Good day ladies and gentlemen! It will be about the Bosphorus action movie, which took place in 2016: the official swim from Asia to Europe and the unofficial / night swim from Europe to Asia.
Part 1 From the ship to the ball
On a hot August day of Friday 2015, while working in the laboratory on my Lenovo, I decided a little to distract from the routine and google something like that. And he googled information about the 6.5 km intercontinental swim through the Bosphorus Strait for swimming enthusiasts. A bit envious of how people can competently spend their free time on vacation, I returned to my business responsibilities.
The next day on Saturday, in the early morning I went to the next training session in the swimming pool. He walked in a hurry and on an emotional upsurge, painting one after another in my imagination: Turkey, as I cheer on my new friends before the shot at the start, as I cross the bay from Asia to Europe among the first in my age category and stand on the bedside table awaiting a reward , recalling that he did not allow the slender beauty to drown, when she was just bombed at the start and so on. At that time, I could not imagine what kind of adventure I actually had in July summer 2016.
Training. After 3 months and barely meeting in two hours, I mastered the five in the pool, completely casting aside all my doubts, planned to swim through the Bosphorus.
Preparation for participation
In November 2015 he straightened his passport. And after a couple of months, according to tradition on the January night - âfun and sadnessâ, registration for one of the most striking events of the coming year opened: swimming across the Bosphorus.
Sign up, don't yawn: summer is a guest, winter is a mistress. Alas, I couldnât take off all the cream at night, the registration was unsuccessful, the Turkish site of the event was âin a feverâ until dawn. Too many applicants from the CIS countries competed on equal terms with my desire to âtake a slotâ, clicked the mouse and didos the site. And this little crazy excitement around the registration for the cross-continental race flared up and did not abate indecently long, despite the numerous attacks and explosions in the Ottoman Empire. Yes, Turkey was then terrorized, one of the organizers of the swim died, later I myself became a "witness" to the explosion of the garbage can.
Success! With the three hundredth n-th attempt, I was lucky to conduct a financial transaction. Still persistently, clicking with the mouse, only around ten o'clock in the morning Moscow time, when the Christmas stocks of Gold beer began to come to an end, and the DDOS attack began to subside, I finally managed to pay the entry fee of 100 green rustles.
He bragged to his friends, there was something to boast about: registering for a swim, that the lottery in this âadventureâ on January night too many people are gathering from different parts of the globe in front of their PCâs monitor, holding several bank cards and gadgets at their ready for the sole purpose of registering for swimming yourself or your loved ones. For example, in this 2019, the limit (400h / RF) was parsed, attention! in 6 minutes, last year in 13 minutes.
An example of how to register for a swim every January night
Further, I somehow relaxed, was late with the preparation and sending of documents for the Turkish Olympic Committee. The papers came out, to put it mildly, âcrookedâ, time was running out, the sports committee did not accept any e-mails only âpaper applicationâ, only at the address âIstanbul Olympic House End of Part 4 34158â. Filling in the official forms, which were scary even to wrinkle slightly, at least some adherents of the swim used to say this, I stroked the word âMarchâ with a pen and wrote âFebruaryâ (this is a physical trainer whom I met on the phone and on a business trip, having treated that cognac with sweets in the questionnaire vouched for my commendable swimming skills in the future tense) . No words, in one of the two places in the column "la la la" he had not yet set his autograph. My name transliterated in the registration form âapplication-applicationâ with the transliterated name of the passport did not match. The doctor did not find his personal medical stamp in the table; on Saturday afternoon, she was lost somewhere. Well, the photo was not at my fingertips 3x4, put 5x4. If the Turks were strictly punctual in âthis matterâ, then I would have failed in the second stage and would have switched to plan âBâ. Answering them that I was saying Russian from the hinterland, there were reasons ... I am ready to forward everything. (at random it was still more profitable to send - itâs somehow in our opinion than to redo ALL).
So I twisted up the documents. But the feeling of impunity did not leave me, I also thought the shortage of swimmers would be from the Russian Federation ( 200 people are limited by the country in terms of sporting status, frequent terrorist attacks in Wonderland and restrictions / bans on airspace from Russia to Turkey) .
After confirming the documents in TOK-e, receiving the status of âRegistration Completeâ (yes, all the efforts to prepare the documents passed according to the plan âAâ) , I began to regularly visit the pools 3 times a week for four months. Swam 1-2 km per workout, and rocked the lungs.
July 2016
In connection with the attempted coup d'etat in Turkey, the Federal Air Transport Agency decided: to ban Russian citizens from visiting Turkey, and one of Aeroflot's aircraft was deployed on approach to the city and returned to Moscow. On it were several athletes, upon arrival, who sadly gave interviews to âRussia 24â, how they flew to Istanbul, and flew to MSC. And such a mess a week before the start.
I didnât give up then, I got into similar exchanges earlier, for example, when I crossed the border with our neighbors with an expired passport on my birthday (in fact, then the passport became expired) , if I could get out, I can now, I thought, rubbing sweaty palms and typing for officials.
I began to look for workarounds: I wrote a statement, quickly managed to âpush it throughâ to the leadership of the âprohibitions,â after which I was personally informed on the eve of my departure on July 20 that I would prepare things and fly out (as I later found out: a mess in some places, but infa turned out to be "false") . Instead of departure, I handed over all my tickets - there were as many as 4 pieces. Canceled all reservations in Turkey, took a ticket to Adler - decided not to destroy the vacation, but to rest in Abkhazia (again the reservation) . In the morning (on the second day after the delivery of Turkish tickets) on July 22, I learn that Rosaviation lifted the ban on regular flights to Turkey, and Aeroflot again sells tickets to the Muslim state. So this is how it is? A sense of slight anger began to fill me. Okay, calm down, thinking. On a flight at 15-30 Pegasus Airlines is physically not in time. If you fly tomorrow July 23 - I may not be able to do the briefing, or I will hit his " THE END ", but even more recklessly! While I was thinking, there were only eight tickets left for Aeroflot for the morning flight on July 23 (these eight tickets remained until the evening, and by the same evening they launched one flight) . Made up his mind. I throw my ticket to Adler in the trash can (another financial loss, the golden Bosphorus must be conquered at all costs).
I take a ticket to Istanbul on July 23 (less than a day before departure!) . I begin to plan my trip to Turkey for a few weeks, pack my things, charge my gadgets, download maps / translators offline, build routes, book accommodation, etc. The most important thing: I watch a "training" video on "YouTube" about swimming through the strait, I look through the Yandex / Google panorama of the Bosphorus (this had to be done first of all - self-instruction) . Hardly finished with all the "Hawaiian affairs" - fly out.
Through the window of the porthole, flying over the strait, I saw three-dimensionally the entire distance: the start and finish of the long-awaited swim. I didnât take such a âcharmâ - I thought I would find it in RuNet, but for some reason I didnât find such shots on the net.
Upon arrival at "Constantinople" it turned out that all transport in the city is free! Well, except for the yellow cabs. According to the calculations, it turned out as planned (if something goes wrong) : by the start of the briefing, I only have time to 17-30 (the official closing time for registration) , a little sad, and there was something to blame myself: if I figured it out right away how the passport control procedure is going on, where to look for your luggage and knowing in advance that transport in the city is free today, I would catch a boat for a briefing, but for the first time he will go to Turkey for the first time, at 17-30 earlier and moving to my home, like a pack of donkey with his "unnecessary cabbage soup. " Having walked around the city in the evening at 20-00 I came to the park at the registration desk, where volunteers told me that by 7-00 tomorrow morning I would come to register and receive my starter pack (they so funny said the word âTumoroleâ with a Turkish accent, etc. such words, at that time I did not yet have such knowledge in English, and my German was much better, but gadgets help out in the era of numbers, and I understood them) .
I immediately liked Istanbul, inspired to continue walking in the night. As a result, two hours to sleep and at six in the morning I was already circling in the park at the reception. It was not yet seven, as those who were late for their starter packs began to catch up, and many complained to each other. For example, with the UK, the flight was delayed for 14 hours. on the eve of the swim, someone from the Russian Federation overpaid for tickets and made his way to Istanbul by roundabout routes through Belarus and so on. stories in Russian. Iâm not the only one who will sail, focusing on the spot, so there are still chances to compete for entering the hundred best? No, in the first thousand ...
Before the swim
Situation: the park seemed somehow littered, the Turks behaved very punctually, before seven oâclock the girls refused, refused registration, and at the appointed time ~ 8-00 I and the division were late - they received their starting packages. I really liked the bag to which were attached: a hat, sweets, a T-shirt (one size smaller), a towel (wrapped at the finish) , white slippers, a poster, a badge, a brochure with instructions and the chip itself. Around was a lot of cola, energy drinks and just water. An amusing general warm-up was held, after an hour from fatigue (night or morning chants) there was no trace left, I felt like a race car with napalm! But I swim, not ride. Cream on the shoulders, antifog in glasses, Vaseline in the armpits, a watch on his hand, a hat / glasses in place - I'm ready! We went to the ship. Before entering the pontoon, everyone who had a watch on their hands, the judges threatened with their pockets in their direction and squeezed the watch. There was no reason to resist: it was even more interesting / more complicated, and the east was a delicate matter, for such a violation the judges could slap them at the finish of the DSQ (if, for example, they carry their bells in a secret place or under a hat on the deck) . Left without a watch.
When the pontoon began to leave the ship, suddenly out of nowhere, a late girl jumped out and ran, as in the movie "Titanic" starring Leonardo DiCaprio, hopped aboard. She was wearing clothes, a bag in her hand, a fire in her eyes. One of the arbitrators took her by the elbow and tried
I began to carefully memorize all kinds of landmarks: flags, buildings, turns there, etc. We sailed several more accompanying boats, it was very pompous: to block traffic through the strait for our sake, what can you write here âa real holidayâ. The atmosphere on the mast reigned chaotic: someone had fun endlessly, who prayed, who warmed up, chatted, shouted and even danced - at that moment I thought it was an international sense of being. Unlike men with
Tuuuuuu, there was a long-awaited and long-lasting whistle, a shot, and the whole Eurasian mess went into the active phase - from the ship to the ball!
Swim
I didnât have any jitters, with a sure step I crossed the pontoon, stopped at its left edge, waited until the jumpers surfaced, dived. While flying into the water, I saw a pop-up figure, I understood: a collision could not be avoided (I managed to note to myself: how could I sit under water for so long ?!) In order not to injure the participant and soften the blow, I grouped, the body weight was thrown forward, while covering my face . From the outside, it probably looked like a falling egg from the table, the blow still came hard, maybe I eliminated one opponent at the start - I donât know. I chose the following strategy: to swim measuredly, exploring local attractions before the academy (from this word the heartbeat increased, the skin became goosebumps, and at the finish it annoyingly bit my lips that I needed to learn a completely different noun - Galatasaray); then, a couple of hundred meters before the academy, transform into a jet boat and swim to the finish line. While they sailed, they pushed with the participants until the very first bridge (there were bright and priceless memories that could not be bought, for everything else there was a Mastercard).
The water is very salty and clean, cool, but not icy. I still could not catch the cold current, I dreamed that I was constantly swimming not on the right route, but the swimmers were left and right and back and front, but I was just swimming in the epicenter of events. Opposite the fortress, the water temperature did not change, but how quickly the fortress tower flashed to the right. Fine! So I'm still on the right track. Near the power line, I swam uncertainly: I took it left and right, it seemed like I was moving slowly or even froze. Iâm going to the breaststroke (the tenth time already) , I look around, the majority is swimming to the right, much to the right, well, let me indignantly swim, and take the course strictly to the finish. At some point, I was near the academy with two towers, I remember everything very well
âNot right now!â Just not now - sends the brain to the team.
- And we do not care, you can give up! - startled legs begin to command.
It seemed like I was fighting with the flow no less than x ... he knew him for so many minutes (in such a sea fever, little is already clear) , but stsu * and the fucking finishing balls did not come nearer, or it seemed to me that they did not come nearer and did not move away. I feel with my whole being: the fleet is nearby and not asleep, but itâs not psychologically able to find an extra moment to confirm its fears, a very fast and insidious current has seized the body, carried it and took its breath away. The focus on breathing control (enough to take a sip already) , on the movement of the hands (legs stupidly threshed water, burning kcal.) , And also, as I shouted to everyone that the Bosphorus would cross over, was sharply and clearly drawn.The confidence gained in the twenty-five and fifty-meter-long pools began to melt quickly, like the remnants of dirty snow in the forest under an oak tree on a May morning.
Oh, but what happens, after all, it's unclear how much !? the temperature of the current changes sharply from cool to warm, curiously triumphantly cursing into the water. Exhaling swimming, but I try to keep the six-beat rhythm. He did not rejoice for long, from three sides they are floating towards me, or maybe beyond Cypriot? (lost sight of Cypriot, Where is the Cypriot? Has it really surrendered ...) two boats and a yacht.
- How so? Iâm managing, Iâm not drowning and still resisting, is it really time? I almost believed it, and there are no hours, the suspense is complete! The boat and yacht sailed past, as if they had not noticed me, another vessel pursued for about three minutes and then sailed away too. It means that there is some time left, the adrenaline rushing in at the beginning of the struggle is gradually leaving, but the most important thing is that the finish pontoon is approaching! (I sailed already at 20 degrees in the return) . I swim to the finish on the side, unfolds and bears a slight backward flow, the last loss of pace on July 24. Swam up. He pushed around with two dudes for a position, scrambled up, his legs just gave way, like an elderly hippie (in the evening I found out that it turned out I didnât pull the foot on one leg, but such a finish was worth the candle).
I took my things, but in my bag I found my watch, the organizers nevertheless
Figures
A swim from Asia to Europe has been held every year since 1989. The length of the swim distance is 6.5 km, 2 hours are given to overcome it.
The currents for swimmers are poorly predicted every year.
The main participating countries (from the final protocol): Turkey (70%); Russia (9%); Ukraine (5%); British (2%); Germans (2%). From the admission protocol: a total of 48 countries took part in the competitions, 2010 people were allowed to start (from the Russian Federation 280h / from Turkey 1080h). From the final finishing protocol: 1535 h. (from the Russian Federation 145h.); half of our just "..............." guess who the Fall is?
Could not finish every 50th (2%).
The average age of swimmers is 1976. Average swim time 1h19min.12s.
The age of the participants, nationality, the 100 best swimmers are shown below in the graphs.
, .
, .
100 . : -!
( ).
/ 2016
- ? Not! , ! ( 1 , «» , , .. â , , , - ).
- ? , , .
- ? .
- Will I cross the Bosphorus 2017 next year? I think no. At this time, the calendar has many other interesting starts, which I have not been to yet! But the main reason âNoâ is a crazy rush, just in 2016, due to various events, there was no 15h place, and I was lucky, and the limit for foreigners is tight. Whether you are a professional swimmer or an amateur, in January ânight of sadness and funâ both are left without a slot.
- Did you like Istanbul? Yes, I liked it very much, as I already wrote, all the transport was free (it was already taking off on the Bosphorus by ferry) , the Turks began to have ânational unityâ every day at night and ended in the morning. Attributes are hung all over the city (it was like a national general mobilization before the war) , the Turks these days raged as they could.
Video Paphos
To be continuedâŠ
tags: swim through the Bosphorus