Hongkonger sets Loch Ness swim record after missing flight and sleeping for just four hours before tackling 36km distance

Peat makes Scottish loch ‘taste like whisky’, says Mak Chun-kong after team set unofficial record for four-person relay

IT worker felt that ‘Nessie wanted him to swim faster’ during 11-hour-and-38-minute effort

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Hongkonger Mak Chun-kong enters Loch Ness for his third swim of his team’s relay record attempt. Photos: Mak Chun-kong

Published: 6:05pm, 8 Sep 2019Updated: 6:05pm, 8 Sep 2019

Hongkonger Mak Chun-kong has set a new unofficial record for swimming the length of Loch Ness, along with his teammates.

The four swimmers completed their 36km relay in 11 hours and 38 minutes, a whole three hours faster than the previous four-person record of 14 hours and 39 minutes. The team are waiting for the record to be ratified by the British Long Distance Swimming Association.

However, the experienced ice swimmer was disappointed that they could not beat the three-swimmer relay record of 10 hours and 28 minutes.

“I think maybe Hong Kong people always have high aims. My teammates couldn’t make it 10 hours 28 minutes but I’m happy with the result,” he said.

Mak, his teammates and their support team after completing the relay.

“Maybe the maximum we could have done is half an hour faster with better conditions.” Instead, it was wind and rain.

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