Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2026 All Rights Reserved

Marathon swimmer Petar Stoychev crosses the Strait of Gibraltar

Photo: Sport PR Events Managment

Petar Stoychev has become the first Bulgarian to swim the Strait of Gibraltar under the Oceans Seven rules without a wetsuit. 

Stoychev covered the distance from the European coast in the Spanish town of Tarifa to the African coast in Morocco in 3 hours and 46 minutes. According to the boat's GPS, he swam a distance of 16.4 km.

He is the first Bulgarian swimmer to successfully complete three of the seven most difficult marathons in the world, the Oceans Seven, having previously crossed the English Channel and the Cook Strait in New Zealand. He has four more marathons to go. "In May I plan to swim the Molokai Channel in Hawaii, the longest and toughest marathon of the seven," Stoychev wrote on Facebook.

The remaining Oceans Seven marathons are the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland, the Tsugaru Strait in Japan and the Catalina Channel between Santa Catalina Island and Los Angeles. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Kameliya Stoimenova sets a new national record in the 200-meter breaststroke

22-year-old Kameliya Stoimenova broke the national record in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke in a short course pool belonging to Bulgarian swimming legend Tanya Bogomilova, announced the “Sprint-Sofia” swimming club. The news was confirmed to bTV..

published on 11/3/25 3:40 PM
The Giro d'Italia will start from Bulgaria in 2026

Giro d'Italia 2026 will start in Bulgaria's coastal city Burgas

Bulgaria will host the first three stages of the 2026 Giro d'Italia cycling race , Radsport aktuell reports, quoted by BTA. According to the German publication, the 109th Giro will start in Bulgaria's city Burgas on the Black Sea coast in May,..

published on 10/29/25 3:35 PM

Grigor Dimitrov returns to court with victory in Paris

After 110 days off the court, Bulgaria's tennis star Grigor Dimitrov has qualified for the second round of the last Masters 1000 tournament of the year in Paris . He defeated the representative of the hosts Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6 (5), 6-1...

published on 10/28/25 10:46 AM