EGYPTIAN WINS CHANNEL SWIM IN RECORD TIME

Wanganui Chronicle, 24 August 1950, Page 2

EGYPTIAN WINS CHANNEL SWIM IN RECORD TIME

LONDON, Aug. 22.—Hassan Abd el Rehim, a 41-year-old Egyptian swimming ace, swam the Channel today in record time, to win 'The Daily Mail’s’’ £lOOO international contest. His unofficial time was 10 hours 52 minutes, against the record held by the Frenchman, George Michel of 11 hours 5 minutes, established in 1926. Eighteen men and six women from 12 countries took part in the race. “The Daily Mail’ offered £lOOO to the first man and a similar sum to the first woman across, and £250 to every swimmer who finished the course. Re- ‘ him narrowly beat Roger le Morvan, of France, who led until an hour from the end. Morvan, aged 26, arrived 10 minutes after Rehim to take second place in better time than the old record. Third was another Egyptian, Mareet Hassan Hamad, who arrived one hour 24 minutes after Rehim. Rehim is the first man to swim the Channel three times. He did the crossing once from France to England in 1948. and last year crossed from England to France. Rehim said he would spend his £lOOO on a launch to take his children boating on the Nile. It was Morvan’s first Channel swim and he had only one hour’s training in the sea before the attempt Seven men and two women staggered ashore along the coast in the vicinity of Dover in the first mass Channel swimming event ever staged. A Greek. Panagiotis Kameros, was joined in his swim half-way across by a 75ft. shark. His seconds in a motorboat snatched him from the water as the shark raced in to attack, with three others which were also snowing more than an academic interest in the Greek’s efforts. Successful contestants were staggering ashore anywhere un" and down n six-mile stretch of coastline for six hours 26 minutes. Reporters had a hectic time cruising the waterfront In fast cars, looking for interviews. The first woman arrival was an English scripture teacher, 21-year-old Eileen Fenton. Those to finish and their times were —Hassan Abd el Rehim (Egypt) lOhr. F2mfn.: Roger le Morvan (France), llhr. 2min : Mareet Hassan Hamad (Egypt), 12hr. lOmin.; Sam Rockett (Britain), 14hr. 20min.: William Barnie (Britain), 14hr. 50min.; Eileen Fenton (Britain), 15hr. 31min.; Jasen Zirganos (Greece), l(?hr. 19min.; Antonio Abertondo (Argentina). 16hr. 25 min.; Jenny Kammerseaard 'Denmark), 16hr. 30min.—Renter. The last swimmer to remain in the Cross-Channel competition was a 40-year-old Egyptian. Fahmy Atallah, who was taken from the water unconscious when only 300 yards from the shore this morning. Atallah, who had been swimming 27hrs. 13min , was rushed to hospital at Dover.