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Andreas Waschburger

Andreas Waschburger is a marathon swimmer from Saarbrücken in Saarland. He has been among the world elite of open water swimming for the 5, 10 and 25 km distances for many years. With eighth place at the Olympic Games, countless European Championship medals, World Cup wins and a second place in the 2016 overall World Cup, over the years ‘Waschi’ has swum his way into many Saarland locals’ hearts.

Waschi has recently begun a new chapter of his career by tackling the fresh challenges of extreme swimming. Since early 2023, he has set various new ice swimming world records and gained titles at the world and European championships.

On 8 September 2023, Andreas Waschburger crossed the English Channel from Dover to Calais in a new world-record time of 6 hours, 45 minutes and 25 seconds, fulfilling a long-held dream. However, this adventure is nowhere near over: the ‘Ocean’s Seven’ offers at least six more appealing challenges. We are excited to see his next adventure.

Take a look at the athlete’s Wikipedia profile

Andreas Waschburger Marathon-Schwimmer Waschi aus Saarbrücken  Ärmelkanal Weltrekord

Shortfacts

Series junkie
Riding a racing bike
Football fan
Early riser
Family man

Playerscard

  • Year of birth1987
  • NicknameWaschi
  • Height1.90 m
  • Weight82 kg
  • ProfessionPolice commissioner
  • MottoNever give up!

Sporting successes

2024
European Ice Swimming Championships Oradea (ROU), 1000-metre freestyle, gold (WR 11:24.20 minutes)
European Ice Swimming Championships Oradea (ROU), 500-metre freestyle, gold (WR 05:32.72 minutes)
European Ice Swimming Championships Oradea (ROU), 250-metre freestyle, bronze
European Ice Swimming Championships Oradea (ROU), 4 x 250-metre freestyle, bronze
2023
New world record: Crossing the English Channel in 6:45:25 hours
4x 250 m freestyle mixed relay, first place with new world record
4x 50 m freestyle mixed relay, first place
500 m freestyle, second place 5:38.57 (Below previous world record 05:38.97)
250 m freestyle, fourth place
2022
World Championships Budapest, 25 km, eleventh place
European Championships Rome, 25 km, ninth place
2021
European Championships Budapest, qualified but no participation due to positive Corona test
2019
World Championships Gwangju, 25 km, eighth place
World Cup Setubal, second place
French Championships, 25 km, first place
2018
European Championships Glasgow, 10 km, 20th place
European Championships Glasgow, 25 km, ninth place
2017
World Championships Budapest, 25 km, tenth place
German Championships, 10 km, second place
German Championships, relay, second place
2016
European Championships Hoorn, 5 km relay, second place
European Championships Hoorn, 25 km, DNF
European Championships Hoorn, 10 km, 17th place
World Cup overall rankings, 10 km, second place
World Cup Canada, Lac Megantic, first place
World Cup Canada, Lac St Jean, third place
World Cup Hungary, second place
World Cup China, second place
German Championships, 10 km, first place
German Championships, 5 km, first place
German Championships, relay, second place
British Championships, 5 km, first place
2015
World Championships Kazan, 10 km, 16th place
World Championships Kazan, 25 km, 11th place
French Championships, 10 km, first place
French Championships, 5 km, first place
2014
European Championships Berlin, 10 km, 20th place
World Cup Canada, Lac St Jean, first place
World Cup Argentina, second place
World Cup Hong Kong, third place
German Championships, 10 km, second place
German Championships, 5 km, third place
French Championships, 10 km, second place
2013
Universiade, Kazan Russia, third place
European Cup overall rankings, 5 km, first place
European Cup overall rankings, 10 km, first place
German Championships, 5 km, third place
German Championships, 10 km, third place
2012
Olympic Games, 10 km, eighth place
European Championships Italy, Piombino, 5 km, second place
European Championships Italy, Piombino, 10 km, second place
European Championships Italy, Piombino, 5 km relay, third place
World Cup overall rankings, 10 km, second place
German Championships, 10 km, third place
German Championships, 5 km, second place
2011
World Championships Shanghai, 10 km, tenth place
World Cup Mexico, first place
2010
European Championships Budapest, 10 km, 17th place
European Championships Budapest, 25 km, 16th place
European Cup overall rankings, 5 km, first place
European Cup overall rankings, 10 km, first place
German Championships, 10 km, second place
2009
European Cup overall rankings, 5 km, third place
European Cup overall rankings, 10 km, third place
2008
German Championships, 10 km, third place
2007
German Championships, 25 km, third place

ICE COLD THROUGH

ANDREAS WASCHBURGER SWIMS A NEW WORLD RECORD IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

In exactly 6 hours 45 minutes and 25 seconds, marathon swimmer Andreas “Waschi” Waschburger from Saarbrücken swam the icy English Channel, breaking the previous world record held by Australian Trent Grimsey.

MEDIA LIBRARY Andreas Waschburger

Andreas Waschburger FAQs

Andreas swam in his first competition at the age of six. He switched from the pool to open water in 2009.

Andreas Waschburger is happily married.

In the final years of his career, Andreas Waschburger is seeking to gain further successes at the highest levels of swimming. He is currently planning to tackle the new challenges thrown up by the Ocean’s Seven marathon swimming series.

‘Waschi’ currently holds three world records for ice swimming. He has also won various world and European championship titles since 2023. His greatest triumph so far was crossing the English Channel from Dover to Calais on 8 September 2023 in a new world-record time of 6 hours, 45 minutes and 25 seconds. He came eighth in the 10-kilometre distance at the Olympic Games in London at the age of 25. A year later he won a bronze medal for the same distance at the Universiade in Kazan, Russia.

Yes, although Andreas Waschburger is partially released to enable him to complete training and competitions, you could still come across him in uniform on deployment with the Saarland police.

The Ocean’s Seven is an epic marathon swimming challenge, the swimming equivalent of the Seven Summits mountaineering challenge. It consists of seven of the hardest channel swims in the world. The Ocean’s Seven are the English Channel, the North Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Catalina Channel, the Moloka’i Channel, the Tsugaru Strait and the Cook Strait.

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