Şenol Güneş made a statement to the AA correspondent about the Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race, which is one of Türkiye's most important and well-established international sports organizations with a history of almost half a century. Stating that 2,500 athletes will compete on the course from Kanlıca to Kuruçeşme on the Bosphorus, Güneş said, "The 38th Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race will be organized by the Turkish National Olympic Committee on August 23 this year. We are very excited right now. We are in intense work. It is a unique race that unites two continents in the world. It is a brand organization that swims from Asia to Europe. It is also very important for us in terms of sustainability and sports tourism. Istanbul and "This is an organization that promotes Türkiye. This year, we will have 2,500 athletes swimming. 1250 of them will be Turkish and 1250 will be foreigners. We will host our athletes from 64 different countries in the Bosphorus. The most participants are from the USA, England and many other parts of the world." he said.
Referring to the history of the organization, Güneş said, "The Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race is an event that has been held since 1989. The first race started with 200 people. Now we have reached a very serious number. We opened registrations in January. Afterwards, we held auditions in 4-5 different cities such as Ankara, Izmir and Istanbul. People who swim at a certain level are eligible to swim in the Bosphorus. We want a certain performance because the Bosphorus is not an easy place." he said.
"We are going from Kanlıca to Kuruçeşme"
Şenol Güneş stated that the classic 6.5-kilometer track will go from Kanlıca to Kuruçeşme. Stating that the participants will come together in Kuruçeşme on Sunday, Güneş said, "Our event area is Cemil Topuzlu Park. Kuruçeşme Cemil Topuzlu Park, we will gather here in the morning. We will go to Kanlıca with the Two City Lines Ferry. There is a distance of 6.5 kilometers. We start from Kanlıca and finish at Kuruçeşme Cemil Topuzlu Park. The Bosphorus will be closed to traffic on both sides. The participants will travel to Kanlıca. "As you race, you will watch Asia on one side and Europe on the other. It will be a magnificent view. Many wonderful memories will even be made. A book has even been written about this race." He commented:
"We received a lot of requests"
Güneş stated that although there was great interest in the race, especially from abroad, they had to limit the number of participants. Emphasizing that it is an internationally known organization, Güneş said, "We receive a lot of requests from abroad, but we have a certain quota. We had to limit the participation for security reasons. The track is 6.5 kilometers and we are limiting the quota for control purposes. We want a safer and more comfortable experience." made his assessment.
Stating that the race has previously won the title of "Best Race" in open water organizations in the world, Güneş said, "We have a well-known race. When we say 'Bosphorus', we come across Istanbul. It is a brand and a race that people should try in their lives. We have high-level participants. This is a place experienced by consuls and many people in different positions. From the perspective of sports tourism, they come 2-3 days in advance and get to know our Istanbul. It is very important for us." made the statement.
"An organization that constantly renews itself"
Güneş said that the Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race constantly updates itself. Emphasizing that the participants are required to be licensed swimmers, Şenol Güneş said: "Bosphorus is an organization that constantly renews itself. Every athlete participating this year must be licensed. We accept athletes who enter the Turkish auditions. Again, we want documents showing that they have participated in another race before. Our participation conditions are a bit harsh. Also, this year there will be a buoy. We, as the organization, provide this. Everyone will swim with a safety buoy. We have over a hundred tracking boats. Our Coast Guard Command, on the water, "We are progressing with our 31 stakeholder institutions, including our operations, Coastal Police, and the police. We are already carrying out the organization with a coordination managed by the main institutions such as the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Istanbul Governorship, Provincial Youth and Sports Directorate, and the Turkish Swimming Federation."
Stating that it is an organization that every swimmer must experience, Güneş said, "I think swimmers should set the Bosphorus as a definite goal. It is something to be done with a certain order and training. I think it is one of the things that must be done in life." He concluded his words by saying.
