record after a whole lot of balls out swimming, jellyfish stinging, zinc and vaseline.
“Prior to this swim, we had minimal open water swimming experience, so we couldn’t have done it without an incredible team of skippers, paddlers and boat crew to keep our strategy and changeover tight.”
The team credited Olympian Mack Horton for helping them get a good start and through the first 1500m.
“Shout out to Mack for getting us through the first 1500m so quick,” said Mr Simpson.
“After we got through that first 1500m, we hooked through one to two-minute interval changeovers for three hours 33 minutes.
“We were just trying to keep up the pace and high vibes the whole time and crack as many jokes as we could.”
Mr Horton, who has previously completed the iconic Lorne Pier to Pub swim three times, was left with the longest stints in the water, thanks to his long-distance background.
“The whole swim was great fun,” said Mr Horton.
“I had to do longer stints in the water because of my background with longer distance events in the pool like the 1500m but overall, it was a great experience.
“It was honestly one of the coolest swimming events I’ve ever done.”
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