Petar Stoychev
Encyclopedia
Petar Stoychev ' onMouseout='HidePop("74845")' href="/topics/Momchilgrad">Momchilgrad
) is a Bulgaria
n swimmer who is the most successful long distance marathon swimmer
of the last decade. He is one of the greatest marathon swimmers of all time and an honor swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. A living legend, Petar Stoychev has 11 consecutive wins of a major international open water
marathon swimming FINA
series since 2001 (World Cup winner 2001–2006, Grand Prix winner 2007–2011) with more than 60 wins in individual swimming marathons. So far, he has swum over 60,000 km in pools, rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. Petar Stoychev has won 11 consecutive victories at the Traversée Internationale du Lac Memphrémagog in Magog, Canada (34 km) and at Lac Saint-Jean in Roberval, Canada (32 km). Also, he has won the Ohrid Lake, Macedonia swimming marathon 10 consecutive times (30 km). His swimming achievements include swimming around the Manhattan Island in 2010 and winning the extreme Cadiz Freedom Swim
in 2011.
In addition to his numerous achievements in marathon swimming, he has participated in three Olympics – 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney, 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens and 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing, where he was the flag bearer
for the Bulgarian Olympic team and finished 6th in 10km
.
Petar Stoychev is the holder of the world record for crossing the English Channel (August 24, 2007) and the first swimmer to make the crossing in less than 7 hours (6:57:50). The previous record from 2005 (7:03:50) belonged to Christoph Wandratch (Germany).
English Channel Swims
Petar Stoychev won the first place at 2011 World Aquatics Championships
in Shanghai
, China
during the 25 km
event, thus becoming the first Bulgarian swimmer with a World Championship title.
He was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in September 2009. Petar Stoychev was selected in a global online poll as the 2009 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year for his victorious marathon swims throughout the year.
Petar Stoychev is a member of the FINA Athletes’ Commission.
Momchilgrad
Momchilgrad , is a town in the very south of Bulgaria, part of Kardzhali Province in the southeastern part of the Eastern Rhodopes. It is largely settled by ethnic Turks....
) is a Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n swimmer who is the most successful long distance marathon swimmer
Marathon swimming
Marathon swimming, or ultra-long-distance swimming, is a class of open water swimming. Unlike the use of the term for foot-races where the distance is well-defined, the distance of a marathon swim varies from event to event. Tides, surface currents and wind-chop are major determinants of...
of the last decade. He is one of the greatest marathon swimmers of all time and an honor swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. A living legend, Petar Stoychev has 11 consecutive wins of a major international open water
Open water swimming
Open water swimming takes place in outdoor bodies of water such as open oceans, bays, lakes, rivers, canals, and reservoirs.The beginning of the modern age of open water swimming is sometimes taken to be May 3, 1810, when Lord Byron swam several miles to cross the Hellespont from Europe to Asia.In...
marathon swimming FINA
Fina
Fina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...
series since 2001 (World Cup winner 2001–2006, Grand Prix winner 2007–2011) with more than 60 wins in individual swimming marathons. So far, he has swum over 60,000 km in pools, rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. Petar Stoychev has won 11 consecutive victories at the Traversée Internationale du Lac Memphrémagog in Magog, Canada (34 km) and at Lac Saint-Jean in Roberval, Canada (32 km). Also, he has won the Ohrid Lake, Macedonia swimming marathon 10 consecutive times (30 km). His swimming achievements include swimming around the Manhattan Island in 2010 and winning the extreme Cadiz Freedom Swim
Cadiz Freedom Swim
The Cadiz Freedom Swim is an extreme open water swimming race from Robben Island to Big Bay, Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa.It takes place annually close to Freedom Day .The Cadiz Freedom...
in 2011.
In addition to his numerous achievements in marathon swimming, he has participated in three Olympics – 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney, 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens and 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing, where he was the flag bearer
2008 Summer Olympics national flag bearers
During the Parade of Nations portion of the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, athletes from each country participating in the Olympics paraded in the arena, preceded by their flag...
for the Bulgarian Olympic team and finished 6th in 10km
Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon 10 kilometre
The men's marathon 10 kilometre event at the 2008 Olympic Games took place on August 21 at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. It was a new event on the program at the 2008 Games. The men's and women's marathon 10 kilometre races, unlike all of the other swimming events, were held in open...
.
Petar Stoychev is the holder of the world record for crossing the English Channel (August 24, 2007) and the first swimmer to make the crossing in less than 7 hours (6:57:50). The previous record from 2005 (7:03:50) belonged to Christoph Wandratch (Germany).
English Channel Swims
- 2006 – 7 h 21 mins
- 2007 – 6 h 57 mins (WR)
Petar Stoychev won the first place at 2011 World Aquatics Championships
2011 World Aquatics Championships
The 14th FINA World Championships were held at July 16–31, 2011 in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. The 2011 World Championships featured five aquatics disciplines: swimming, water polo, diving, open water, and synchronised swimming...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
during the 25 km
Open water swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 25 km
The Men's 25 km competition of the Open water swimming events at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships was held on July 23.-Medalists:-Results:The final was held on July 23.-External links:*, from OmegaTiming.com; retrieved 2011-07-21....
event, thus becoming the first Bulgarian swimmer with a World Championship title.
He was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in September 2009. Petar Stoychev was selected in a global online poll as the 2009 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year for his victorious marathon swims throughout the year.
Petar Stoychev is a member of the FINA Athletes’ Commission.