Josef Köberl completes Tsugaru Strait swim in Japan

Austrian extreme swimmer Josef Köberl has successfully completed the crossing of the Tsugaru Strait in Japan, becoming the first Austrian to achieve this feat. The swim spanned 48 kilometers from Honshu to Hokkaido, taking 10 hours and 25 minutes to complete.

This achievement marks the sixth successful leg of Köberl’s pursuit of the ‘Oceans Seven’, a prestigious series of extreme swims comparable to the Seven Summits. Having already completed the English Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Cook Strait, the North Channel, and the Catalina Channel, Köberl now only requires the Kaiwi Channel in Hawaii to complete the series, which he plans to attempt in 2027.

The crossing was delayed several times due to challenging weather conditions, including wind, waves, and complex currents, before local captains provided clearance for the swim.