by Graham Tutthill

Australian marathon swimmer Chloë McCardel has had to abandon her three-way Channel swim attempt.

She made it to France in nine hours 49 minutes and completed the second leg back to Dover in a total of 19 hours 20 minutes.

But two hours into the third leg to France the seas became very cold and there were concerns for Chloë's safety.

She had hoped to become the first Australian, and only the fourth person, to complete a non-stop triple swim across the Channel.

Her husband Paul said: "This is very disappointing for the whole team, and Chloë is completely shattered. However, above all else, Chloë’s safety is paramount, and despite her determination and ability, the conditions are not suitable to continue."

Chloë is spending 24 hours recuperating before deciding on when to re-attempt a triple crossing of the English Channel.

Last weekend, Stuart Johnson attempted a three-way crossing but had to give up on the third leg because of shoulder pains and feeding problems.

The current record for a three-way swim is 34 hours 40 minutes set by Alison Streeter from Dover 22 years ago.

Before starting the swim Chloë said: "The weather in the Channel can quickly change for the worse and although the conditions can be good at the start, it can soon become a ‘washing machine’ out there, especially over 30 hours."

Chloë had been training in the UK for the past four weeks, after spending three months preparing for the swim on Australia’s Gold Coast.