David Meca has become the first person to swim from the Spanish mainland to the Balearic Islands, arriving at San Antonio port shortly after 10am this morning after reaching the island of Ses Bledes some two hours earlier, knocking around eight and a half hours off his original target of 30 hours for the 110km crossing.

The exhausted swimmer collapsed after getting out of the water and had to be carried to a waiting ambulance. During the gruelling ordeal, he suffered several bouts of nausea, was stung several times on the face by jellyfish, was hampered by an injured shoulder and hypothermia. He is currently undergoing a medical examination at Can Misses Hospital, where he has been put on a saline drip and where doctors are trying to get his body temperature back up to normal levels with hot blankets.

The long distance world champion managed to keep up a steady pace of three miles an hour despite the vomitting and jellyfish stings, which burned his face throughout the crossing. Although his medical advisors urged him to climb aboard the support dinghy after reaching Ses Bledes, which was the agreed finishing line, Meca insisted on swimming to shore, where he was greeted by a large crowd of concerned wellwishers.

Meca closes in on Ibiza

David Meca reached the island of Ses Bledes just off Ibiza's San Antonio coast shortly before 8am this morning after setting off from Javea's La Grava beach at 10am yesterday morning in an attempt to become the first person ever to swim from Spain to the Balearic Islands.

Despite braving chilly overnight water temperatures and several jellyfish stings, the world 25km swimming champion passed up the chance of a medical examination on the island and pushed on to San Antonio port, where a large crowd of local dignitaries and wellwishers are waiting to greet him.

The swimmer is expected to complete the 110km crossing well within the original estimated time of 30 hours.