Hsu Wen-erh completes full loop swim around Manhattan Island

New York, Oct. 21 (CNA) Taiwanese swimmer Hsu Wen-erh (許汶而) swam around Manhattan Island in the United States on Monday, becoming the first Taiwanese to complete swims across the English Channel, California's Catalina Channel and around the famous New York island.

Accompanied by a small boat bearing her country's national flag, Hsu finished the 48.5 kilometer (km) feat in nine hours and five minutes.

"I am very happy to have completed this unprecedented undertaking for Taiwan," Hsu told CNA.

"The national flag was flying in Manhattan the whole time," she said. "It gave me strength to go forward."

According to New York Open Water, the non-profit organization that runs the event, the full-loop "20 Bridges Swim" is usually completed in a counter-clockwise direction and spans the East River, the Harlem River and the Hudson River.

Thirty-year-old Hsu had attempted the endurance swimming challenge on Sunday, but gave up nearly four hours in when she missed an important tidal current.

After succeeding on her second attempt the following day, Hsu said that she was very happy to become the first Taiwanese person to achieve the three open water swimming titles.

Only about 330 people in the world have completed all of these three challenges.

Hsu completed a solo swim across the 33 km English Channel in 12 hours and 17 minutes on July 20 and the 32.5 km Catalina Channel swim off the coast of Southern California on Aug. 28 -- both firsts for a Taiwanese athlete.