2024-09-02 09:40:29
The Bulgarian phenomenon in open water swimming Petar Stoychev will try to break the world record by swimming across the English Channel for the third time. That will happen tonight.
Here is what Stoychev wrote on Facebook:
“I have a night swim ahead in rough weather, but I believe I will be able to swim the English Channel again and the world record for the Oceans Seven in the shortest period of time will become Bulgarian!
I have a very tough challenge ahead of me, but my team and I have made a decision – I’m leaving for my third English Channel swim this evening around midnight UK time. I will be swimming the English Channel at night for the first time.
The winds will make it even harder. Waves of about 1 meter are expected. The water temperature will be around 17.5 degrees. Separately, the high tide season has begun. At 11:48pm tonight – around the start of my swim, the tide is expected to be 6.17 meters high. However, greater difficulties can only motivate me. The other option is to not swim at all, which is not an option for me.
If all goes well, a time of around 10 hours can be expected. But as I said before – in this case I am attacking the world record for swimming the seven largest open water marathons in the shortest period of time. I swam the other 6 since March 14 this year.
And although I have already achieved Oceans Seven – the first Bulgarian and only the 32nd person in the world, I want this world record to be Bulgarian as well. For the third time I will swim the English Channel together with the outstanding British Mike Oram, who has been escorting swimmers on the English Channel since 1982. We are pictured on his Gallivant boat. Together with Mike (left) and Dan we discuss the weather and conditions. As you can see from my face, I’m not very happy.
But I already told you, it only motivates me more.”