Global media impressed by Kubkowski’s achievement. Over 600 online publications in 3 days
Bartłomiej Kubkowski became the first person in history to swim across the Baltic Sea, from Sweden to Poland. According to the latest analysis by the Institute of Media Monitoring (IMM), news of the athlete’s historic success spread to 62 countries.
Data collected by IMM shows that during the three-day period (2-4 August 2026), 661 pieces of content were published on foreign portals in 30 different languages. The largest number of articles appeared in Italy (39% of all foreign publications). This mainly resulted from the fact that the Adnkronos news agency issued a lengthy report on Kubkowski’s feat, which was then relayed by dozens of local general news and sports portals. German and Czech portals came next in terms of the number of publications dedicated to this subject.
High visibility of Bartłomiej Kubkowski’s achievement on international portals is an example of how news about transcending human boundaries resonates across cultural and linguistic divides. The individual struggles of man with the power of nature prompted global news outlets to pick up the story. The Polish athlete’s feat had the perfect dramatic impact, allowing the topic to break from the niche of extreme sports directly into mainstream news media worldwide – comments Tomasz Lubieniecki, Head of Media Reports Department at IMM.
Titanic effort and a noble purpose
A qualitative analysis of the media coverage performed by IMM experts indicates that foreign journalists described the details of the challenge with admiration, building a coherent and engaging narrative around the Pole.
The media repeatedly highlighted the extreme conditions of the crossing and the dramatic struggle he endured. Special attention was paid to the fact that the swimmer had not slept for 56 hours, which caused him disorientation and hallucinations. Italian media outlets widely quoted the athlete’s words immediately after emerging from the water: “I am so tired, I don’t even know what I am feeling”. They called him “super nuotatore” (super swimmer), and his effort “titanico” (titanic).
In addition to physical aspects, editorial offices, including those in the English and Spanish-speaking markets, meticulously explained the rigorous rules of the unassisted challenge. Journalists noted that Kubkowski couldn’t touch the lifeboat for even a second throughout the entire 160 kilometers, and that he had to consume specialized meals directly in the water during short, exhausting breaks.
Foreign portals eagerly based their coverage on themes of steadfastness and determination, recalling the path to success and a comeback after failure. They pointed out that the success in August was the culmination of a multi-year project that began in 2022, when he covered 115 km, and was marked by a dramatic finale in 2025, when the Pole lost consciousness just 11 kilometers from the shore.
According to IMM’s analysis, for many foreign media outlets, the charitable aspect of this story was an important element, complementing the athlete’s positive image. Besides the record-breaking event itself, the media highlighted the fundraising for the foundation Cancer Fighters.
The charitable aspect of this type of challenge has a tremendous power to engage audiences and build a sense of community, regardless of the final sports result. A perfect example is Karolina Szczepaniak’s parallel attempt to swim across the Baltic Sea at the same time. Although she had to resign for health reasons and finished it utterly exhausted, her determination resulted in raising a whopping 460,000 złoty for the rehabilitation of a 14-year-old Piotrek who suffered a spinal injury – notes Tomasz Lubieniecki from IMM.
Explosion of popularity in social media
The sports success has translated into a significant organic increase in Bartłomiej Kubkowski’s popularity on social media. As recently as Saturday (1 August), during the challenge, his Instagram profile had approximately 96,000 followers. In just three days – by midnight on Tuesday (3 August), the swimmer had doubled that number. This growth continues unabated – the community around him has now surpassed 200,000 followers.
Methodology:
The analysis covers messages on foreign internet portals published in the period August 2-4, 2026.
The Institute of Media Monitoring consents to the publication of all or part of the materials provided that the source is acknowledged (full name: Institute of Media Monitoring). When using graphics, the source (name: Institute of Media Monitoring or logo) must be indicated next to each graphic.