Reports of an approaching typhoon did not seem to daunt Taiwanese long-distance swimmer Wang Han (
Wang added, however, that he would continue to monitor weather reports today and might consider postponing the swim a day, depending on the situation. The event may possibly be postponed for a week if the situation gets worse.
"But we are confident that the plan will go on as scheduled," he said.
The team consists of 32 members, that include 16 Taiwanese swimmers, 12 from China and four from South Africa.
The team is scheduled to start from Tamsui's Fishermen's Wharf tomorrow.
The team will swin day and night for four days. The swimmers are expected to arrive in Matsu next Tuesday if everything proceeds smoothly.
If the team fails to achieve its goal, it plans to try again next month.
The announcement was made yesterday at a press conference attended by the swimmers and Taiwanese track and field star Chi Cheng (
Chi has been a strong supporter of Wang's endeavors since Wang swam across the Strait of Gibraltar in 1986. Since then, Wang has successfully swum across 12 straits around the world.
"He [Wang] is a true hero; he risks his life in order to achieve his goal," she said.
The 32 swimmers come from all walks of life, including chefs, stock brokers and students.
Salina Chen (陳培溫), who turns 16 this year, is the youngest participant on the team. She just got accepted to Nangang Senior High School.
"I saw the news on TV in April and thought it would be fun," she told the Taipei Times. "And I decided to register for the event immediately afterward."
After passing a physical exam in May, Chen went through three months of rigorous training.
Chen recalled being stung by jellyfish during training and was asked to swim from the coast of Keelung County to Keelung Islet (基隆嶼), a small island that is located along the northern shore of Taiwan.
"Sometimes I was so exhausted that I thought about quitting," she said. "But I can say that I have been a part of a great challenge if I manage to pull this off."
Wang said the young swimmers did not receive any special treatment during training.
Besides the physical training, swimmers were also taught to understand the ocean, the currents and how to protect themselves from sharks.
He added that the most challenging part of the swim was the Taiwan Strait's choppy seas.
"The best time to swim is when both the southwest front and the seasonal wind from the northwest subside," he said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS