Yuncheng swimmer challenges English Channel

After a marathon relay swim lasting 20 hours and 33 minutes and covering 72.85 kilometers, five Chinese women successfully crossed the English Channel and finally reached shore at Calais in France at 00:30 on July 4. 

It's the first time that Chinese female swimmers challenged the famous channel through a relay. 

The English Channel which separates Britain from France is less than 34 kilometers wide between Dover and Calais, the point locals say is optimal for a fast-channel crossing. 

It is one of the most difficult channels to conquer for swimming enthusiasts due to its low water temperatures, huge waves and strong winds. 

Wang Shuiliang, from Yuncheng city in Shanxi province, was the fourth swimmer in the relay. The crossing of the English Channel was the latest challenge for her, in the wake of her successful crossing of the Malacca Strait and the Qiongzhou Strait.