Back in August 2019, 52-year-old Jorge Angel (58, Colombia, MSF bio here, @jorge-angel) set the 19.2 km widthwise crossing of Lake Tahoe (west to east) in 4 hours 43 minutes. A year later, he completed the 17.1 km Vikingsholm crossing in 4 hours 20 minutes (east to west). And another year later, he completed a full-lengthwise 34.2 km crossing in 10 hours 42 minutes to achieve the Lake Tahoe Triple Crown in a cumulative time of 19 hours 46 minutes.
This morning, 55-year-old American Alex Kostich (@alexkostich) from Los Angeles took a shot at Angel’s 19.2 km record under sunny, flat conditions, swimming from Homewood (Cherry St) to Glenbrook (Pumphouse).
Kostich certainly has the distance freestyle pedigree, winning pool events at the Pan American Games to winning several dozens of ocean races at the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, Swim Around Charleston, Naples Island Swim, Dwight Crum Pier-To-Pier Swim, Bora Bora Liquid Festival, Swim Around Key West, La Jolla Gatorman, Seal Beach Rough Water Swim, Tiki Swim and St. Croix Coral Reef Swim Race.
Kostich finished and set a new standard in 4 hours 28 minutes 55 seconds, a bit colder and winded as a result of negative-splitting the 19.2 km crossing. Kostich was at 2 hours 17 minutes after 10 km in the 65°F (18.3°C), swimming straight into the sun.
Kostich was ready for Lake Tahoe that sits at 1,897 meters altitude. He had just returned from Mongolia where he was acclimatizing in Mongolia’s Lake Khuvsgul in 12.7°C (55°F) water at 1,645 meters in elevation.
He posted after reaching the short, “Very grateful for this day and this small step in rebuilding confidence, esteem, and self-worth. When you lose everything, you have nothing to lose. I decided to cross Lake Tahoe about 6 weeks ago not having done the proper cold-water acclimatization training. I knew the attempt would require mental fortitude and I wanted to test my limits. I was pleasantly surprised. Thank you Lexie Kelly, Suzanne Heim-Bowen, and the Pacific Open Water Swim Co. for the support on the water today-this was a team effort.”
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