Hungarian “Superman” swims around Manhattan – PHOTO GALLERY
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“Yesterday I swam around Manhattan. It was unique all way long”, wrote Attila Mányoki, the Hungarian “Superman”, in an Instagram post. He completed the 50 km distance in just over 8 hours, despite strong currents and heavy river traffic. By “conquering” Manhattan Island, he achieved the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, a feat accomplished by only 333 people. Congratulations!
Attila Mányoki swims around Manhattan and under 20 bridges
“I started at Pier “A” and my direction was to the East River, Harlem and finally the big Hudson River. In the Hudson, the second part was rough because of the traffic. Boats, yachts, ferries. I felt good myself during this fantastic journey. I spend around Manhattan 8hrs 2min. Thanks to my friends who supported me”, Mr Mányoki wrote in his Instagram post following his remarkable swim.
On Facebook, he shared more details about his experience. He mentioned that the swimming contest around Manhattan was first organised in 1915. He wrote that his average swimming speed was 6 km/h, which is faster than his usual 4 km/h. However, swimming against the current slowed him down to just 2 km/h, while on the East River, he reached a maximum speed of 9 km/h. He added that the Hudson River’s current was particularly strong due to a hurricane and subsequent rainfall, which gave him some extra speed.
The ocean and East River were both 23°C, while the Hudson River was slightly warmer at 24°C. Due to the extreme heat, he drank six litres of a specially formulated energy drink. Mányoki wrote that he performed 33,000 arm strokes and took more than 15,000 breaths while swimming. However, he never lost his strength, thanks to the drinks and a sweet bite to get rid of the salty numbness in his mouth.
