Finnish swimmer halts extreme Gulf of Bothnia crossing due to storm

A Finnish mother of three from Loimaa, Kristiina Kangastalo-Hoda, has been forced to abandon her extreme open-water swim from Finland to Sweden after a storm made conditions unsafe, Yle reports.

Kangastalo-Hoda, who aims to become the first woman in the world to swim across the Gulf of Bothnia, set off from Siikajoki on Friday. After 11 hours of swimming, she anchored for the night, but worsening weather forced her and her support team to abandon the attempt early Sunday morning, returning to the port of Hailuoto.

She described the conditions as severe, with waves causing seasickness among her and parts of the crew. Despite this, she said the discomfort was manageable.

Before the storm, the first two days of swimming had gone well, though she noted her pace was slightly slower than usual, possibly due to nerves. Muscle pain, lower back cramps, and chafing from her wetsuit were expected challenges.

The team is waiting for the wind to calm before resuming the swim from the point where they stopped Saturday evening.