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Chinese Man on Second Day of Swim Across the Bohai Strait
Chinese swimmer Zhang Jian was 72 kilometers into a 109 kilometer (65.4 mile) swim across northeastern China's Bohai Strait Wednesday morning, as fatigue and weather factors began to weigh heavy on his endeavor.
Zhang, 36, was 40 kilometers from his destination of Penglai, Shandong province at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday (0200 GMT), but was periodically complaining about fatigue and the need for sleep, organizers in accompanying boats told China Central Television.
If successful, he is expected to reach Penglai sometime between 04:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Thursday morning.
The swimmer, who is attempting to be the first person to swim the Bohai Strait, has so far maintained a 2.7 kilometer per hour (1.6 miles per hour) pace since first entering the water at Lushun, Liaoning province Tuesday morning.
Air temperatures had dropped to 24 degrees centigrade (75 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight, as winds from Typhoon Jelawat, which is expected to hit land in eastern Zhejiang Province some 800 kilometers to the south, were not favorable to Zhang's progress, the report said.
Choppy seas were also expected to inhibit Zhang's progress as waves were forecasted to reach between 1.5 and two meters on Wednesday, compared to the one meter waves that Zhang encountered Tuesday.
However, the most difficult portion of the swim, the initial 25 kilometers of strong currents and shark and jellyfish infested waters, were behind the physical education teacher from Beijing's University of Physical Education.
Four boats are accompanying Zhang across the strait, including one equipped with global positioning satellite equipment which will keep him on the correct course, although Zhang could end up swimming as far as 120 kilometers as he periodically meanders off the route.
During the swim, Zhang has been eating protein powder and "power bars," a nutritional supplement for atheletes involved in endurance events, while gargling milk, which is believed to protect his tongue from becoming swollen in the salt water.
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