VILNIUS, July 27 (Reuters) - A former Lithuanian triathlete broke off his attempt on Friday to become the first person to swim across the Baltic sea because of stormy weather.

Vidmantas Urbonas, the 1998 world ultra-triathlon champion, started on July 22 from Kalmar in southeast Sweden and was heading for Pavilosta in southwest Latvia, about 209 km (130 miles) away. But he gave up with 70 km to go.

"He was feeling well and could have swum further, but we have decided not to take risks due to an incoming storm," Ugnius Savickas, project manager for the swim, told Lithuanian radio.

He said the waves were rising to up to 2 metres (6 ft 6 in).

He said Urbonas would be taken into Pavilosta, where a final decision would be taken whether to resume the swim at the point where he got into the boat.

Urbonas had planned the swim to call attention to the Baltic Sea's environmental problems. Experts say the sea is among the most polluted in the world.

Urbonas gave up during the final leg of the swim, a 145 km stretch from Gotland to Pavilosta.

Urbonas had kidney failure in 1999 after swimming 460 km in 8 days down the river Nemunas in Lithuania, swimming 10 hours a day. Last year he tried to swim the 33 km wide English Channel, but failed due to high waves.

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