Belgian ultra-athlete Matthieu Bonne will begin a world record attempt in southern Italy on Sunday afternoon, aiming to swim at least 100 miles non-stop in open sea.
Bonne, 32, from Bredene, is due to start at 14:00 near Nicotera in Calabria. He is targeting the record for the longest non-stop ocean swim in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The current world record stands at 142 kilometres, but Bonne hopes to go well beyond that. His goal is to cover at least 100 miles, or nearly 161 kilometres, without stopping.
He is expected to spend between 65 and 72 hours in the water. Throughout the attempt, he will swim alone and without a wetsuit.
Under the rules, Bonne is not allowed to sleep, leave the water, or touch a boat or the seabed. He will receive food while remaining in the water.
The attempt will be monitored by the World Open Water Swimming Association, with two independent observers and GPS tracking in place.
Bonne first became known to a wider public through his appearance on the television programme Kamp Waes, but he has since built a reputation through a series of extreme endurance feats.
At the end of June, he set a world record in the 7 Day Pool Swim by covering 362.5 kilometres in seven days at a swimming pool in Bruges.
A press release said that, while his previous record was centred on endurance over seven days, this challenge would be a battle against the sea, sleep deprivation and the elements.
