Crossing Borders to Unite in the Bosphorus Strait

August 7, 2015

On July 26, more than 1,800 swimmers from 49 countries prepared to swim the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey. This body of water separates the Asian and European sides of the city. The first Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race was held in 1989, and it is the first and only intercontinental swimming competition. On the day of the event, which is organized by the Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC or TNOC) and sponsored by Samsung, the channel is closed to all shipping vessels. Swimmers took off from Kanlıca, on the Asian side of Istanbul and finished the race in Kuruçeşme Cemil Topuzlu Park, on the European side.