A 70-YEAR-OLD Australian wrote his name into the Guinness record books last week by becoming the oldest person to swim from Dover in England to Cap Gris Nez in France.

    “I’m having a couple of beers for medicinal purposes only, to make myself sleep,” Cyril Baldock said after completing the 34-km feat in 12 hours and 45 minutes.

    The beer tasted a lot better than the large quantities of sea water he swallowed during the choppy crossing which left him feeling “pretty crook,” he said.

    Baldock, aged 70 years and nine months, has replaced Englishman Roger Allsopp in the record books.

    Allsopp was five months younger when, in 2011, he took almost 18 hours to cross the Channel.

    While the Australian’s time was much quicker there was a period towards the end when Baldock wasn’t sure he would reach the French coastline.

    “Around the 10-hour mark I had a bad half-hour,” he said after returning to Dover on the boat that had earlier escorted him to Cap Gris Nez. ‘The arms were really sore, and I didn’t seem to be making much ground, but I kicked on again.”

    Baldock knew how tough the swim would be having previously crossed the Channel in 1985 as a 41-year-old. Back then the feat took him 10 hours and 44 minutes.

    The strict rules of long-distance swimming meant Baldock wasn’t wearing a wetsuit but rather regular speedos, a single swimming cap and goggles. There was no shark cage either.

    The Bondi local has the record for now but it could be short-lived with Brisbane woman Irene Keel, 73, also planning an attempt this week.

    “The great part of it is, if she did it, Australians would then have the oldest man and the oldest woman,” he said.

    “I’ll have held the oldest person for some time — that was the goal and that’s done — so I really hope she does (succeed).”

    Australian Trent Grimsey holds the record for the fastest Channel crossing having completed the marathon in six hours 55 minutes flat in 2012.

    Baldock was fulfilling a decades-old promise to his former coach Des Renford by completing the crossing.

    He was also raising money for cancer research via everydayhero.com.au/event/cyrilsswim. (SD-Agencies)