Bartłomiej Kubkowski has become the first person to swim across the Baltic Sea from Sweden to Poland, covering 160 kilometres in 55 hours.
The swimmer departed from Sweden on a Friday and reached the Polish coast on a Sunday evening. To have the feat officially recognised, Kubkowski had to leave the water under his own steam without receiving assistance from a boat at any time.
Total distance covered during the swim from Sweden to Poland
After several dozen hours without sleep, Kubkowski experienced periods of crisis characterized by a loss of lucidity and concentration problems.
Previous attempts and records
This successful crossing follows previous unsuccessful attempts. In 2022, Kubkowski stopped after 115 kilometres. In 2025, he covered approximately 159 kilometres and spent 53 hours in the water, but the attempt was called off due to extreme exhaustion about 15 kilometres from the Polish coast.
Kubkowski, the initiator of the Ultra Baltic Swim project, currently holds the world record for 24-hour swimming. He dedicated his successful crossing to the beneficiaries of the Cancer Fighters foundation.
Olympic swimmer Karolina Szczepaniak, who competed in the Beijing and London Games, also attempted the Baltic Sea crossing. Her attempt ended after 58 hours in the water, approximately 40 km from the Polish coast.
Szczepaniak, who holds a Guinness World Record for 72 hours of uninterrupted swimming, intended to reach Pobierowo to support the treatment of 14-year-old Piotr Małolepszy.
