Istanbul, Turkey; 4 January 2019: The Turkish Olympic Committee’s Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race demonstrated its global popularity once again by filling its 1,200-person international quota for the 2019 race in just 28 minutes. With applications coming from 51 different countries, following the opening of the application process this morning, 428 of the 1,200-person quota were filled by women.
The 31st edition of the Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race, which is one of the most iconic events in the global sports calendar, will once again challenge swimmers from all over the world to cross the Bosphorus strait, from Asia to Europe.
There were over 4,500 applications for the 1,200 spaces. This year’s race saw a huge interest from Russian applicants, with the nation filling its 350-person country quota in just six minutes. Russia was followed by Ukraine, which completed its quota in 11 minutes.
The world-renowned route begins at the Pier of Kanlıca, in the Asian part of Istanbul. The race takes swimmers south and finishes at Cemil Topuzlu Park in Kuruçeşme, north of the Bosphorus Bridge, in the European part of the city.
The Samsung Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race, named by the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) as the "World's Best Open Water Swimming Offering" in August 2017, will take place on 21 July 2019.
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