Dhanushkodi (TN): Ace Indian swimmer Bula Chowdhury today (Aug 20, 2004) became the first woman to cross the seven Seas, when she swam the Palk Straits from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu.

Thirty-four-year-old Chowdhury clocked the 40 km distance in 13 hours and 52 minutes -- plunging into the water at Mannar at 2.30 a m this morning and reaching Tamil Nadu shores at 4.22 pm, according to R V Veerabhadran, a swimming coach, who was deputed as the observer for the event by the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority (SDTAN).

Veerabhadran told reporters from Rameswaram that Chowdhury showed a lot of determination in braving the rough Sea. "At one stage it became rather tough for the swimmer as the tide and crosswinds became heavy. In fact, she had to overcome rains for about more than a kilometre," he said.

'The winds were so heavy that Chowdhury had taken about two hours to cover the five kilometre stretch to the finish. "She was focused on achieving the feat, and did not even seek medical attention at all," he said.