Yesterday,
we watched the swimming competition of a lifetime - the only one in the world
that spans two continents just like Istanbul itself.
More
than 1,000 people, including former Olympic-gold winner American Mark Spitz as
well as U.S. Istanbul Consulate's Consul General Scott Kilner, whom I have met
and even saw yesterday, participated in 2012 Intercontinental Bosphorus Race.
The race spanned a course from Kanlıca on the Asian side near the second bridge
to the neighborhood of Kuruçeşme on the European side.
The
fastest swimmers finished the course in under an hour. The winners were awarded
medals in seven different age groups for both men's and women's categories. See
news article here.
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Two swimmers in the 2012 Intercontinental Bosphorus Race in Istanbul on July 15. |
We
watched the swimmers tackle the strong current of the Bosphorus along the
shores of Kuruçeşme Cemil Topuzlu Parkı. I took a ton of photos and even a short video to
give you an idea of what the day was like. Click here to see a video clip of
the 2012 Intercontinental Bosphorous Race inIstanbul on YouTube.
I
was amazed to see all the swimmers either beat the currents and push ahead in
the race, or get stuck in a place in the Bosphorus where they seemed to go
nowhere. There were several lifesaver boats in the water in case people needed
assistance as well as a helicopter flying overhead.
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On the left-hand side, you can see one of the helicopters above the bridge that was watching the swimmers for any dangers. |
Later,
we even saw a medic helicopter fly under the Bosphorus bridge, but missed
taking a photo because we were so engrossed in the moment.
It
was scorcher of a day, and I was wearing a black-striped sundress. Dumb me! We
decided to take a stroll along the Bosphorus for awhile.
We
saw families having picnics in the park and kids playing everywhere despite the
heat.
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Turkish families having a picnic in the park on Sunday. |
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These two girls were having fun in the park. |
Before
we got to Arnavutköy, we also saw a
wedding party on a gorgeous wooden yacht. Fancy Turkish wedding.
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Turkish wedding party on the Bosphorus in Istanbul. |
We
ended up walking 3.5 km and rewarded ourselves with some nicely chilled beer at TAPS Brewery in Bebek. I swear
it's the only place in all of Istanbul where you can drink a brewed beer that's
not Efes Pilsner or Turborg on tap. Not that I don't mind Efes.
 |
Look at all the boats passing through the Bosphorus after the waterway was opened following the race. |
5 comments:
Whenever I see men swimming in the Bosphorus, I never see any women. It's nice to know that women participated! What a fun event.
@Karen, there were many women, but definitely more men swimming in the Bosphorus. Did you notice an American woman placed 3rd in the 30-39 category? Yay!
Wow, good on them. Would prefer to be a spectator taking photos rather than a participant! ;)
@Julia, I'm definitely a bystander for this one. But hubby hopes to compete in the race next year!
A great courage of this event, Joy. Sounds like a very enjoyable day!
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