Swimmers dive to the water during the 29th Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 23, 2017. (Xinhua)
ISTANBUL, July 23 (Xinhua) -- More than 2000 athletes from 49 countries and regions on Sunday participated in Cross-Continental Swimming Race from Asia to Europe in Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait.
Two Russian swimmers, Evgeny Eliseev and Kristina Kochetkova won the gold medals of men and women categories respectively of the 29th Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race.
Eliseev finished the 6.5-kilometer race across Bosphorus with 50 minutes and 58 seconds, while Kochetkova completed the race with 54 minutes and 57 seconds.
The strong sea flow of the strait was determined as the most challenging part of the race.
During the race the strait was closed to the sea traffic about four hours for swimmers' safety.
The race in 2016 was declared as the World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year by the World Open Water Swimming Association, according to Turkish media reports.
The race was inaugurated in 1989 with the participation of 4 women and 64 men athletes, and gradually became an important tradition for swimmers around the world.
