This weekend, over 2,400 competitors from 55 countries will take on the cross-continental challenge of swimming the open waters between Europe and Asia for the 34th edition of the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race.
Known for challenging conditions, the swimmers start in the natural strait in Kanlıca on the Asian side of Istanbul and finish at Kurucesme Cemil Topuzlu Park on the European side.
Both amateur and elite open water swimmers take part in the annual event, which has taken place every year since 1989. Each participant completing the 6.5km open water challenge is awarded with the “exclusive” title of cross-continental swimmer.
Coming in as defending men’s champion is Polat Uzer Turnalı of Turkey who completed last year’s challenge in 38:55. The twenty-year-old competed in last year’s FINA Marathon Swim World Series event in Ohrid, North Macedonia.
Nida Eliz Ustundag is the reigning women’s winner, stopping the clock in last year’s swim in 40:55. A member of the Galatasaray Swimming club, Ustundag normally specialises in butterfly and competed for Turkey at the Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade and Summer Youth Olympic Games.
Here’s the event start list.