ISTANBUL, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- At 10 a.m., a whistle cut through the morning air on Istanbul's Bosphorus.
One after another, swimmers leapt from the floating platform into the water off Kanlica, on the Asian side of the strait. Within minutes, more than 2,000 swimmers were moving toward the European shore, their bright orange safety buoys forming a long, winding stream across the blue water.
The 38th Bosphorus Intercontinental Swimming Race, held on Sunday, drew participants from more than 60 countries and regions. The roughly 6.5-km course took them from Asia to Europe, turning the Bosphorus, the narrow waterway at the heart of Istanbul, into a unique open-water swimming arena.
Near the European side, another unexpected scene unfolded. A pod of dolphins surfaced and leapt through the water as the leading swimmers approached. For a moment, the race seemed to belong not only to the swimmers, but to the strait itself.
Turkish swimmers Su Inal and Selim Oguz won the women's and men's races respectively, finishing in 54 minutes 54 seconds, and 51 minutes 13 seconds.
Around half of this year's participants were from Türkiye, while more than 1,000 came from abroad. Swimmers from Russia, the United States, Britain and other countries and regions took part in the event, according to organizers.
For many of them, the appeal lies in something that few other sporting events can offer: the chance to cross a continental boundary with every stroke.
Yet the Bosphorus is more than a picturesque backdrop. Its currents and changing water conditions make open-water swimming here a demanding challenge. The strait is also one of Istanbul's busiest waterways, where ferries, sightseeing boats and other vessels normally move between the city's European and Asian shores.
That combination of natural and maritime conditions is part of what has made the race distinctive since it was first held in 1989.
Over the years, the event has grown into one of Türkiye's best-known international sporting competitions and a major open-water swimming event. It has previously been ranked first among the world's top 100 open-water swimming races.
Senol Gunes, chairman of the organizing committee, said the event is more than a sporting competition. It also helps promote sports tourism and raise Istanbul's international profile, showcasing the city's unique geography to participants and visitors from around the world.
The beauty of the course also comes with risks that cannot be overlooked. Last year's race was overshadowed by the disappearance of Russian swimmer Nikolai Svechnikov during the event. His body was found in waters near Istanbul in January this year.
This year, organizers strengthened safety measures. Every swimmer was provided with a safety buoy and required to wear a yellow swimming cap. Water safety teams were deployed along the course, while maritime rescue services, the coast guard, maritime traffic authorities and police took part in the security operation. Medical emergency teams were also stationed at the venue.
The measures were visible throughout the race, as safety personnel monitored the swimmers and the surrounding waters. After the race, Veli Ozan Cakir, president of the Turkish Olympic Committee, thanked all the swimmers and said their safety remained the organizers' top priority.
For a few hours on Sunday, the Bosphorus was transformed from a major transportation route into a giant swimming course. Parts of the strait were temporarily closed to maritime traffic, while some ferry services and long-distance Bosphorus sightseeing cruises operated by Istanbul's municipal ferry company were adjusted.
The disruption was temporary, but it illustrated how deeply the race is connected to the city's geography and everyday life.
Istanbul is one of the few major cities in the world physically divided between two continents. The Bosphorus is not simply a geographical boundary: it is a transportation artery, a tourist attraction and a defining feature of the city's identity. ■
