Dutch Olympic champion Maarten van der Weijden sets backward swimming world record

Dutch Olympic swimming champion Maarten van der Weijden, 44, broke the world record for backward swimming on Saturday, covering 17 kilometers in eight hours at a pool in Zaltbommel. Audiences could follow the attempt via a livestream.

When asked why he swam backward, Van der Weijden told NOS, "Because life, unfortunately, can sometimes feel like it’s running away from you. And then it helps to look at it from a different angle."

Van der Weijden aimed to raise 11,000 euros for cancer research, a disease he has personally battled. The effort fell just short, with hundreds of donors contributing a total of 10,570 euros. Supporters adopted rubber ducks for 11 euros each, which were tossed into the water during the swim. Van der Weijden said afterward that he enjoyed seeing the number of ducks steadily grow.

The previous world record of 15.66 kilometers in eight hours was set in Ireland in 2022.

After leaving the water, Van der Weijden immediately opened a bottle of bubbly. "Amazing," he told NOS after a sip. "I’m extremely happy. I feel quite euphoric and also a bit exhausted."

Two years ago, Van der Weijden raised more than 3.7 million euros for cancer research by completing a seven-day challenge: swimming 200 kilometers, cycling 200 kilometers, and running 200 kilometers.