Turkish swimmers grab top spots in Bosphorus cross-continent race
Polat Uzer Turnali and Nida Eliz Ustundag win 33rd Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race in Istanbul. Organisers say 2,465 swimmers from 55 countries took part in the 6.5-km dash.
Competitors participate in the 33rd Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race across the Bosphorus strait between Istanbul's Asian and European sides, Turkey on August 22, 2021.
Turkish swimmers Polat Uzer Turnali and Nida Eliz Ustundag have won the 33rd Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race in Istanbul.
The unique open water swimming race on Sunday was organised by the Turkish Olympic Committee that has been holding the event between the Turkish metropolis' European and Asian parts since 1989.
According to the organisers, 2,465 swimmers from 55 countries took part in the 6.5-km dash, which started from the Kanlica Pier in the Asian part of Istanbul and ended at the Kurucesme Cemil Topuzlu Park on the European side.
In pictures: Turkish swimmers grabbed top spots in Bosphorus cross-continent race, the world's only inter-continental open water contest.
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) August 22, 2021
Some 2,465 swimmers from 55 countries took part in 6.5-km dash which started from Asian part and ended on European side of Istanbul 🏊♂️ 🏊♀️ pic.twitter.com/GQIGe18NTX
Fastest swimmers
Turnali, 19, was the fastest among the men, touching home in 38 minutes and 22 seconds.
He was followed by Mustafa Sevenay with a time of 39:57, while Cagatay Alper Ustununal finished in 40:32.
Ustundag, 24, who was part of the Turkish contingent at the 2016 Rio Olympics, was crowned the women's champion with a finish of 40:55.
A last-gasp effort by Hilal Zeyneb Sarac saw her edge out Ukrainian Hanna Pasichnyk by just a second, with the two ending with times of 41:19 and 41:20, respectively.
Around 2,500 people are swimming from Asia to Europe at the 33rd Cross-Continental Swimming Race in Istanbul.
— TRT World (@trtworld) August 22, 2021
This is the inspiring story of the now 91-year-old Levent Aksut, who was a participant in 2020 pic.twitter.com/bw6wKFgXn3