Istanbul, August 26 – A Russian athlete participating in Istanbul’s iconic cross-continental Bosphorus swimming race has gone missing, with Turkish authorities confirming that he never exited the water at the finish line.
The missing swimmer, 30-year-old Nikolai Svechnikov, was among over 2,800 participants from 81 countries who competed in the 6.5-kilometre (4-mile) open water race across the Bosphorus Strait on Sunday morning.
According to the Istanbul governor’s office, security camera footage and data from the electronic tracking chip attached to Svechnikov’s foot confirmed that he began the race from the Kanlica neighbourhood on the Asian side but did not exit at the Kurucesme finish line on the European side.
“Russian athlete Nikolai Svechnikov … went missing during the race,” stated the Turkish Olympic Committee, which organized the annual event.
Svechnikov, a professional swimming coach, was still unaccounted for as of late Monday. Authorities have launched an urgent search and rescue operation, while Istanbul prosecutors have opened an official investigation into his disappearance, Turkish media reported.
The Russian Consulate General in Istanbul confirmed it was in contact with Turkish authorities and has informed Svechnikov’s family.
The race, which involves closing one of the world’s busiest maritime passages to ship traffic, has a strict two-hour time limit, after which participants are picked up by the coast guard. The Turkish Olympic Committee noted that initially three swimmers were reported missing after the event ended, but that number was later narrowed down to one.
“We are working in full cooperation with the coast guard and police units to shed light on the incident,” the committee said in a statement.
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Search efforts continue as concern grows for the missing swimmer.
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