This was meant to be the start of Chloe McCardel's record-breaking swim from Cuba to Florida.br br She was hoping to become the first person to make the gruelling journey without a shark cage.br br In the end it wasn't the sharks who brought the attempt to a premature end...it was jellyfish.br br Painful stings from a swarm of the creatures just 11 hours into the swim forced McCardel to ditch the whole idea.br br (SOUNDBITE)(English) CHLOE McCARDEL, SWIMMER, SAYING:br br "I was now in searing pain, my hips were locked, I felt like they'd been compressed. I felt paralysed from the waist down. I couldn't kick, I couldn't get any forward movement on my front."br br McCardel was pulled from the water by her back-up team and rushed to Key West.br br She'd hoped to swim more than 170 kilometres...when she called off the ill-fated attempt she'd covered just 22.