Polish endurance athlete Bartłomiej Kubkowski secured a place in open water swimming history by becoming the first person to swim across the Baltic Sea from Sweden to Poland.
After about 55 hours of continuous effort, without sleep and without once touching the support boat, he covered more than 160 kilometers, successfully completing his fifth and most demanding attempt.
Congratulations to Bartłomiej Kubkowski who just became the first person ever to swim across the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Poland. He spent 56 hours in the water without sleeping and swam 160 km (100 miles). pic.twitter.com/DjC4RBoWoi Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) August 2, 2026
Kubkowski started his effort on Friday from the coast of Sweden and arrived at Dziwnów beach in West Pomerania, Poland, shortly before 20:00 on Sunday evening.
Hundreds of fans welcomed him on the shore, where he had to exit the water alone for his success to be officially recognized, according to challenge rules.
A few minutes after finishing, Kubkowski admitted he was so exhausted he did not yet know exactly how he felt about crossing the Baltic.
Exhaustion and hallucinations
The mission lasted about 56 hours. During this time, the Polish swimmer did not sleep for a minute, did not stop to rest, and never touched the support boat that followed him exclusively for safety reasons.
Purely Athletic team member Marcin Cieślak described that Kubkowski swam nonstop, stroke by stroke, for more than two days, while the crew handled his navigation, feeding, and safety.
The biggest challenge was the physical strain and psychological pressure from extreme sleep deprivation.
Cieślak explained that hallucinations appeared after the second consecutive sleepless night, along with moments when the athlete lost touch with reality.
Despite these crises, months of physical, nutritional, and psychological preparation allowed the team to keep problems to a minimum and safely guide the athlete to the finish line.
Previous attempts and preparation
The success resulted from an effort that began in 2022. Kubkowski covered 115 kilometers in his first attempt, and got closer to his goal each subsequent year.
In 2025, he reached 159 kilometers before losing consciousness just 11 kilometers from the Polish coast, ending the attempt.
For his fifth attempt, Cieślak said the athlete used all his experience from previous years, showing excellent concentration and energy management.
Preparation included exhausting workouts, long pool sessions, night swims, and intensive mental preparation to help the athlete endure the extreme conditions.
Kubkowski dedicated his achievement to the children and young people supported by the Cancer Fighters foundation through a charity fundraising campaign.
The Polish athlete holds the world record for 24-hour swimming and created the Ultra Baltic Swim project to cross the sea and raise awareness for his cause.
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