Cyril Baldock

Cyril Baldock is an Australian open water swimmer from Bondi Beach in Sydney.
Contents
Open Water Swimming Highlights
- He is a twice member of the Half Century Club.
- He is a life member of Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club.
- He was a nominee for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.
- He is a 7-time national surf-swim and rescue/resuscitation champion in Australia.
- On 18 August 1985, he completed a 33.8 km crossing of the English Channel from France to England in 10 hours 44 minutes at the age of 41.
- In 2013, he finished 24th in the 10 km Vladswim Balmoral Challenge in Australia in 2 hours 53 minutes 10 seconds at the age of 69.
- On 20 August 2014, he completed a 33.8 km crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 12 hours 45 minutes 0 seconds at the age of 70 years and 9 months. This was 4 months older than Roger Allsopp, the previously oldest successful English Channel swimmer. This crossing is nominated for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.
- He was a member of Sun Rice Australia (Sunrice Australia Channel Relay Team), a team of 6 Australian open water swimmers who set a four-way relay record across the English Channel in 1993 under the leadership of Des Renford. En route to their four-way relay record, Sun Rice Australia also set the two-way record (distance: 68 km) in 20 hours 40 minutes, and the three-way (distance: 102 km) in 32 hours 24 minutes. Their overall time was 43 hours 7 minutes, later broken in 2007 by Sport City Mexico in 42 hours 11 minutes. Its members included Cyril Baldock, Michael Renford ('Murph') from South Maroubra, and Baden Green, Greg Stewart, Peter Tibbets and Kevin Neilsen, all from Cronulla.
2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nomination
Baldock's English Channel crossing at the age of 70 years and 9 months is nominated for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.
"Not only did Cyril Baldock break one of the most difficult records in the channel swimming world, but he also completed his swim-for-the-ages extremely quickly. Baldock did a fast 12 hour 45 minute crossing from England to France and broke the world record for the oldest individual to complete a traverse of the English Channel. This was Baldock’s second record in the English Channel; the first came in 1993 when he was a member of the four-way Sun Rice Australia relay and took 42 hours 11 minutes to swim between English and France 4 consecutive times. 29 years after his first crossing, Baldock looked a man one-third his age. Humorous, cheerful and optimistic, the life member of Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club and 7-time national surf-swim and rescue/resuscitation champion, is a man comfortable in the sea. For his speed and stamina, for his comfort in rough waters at an advanced age, for his inspirational swim at the age of 70, Cyril Baldock’s crossing of the English Channel is a worthy nominee for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year."
2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nominees
1. Beyond Avalon by Dan Henry, Dave Speier, William Miller, Steve Miller, Lee Grove, Dana Selles, Mark Zambon, Penny Nagel, Chris Gibson, Jon Rodley, Jonathan Hands, Nick Jeffery, Terry Hirt (U.S.A.)
2. Curaçao Channel Crossing by Niko Kluyver, André Nottelman, Erwin Ruijsink (Curaçao)
3. Cyprus Israel Swim by Udi Erell, Doron Amosi, Ben Enosh, Ori Sela, Oded Rahav, Luc Chetboun (Israel)
4. Diomede Islands Swim by Alexandr Brylin and Grigorii Prokopchuk (Russia)
5. English Channel Crossing by Cyril Baldock (Australia)
6. Great Lake Adventure by Vicki Keith, Abi Tripp, Nick Streicher, Michelle Sempowski, Natasha Dobson, Harley Bolton, Natalie Lambert, Jenna Lambert (Canada)
7. International Winter Swimming Festival Argentina by Matías Ola (Argentina)
8. Lake Ontario Crossing by Trinity Arsenault (Canada)
9. Madagascar Swim by Thane Guy Williams and Jonno Proudfoot (South Africa)
10. Manhattan Island Marathon Swim by Kristian Rutford (U.S.A.)
11. Mallorca 360° Circumnavigation Swim by Richard Krugel (South Africa)
12. Monterey Bay Crossing by Patti Bauernfeind (U.S.A.)
13. Prison Island Swims by Jacques Tuset (France)
14. Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming by Charlotte Samuels (U.S.A.)
15. U.S. Lifeguarding Champions by Monmouth County Lifeguards (U.S.A.)
World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men
He was named one of the World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men in 2015 by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
Oldest Individuals to Cross the English Channel
1. Otto Thaning (South Africa), 73 years, E/F, 12 hours 52 minutes (2014)
2. Cyril Baldock (Australia), 70 years 9 months, E/F, 12 hours 45 minutes (2014)
3. Roger Allsopp (England), 70 years 4 months, E/F, in 17 hours 51 minutes (2011)
4. George Brunstad (USA), 70 years 3 days, E/F, in 15 hours 59 minutes (2004)
5. Chris Shapland (Australia), 69 years, E/F, in 16 hours 28 minutes (2016)
6. Donald Riddington (Australia), 68, E/F, in 19 hours 45 minutes (2013)
7. Clifford Batt (Australia), 67, F/E, in 18 hours 37 minutes (1987)
8. Ashby Harper (USA), 65, E/F, in 13 hours 52 minutes (1982)
9. Joe Smith (England), 65, E/F, in 14 hours 9 minutes (1999)
10. Roger Allsopp (England), 65, E/F, in 15 hours 30 minutes (2006)
11. Sue Oldham (Australia), 65, E/F, in 17 hours 11 minutes (2010)
2017 World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men
Baldock was named to the World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men in 2017 (alphabetized by last name) by the World Open Water Swimming Association:
1. Dr. Doron Amosi, extreme relay/cross-border swimmer from Israel
2. Antonio Argüelles Díaz-González, channel swimmer and endurance athlete from Mexico
3. Cyril Baldock, marathon/channel swimmer from Australia
4. Ram Barkai, administrator, event organizer and ice swimmer from South Africa
5. John Batchelder, butterflying marathon swimmer from USA
6. Nejib Belhedi, marathon/stage/boat pull swimmer from Tunisia
7. Alexander Brylin, channel ice swimmer from Russia
8. Luc Chetboun, extreme relay/cross-border swimmer from Israel
9. Salvatore Cimmino, amputee advocate and marathon/extreme swimmer from Italy
10. Jean Craven, marathon/extreme swimmer from South Africa
11. Ned Denison, IMSHOF administrator and marathon/ice swimmer from Ireland
12. Craig Dietz, disabled open water swimmer from USA
13. Ben Enosh, extreme relay/cross-border swimmer from Israel/USA
14. Udi Erell, extreme relay/cross-border swimmer from Israel
15. Stephen Junk, channel swimmer from Australia
16. Henri Kaarma, event organizer and ice swimmer from Estonia
17. Ger Kennedy, ice, underwater and extreme swimmer from Ireland
18. Craig Lenning, marathon/channel/ice swimmer from the USA
19. Neil Macaskill, extreme/cross-border swimmer from South Africa
20. Pádraig Mallon, escort pilot, event organizer and marathon/channel/ice swimmer from Ireland
21. Ingemar Patiño Macarine, channel/marathon swimmer from the Philippines
22. Andrew Malinak, administrator and cold water/marathon/channel swimmer from the USA
23. Chris Marthinusen, extreme/high-altitude swimmer from South Africa
24. Patrick McKnight, marathon/channel swimmer from the USA
25. Allan McLeland, Peak and Pond swimmer/climber from the USA
26. Darren Miller, channel swimmer and event director from the USA
27. Rohan More, marathon/channel swimmer from India
28. Gullupilli Narhari, extreme relay swimmer from India
29. Matías Ola, event organizer and ice/extreme swimmer from Argentina
30. Kieron Palframan, ice/extreme swimmer from South Africa
31. James Pittar, blind marathon/channel swimmer from Australia
32. Javier Mérida Prieto, disabled Triple Crown swimmer from Spain
33. Lewis Pugh OIG, ocean advocate and ice/extreme swimmer from the UK
34. Oded Rahav, extreme relay/cross-border swimmer from Israel
35. Stephen Redmond, channel/marathon swimmer from Ireland
36. Adrian Sarchet, marathon/channel swimmer from Guernsey
37. Ori Sela, extreme relay/cross-border swimmer from Israel
38. Dan Simonelli, coach/guide/observer and marathon/channel swimmer from the USA
39. Paramvir Singh, extreme relay swimmer from India
40. Albert Sobirov, ice swimmer from Russia
41. Petar Stoychev, marathon/channel/ice/Olympic swimmer from Bulgaria
42. Ryan Stramrood, ice/extreme swimmer from South Africa
43. Martin Strel, marathon/stage swimmer from Slovenia
44. Dr. Otto Thaning, channel/marathon swimmer from South Africa
45. Jacques Tuset, prison island swimmer from France
46. Toks Viviers, ice/extreme swimmer from South Africa
47. Adam Walker, coach, event organizer, and channel swimmer from England
48. Christof Wandratsch, event organizer and ice/marathon/channel/professional swimmer from Germany
49. Brenton Williams, event organizer and butterfly ocean swimmer from South Africa
50. Herman van der Westhuizen, extreme high-altitude swimmer from South Africa
External links
- When Will The English Channel Relay Records Be Broken Again?
- Doc Counsilman Helped Usher In An Increasingly Graying Trend In Channel Swimming
- International Day of Older Persons and the Aging Demographics of Open Water Swimmers
- How Far Is The English Channel?
- Andre Slade Talks With Swimmers In Rough, Sharky Waters Down Under
- Cyril Baldock Talks With Andre Slade On OceanFit
- 2017 World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men
- The World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men
- Lovely Lake Powell Lies Waiting For Open Water Swimmers
- Channel Swimming Association
- Cyril Baldock Channels Energy
- Planning Ahead To Be The Oldest
- Swimmer Becomes Oldest to Cross English Channel
- The Age-Old Courage And Speed Of Cyril Baldock
- Dr. Otto Thaning Knows All About Heart
- Charlotte Samuels Lowers Bar, Set Triple Crown Record
- Record-setting Relays Rock 'N Roll
- 2014 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominees
- 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman Of The Year Nominees
- 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nominees
- 2014 WOWSA Awards Nominees
- 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nominees
- What A Performance In The Open Water
- Open Water Swimmers Have A Long, Long Way To Go
- Septuagenarian Swimmers Still
- Being Old Once Again
- Open Water Swimming
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- What Could Be Better? Dr. Roger Allsopp And Open Water
- How Old Can They Go? Very Old
- Marathon Swimming
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- I Got Stung
- World Marathon Swimming Association
- Chris Shapland En Route To Proving Swimming Is Lifelong
- Will You Still Be Swimming In The Year 2050?
- Marathon Swimmers Federation bio
- Celebrating Australian Channel Swimmers