Swimmers Hold Annual Race Under Brooklyn Bridge
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Hundreds of swimmers hit the the East River on Sunday morning for the seventh annual Brooklyn Bridge Swim, which takes place under the famed span.
They battled strong river currents over a one-kilometer course under the Brooklyn Bridge and towards Manhattan.
The winner was Bruce Brockschmidt of New Jersey, who clocked in at 13 minutes, 9 seconds.
The fastest woman, Jill Hanass-Hancock, boasted 14 minutes, 59 seconds.
"It's a little bit salty, and it has a strong current. And the current in the middle is quite hard to get around," said Hanass-Hancock.
"There's a certain historical significance to being right under the Brooklyn Bridge, and it symbolizes the power of New York and the great structure and architecture. And you kind of have to apply that to trying to cross it, especially when the currents are running fast," said swimmer Tom Boettcher.
The race kicked off at Brooklyn Bridge Park and ended near the South Street Seaport.