Thousands of people, some serious racers but others plucky amateurs, swam from Asia to Europe across the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul on Sunday in Turkey's most iconic swimming race. About 2,400 swimmers took part in the Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim, organised by the Turkish Olympic Committee, for the 30th race since the tradition began in 1989. The event is hugely popular, with only a limited quota for international swimmers, who snatched up all their available places in less than half an hour after registration opened, organisers said.
Swimmers came from 55 different countries. The competitors were taken by one of Istanbul's famous ferries to the start of the race on the Asian side of the city in the shoreside district of Kalinca.
When the race began they moved off the ferry onto a pontoon to dive - or for the more nervous jump - into the waters of the Bosphorus that divides Europe and Asia. The fastest swimmer was Turkish Cypriot Dogukan Ulac, who swam the 6.5 kilometres in just 46 minutes and 58 seconds. The fastest woman was Hilal Zeynep Sarac, who finished in 50 minutes and 30 seconds.