Swimmers to jump in Bosphorus for Cross-Continental Race

Hundreds of people will jump into the Bosphorus, the straight that divides Asia and Europe, for the 26th edition of the Cross-Continental Swimming Race, which will be held in Istanbul on July 20 Hundreds of people will jump into the Bosphorus, the straight that divides Asia and Europe, for the 26th edition of the Cross-Continental Swimming Race, which will be held in Istanbul on July 20.

A total of 1,730 swimmers are registered for this year’s competition, which will bring together sports enthusiasts for what is known as “the only inter-continental swimming race in the world.”

This year, the swimmers will have a high-profile individual to cheer them on. Former Dutch swimming great, Inge De Bruijn, will be in Istanbul to promote the event, following in the footsteps of swimming legends Mark Spitz and Ian Thorpe who promoted the event in past years.

De Bruijn will swim for an exhibition round on July 19, but come race time, she will not be competing. “I am a born sprinter,” the four-time Olympic gold medalist said in a press conference on July 18.

Although she retired from competitive swimming in 2007, De Bruijn is still training hard at the age of 40, practicing two to three hours a day. “As a sprinter, [the course] is a little bit too far for me,” De Bruijn said regarding the 6.5-kilometer route.

“Not many people remember, but I have golden memories in Istanbul,” De Bruijn said, referring to the double gold and one silver medal that she won at the European Championship in 1999. Since then, she has come to Turkey several times, and not just for competitions, but also for vacations.

“I am really excited to be back in Turkey …...