Tsanko Tsankov has added another impressive achievement to his career by completing one of the longest open water marathons – the swim from Molokai Island to Oahu in Hawaii. He conquered the distance in 16 hours and 23 minutes.

Battling strong currents in the Pacific Ocean and massive waves, Tsankov reached the finish line at 10:02 AM local time. The swim began the previous day at 5:39 PM. While the direct distance between the two islands is 26 nautical miles, GPS tracking on the escort boat recorded Tsankov covering an incredible 32.04 nautical miles (51.56 kilometers).

Despite the grueling conditions, Tsankov faced an additional challenge near the end of the swim. A strong wave overturned him multiple times, causing him to hit the rocks and sustain injuries to his arm and back.

“This achievement is dedicated to Bulgaria and my family. I went through a lot of hardships, but I managed to reach the shore of Oahu. The conditions were tough, especially at night when a storm and heavy rain hit. But this is the Pacific Ocean. My deepest gratitude goes to my team and all my fellow Bulgarians for their immense support,” said Tsankov upon completing the swim.

At the finish line, the Bulgarian swimmer was welcomed by members of the local open water swimming association, who adorned him with traditional Hawaiian leis. The captain of the escort boat was Ivan Shigaki (USA), and the official observer was Terry Deitz (USA).