Petar Stoychev became the 32nd person in the whole world and the first Bulgarian to swim all seven major open water marathons of the Oceans Seven challenge. Stoychev, who is recognized as the most successful competitor in the world in the swimming marathon, continues to amaze with the challenges he has overcome at the age of 47. Despite the great success, the Bulgarian has set himself another serious goal - to break the world record, becoming the first in the world to swim the seven marathons within half a year. For this purpose, he will return to the English Channel - his first overcome by the big seven. Stoychev swam the remaining six since mid-March this year.
Here is what Petar Stoychev himself wrote, after he had dealt with the seventh challenge:
Proud seventh degree! First Bulgarian with Oceans Seven!
I also managed to swim the last, seventh open water marathon of Oceans Seven!
In difficult conditions, between two typhoons in the area, I also managed to swim the Tsugaru Strait. I started from Kodomari city at 4:18 a.m. Japan time, reached the coast of Hokkaido at 1:48 p.m. I covered the distance in 9 hours 30 minutes and 20 seconds. In just over 3 hours I was halfway through the distance, after which the headwinds became very strong.
It was an extremely difficult swim, but the happiness and pride that I became the first Bulgarian with Oceans Seven surfaced above the fatigue.
1. Channel
2. Cook Strait
3. The Strait of Gibraltar
4. The Molokai Strait
5. The Catalina Canal
6. The Northern Channel
7. Tsugaru Strait
I became only the 32nd person in the whole world and the first from Bulgaria with this achievement!
I thank all Bulgarians for the enormous support I felt during these hard swimming marathons in open water, during a challenge that for swimming is considered the equivalent of the Seven Summits - climbing the highest mountain peaks of the seven continents.
To feel this Bulgarian pride in everyone is a separate peak! Once again thank you!
The greatest thanks go to Ivan Zlatinov, with whom we were together in overcoming these trials for the human will. Ivan, thank you for everything!
Thanks also to my coach Krasimir Tumanov!
I thank everyone who contributed to my success, this is our common success, a success that I dedicate to Bulgaria, to the Bulgarians, who never stop proving to the world their uncompromising spirit and will!
Thanks also to the organizers of each of my Ocean Seven swims! One is never alone in one's success - behind every achievement, there are people who may not be under the spotlight, but deserve great gratitude and recognition!
The Oceans Seven Challenge is complete!
However, there is no end to life's challenges. So I set myself a new goal - to swim the English Channel once more to set a world record for swimming the seven Ocean Seven marathons in the shortest amount of time. The current achievement is held by Andy Donaldson. He became the first in the world to swim all seven marathons within 1 year - from August 7, 2022, to July 27, 2023. In the five months from mid-March 2024 to mid-August 2024, I managed to swim six of his seven Ocean Seven marathons. So I decided to swim the English Channel again to try and beat the record and become the first person in the world to complete the Oceans Seven in half a year! | BGNES
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