Paul Georgescu has accomplished much in the open water:
- he crossed the English Channel in 13 hours 36 minutes as a charity swim in 2016
- he won the 2017 26.4 km International Self-Transcendence Marathon-Schwimmen in Switzerland
- he completed a 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel in 9 hours 8 minutes in 2018
- he finished second in the 45.9 km 20 Bridges Manhattan Island Swim in New York in 8 hours 3 minutes
- he completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming in 2018
- he completed an Ice Mile at the Daimon Club in Bucharest, Romania in 3.02°C water in 22 minutes 43 seconds, joining the Frosted Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
- he was 5th in the 2019 International Ice Swimming Association World Championship Ice Kilometer in Murmansk
- he won the 500m freestyle at the IISA 3rd World Championship in Murmansk, Russia in 2019
- he finished 7th in the 2019 International Ice Swimming Association World Cup Series
- he finished a 42 km crossing of the Molokai Channel in 13 hours 6 minutes
- he was a member of ROMANIA 2019 a six-person English Channel relay in 10 hours 25 minutes in 2019
- he completed an Ice Mile in Hanusee Bay, Antarctica in 0.6°C water in 22 minutes 44 seconds in 2019
- he completed the 104.089 km Iron Gates of the Danube Swim in 21 hours 40 minutes in 2020
- he set a world record by swimming 3.55 km in 4.3°C water in 2021
But he just completed a new kind of project: 100 kilometers in the Complexul Sportiv Lia Manoliu pool in Bucharest, Romania. Swimming 100,000 meters took Georgescu a bit longer than he anticipated, but the extra hours did not dampened his commitment. He explained, “100 km took me 34 hours 42 minutes 46 seconds, not the 26 hours that I estimated. It was difficult, but I managed. Swimmers, triathletes, students from school were all supporting me throughout the event, both in and out of the pool. The event had a very big impact here in Romania with hourly live coverage on TV.
I dedicated this swim to Romania Swimming Federation for convincing the Romanian authorities to open the swimming pools during the pandemic time. Also, it was a motivation message for the young swimmers – do not complain any more when they have to do 5 or 6 kilometers of training.
Many swimming personalities were present to the event: Camelia Potec, the president of Romanian Swimming Federation, Anca Patrascoiu, the first Romania Olympic swimming medalist, Razvan Florea, a 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in 100m backstroke, David Popovici who just broke the junior world record in 100m free in 47’56” during Junior European Championship in Rome, and many others. Many swimmers came and swim on the lane next to me. They never let me alone. They were coming all night changing between them after one or two hours.“
© 2021 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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