The body of a Russian swimmer who vanished during one of the world's most closely watched open-water races has been found five months later near the finish line. Russia's consulate in Istanbul said Thursday that DNA tests confirm human remains discovered Tuesday near Istanbul's upscale Bebek waterfront belong to 29-year-old Nikolai Svechnikov, who failed to finish August's Bosphorus cross-continental swim, covering the 4-mile stretch from the Asian to the European side of Istanbul. Authorities had revealed Wednesday that the torso, without limbs or a head, was clad in a swimsuit, raising immediate suspicion it was the missing athlete, per CBS News.
Svechnikov, a professional swimming coach, was one of more than 2,800 participants from 81 countries who entered the Aug. 24 race. His timing chip showed he began the swim, but never finished. Russia's RIA Novosti reported his disappearance was only noticed hours after the event wrapped up, triggering a fruitless, days-long search by the coast guard and maritime police. One company linked to the race had described "challenging" conditions, noting participants needed "experience of swimming in all sea conditions," per Euronews.
Svechnikov's family has suggested event organizers were negligent. Race rules indicated participants had two hours to complete the crossing before they'd be pulled from the water, but some swimmers said there were too few rescue boats (one report put the number at 100) and the monitoring was poor. "We'll do everything to identify all those involved," a lawyer for the family tells RIA, per CBS, referring to a separate compensation claim.
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