Former Olympic swimmer sets new record on 'sacred' lake Titicaca

Reuters Videos
Updated

This former Olympic swimmer set a new record on Lake Titicaca

LOCATION: LAKE TITICACA, BOLIVIA

COURTESY: Andrea Oriana

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MAURICIO SALAS, BOLIVIAN SWIMMING FEDERATION JUDGE, SAYING: "Andrea broke the record held by an American woman who had swam 10 miles in 3 hours and 48 minutes. Andrea broke this record by doing a distance of 12.4 miles from the Sleeping Dragon to the Island of the Moon. He did it in about 5 hours and 40 minutes approximately and he did not wear a wetsuit."

Lake Titicaca is not only the world’s highest navigable lake

it is also quite chilly at 55° F on average

Andrea Oriana rubbed wax onto his skin for protection from the cold

(SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN SWIMMER, ANDREA ORIANA, SAYING: "The fact that I am the first to do it and having the world record on Titicaca makes me feel very happy because this is really a sacred lake, it is a lake that is probably one of the few in which you can make a record at altitude."

COURTESY: Andrea Oriana