The Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race witnessed another record-breaking year as 1988 swimmers took part in the 27th edition of one of the world’s most legendary swimming events. Swimmers from 49 countries swam the challenging 6.5km route from Kanlıca on the Asian side of Istanbul to Kuruçeşme Cemil Topuzlu Park on the European side. This year’s celebrity guest swimmer, Adam Walker, kick-started the race and was on hand to congratulate participants as they crossed the finish line.
Speaking from the event, endurance swimmer Adam Walker – who is one of only five people to have swum the toughest seven channel swims in the world – said:
“I feel privileged to have been invited by Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC) and Samsung as the celebrity guest for this year’s race. This is one of the best swimming events in the World and I am thrilled to have been a part of it. The experience was truly unique and it was a great feeling to be swimming across continents again.”
President of the Turkish Olympic Committee, Professor Dr. Uğur Erdener, said following the race, “Once again the Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Race has broken its record for participation. This unique spectacle continues to grow as it attracts swimmers from all corners of the globe. The Turkish Olympic Committee and Samsung are proud to host this event in the wonderful city of Istanbul. There is no better place to welcome such a diverse set of partcipants. I’d like to congratulate all of today’s swimmers and hope to see you here again next year for another fantastic day of competition and celebrations”.
Swimmer Bertuğ Coşkun was awarded a gold medal for completing the course first, with a finish time of 1 hour 1 minute and 21 seconds.
