Chris Hoffmann followed up on his announcement and improved his German record in 24-hour swimming.
–
private
–
–
Thuringian Chris Hoffmann swam 94,550 meters in one day, setting a new German record in men’s 24-hour swimming. The endurance athlete improved the previous record at a self-organized event from December 24th to 25th, which he himself had swum a year ago. At that time, Hoffmann had covered 82 kilometers in the Meininger 24-hour swim. This time he completed a total of 3,782 lanes in the 25-meter pool, which corresponds to a 100-meter average of 1:31 minutes including breaks. Hoffmann actually wanted to swim a world record. Vera Niemeyer holds the German women’s record with 96.4 kilometers.
“After more than 20,000 kilocalories burned, 24 wet hours and 94,550 meters swimming, my sporting year 2020, which was marked by obstacles and challenges, came to a worthy end”, Hoffmann writes on his Facebook page. “Not the planned world record, but what went according to plan this year !? Instead, it became a new German record. With an increase of over 12.5 km I can now be really satisfied. “
Family helps at the pool edge
The fact that swimming should take place in the middle of the lockdown at nationally closed pools had caused positive and negative reactions in advance on the swim.de Facebook page. Many users wished Hoffmann a successful swim, others expressed their incomprehension for such an event and training with special permission as a “semi-professional” during the pandemic. It is not possible to judge from a distance whether all corona rules were observed during the 24-hour swim. Those involved confirmed to swim.de that the event complied with the applicable measures. A helper said the health department had a permit.
Hoffmann’s family took care of the care and organization at the pool. The friend took care of the athlete during the short breaks, while the father kept an eye on the pace and progress. The brothers and mother were also involved. Stadtwerke Meiningen supported Chris Hoffmann both with training and with the implementation of the 24-hour swimming.
After 12 hours already 52 kilometers
After the start on Christmas Eve at 12 noon, Hoffmann was even on a world record course for a long time. He had covered 52 kilometers by midnight, so at the same pace he would have come to 104 kilometers in the second half. Maarten van der Weijden’s world record has been 102.8 kilometers since 2018. Even the Dutchman, long-time rival of Thomas Lurz and the first Olympic champion in open water swimming over ten kilometers in 2008, had swum his best run alone at a self-organized event.
Hoffmann’s muscles still ached five days after swimming. “I’m not recovered yet, but that’s okay too,” he writes on Facebook. “I am extremely grateful for all the help and congratulations that I received in connection with my project. It was (again) an unbeatable experience! “
— –
