“The swim was successfully completed under extremely tough and unpleasant conditions. It was a night swim with strong currents and waves, and I even suffered painful jellyfish stings. The night was the most challenging period – there were moments when I was at my limit, praying for the first rays of sunlight around 6:30 AM. I focused on maintaining my mental resilience at every moment,” Tsankov shared upon his return.

Earlier, Tsankov reached his final destination at 10:02 AM local time after starting at 5:39 PM the previous day. While the direct distance is 26 nautical miles, GPS tracking revealed he swam an astonishing 32.04 nautical miles (51.56 kilometers) due to strong currents. Near the end of the swim, a massive wave flipped Tsankov multiple times, causing him to hit rocks and sustain injuries to his arm and back.

At the finish line, the Bulgarian swimmer was welcomed by members of the local open water swimming association, who honored him with traditional Hawaiian leis. The lead boat was captained by Ivan Shigaki (USA), with official observer and referee Terry Deitz (USA) ensuring the swim adhered to international rules.

This monumental achievement once again underscores Tsankov’s extraordinary dedication and resilience in the face of adversity.