Burgas swimmer Tsanko Tsankov was mercilessly cut down by the World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA). He was stripped of all the achievements he and his team noisily point to as world records and great results. In addition, WOWSA announced that none of its subsequent swims will be ratified, regardless of the conditions in which it was done, writes Sega.
It all started with a swim on the Danube river on September 6. Then the 37-year-old Tsankov announced that he had covered 108,250 km from the Vidin village of Koshava to Kozloduy in 18:12:32 hours without stopping or touching solid objects, which he said was a world record.
Data manipulation
A few days later, WOWSA refused to ratify his achievement. First, it turned out that the record belongs to a Romanian swimmer and is 120 km. And secondly, and more importantly – GPS data from Tsankov’s swim turned out to be manipulated.
According to the association’s explanation, “someone opened the gpx files and each one has different data. In the last file, each speed has been manually changed and it is obvious that this is not the original data from the GPS device. These files should never have been opened or modified. The person who made these changes didn’t even save the file properly and the dates and timestamps were also manipulated.”
In response, Tsankov came out with a post on “Facebook”, in which he stated that there had been a misunderstanding. He accused an unnamed “person from Bulgaria who uses lies, manipulations and slanders and does everything possible to prevent me from achieving my goals.” And he announced that on September 19 he will swim 120 km along the Danube to make sure everything is right.
WOWSA’s response was swift, and they expressed doubts that a person could do two such difficult swims in just two weeks, implying that it was a case of fraud. They also explained that on the first Danube swim, Tsankov claimed that representatives of the association were on the escort boat and that they supported him, and also that WOWSA sponsored his swims in the USA – both of which were not true. faithful.
The ban
And this morning the Open Water Swimming Association issued a new official statement. It says:
„With immediate effect Tsanko Tsankov receives a final ban on future swimming endorsements from WOWSA. This decision follows clear evidence of falsified GPS data from his attempt to swim the Danube on 6 September 2024, which Mr Tsankov and his team have failed to address or explain.
Tsanko Tsankov is currently preparing for another 120km Danube swim scheduled for September 19, 2024, just days after his previous attempt was rejected by WOWSA. Mr. Tsankov did not touch on the issue of manipulated GPS data, which forced the commission to refuse ratification. WOWSA stands steadfastly behind its commitment to integrity in open water swimming. The heart of open water swimming lies in honesty, and when that trust is broken, the sport is compromised.
We want to make it clear that falsifying records is a violation of the principles that unite swimmers around the world. We cannot recognize or ratify any swim where the truth has been manipulated. WOWSA claims that any swimmer found guilty of such acts will be subject to a permanent ban from future ratifications […]
The open water swimming community relies on trust, honesty and proven records. Tsanko Tsankov and his team ignored these principles. They provided falsified data and launched public attacks instead of addressing clear evidence of their wrongdoing. Tsanko Tsankov is no longer eligible for ratification of past, present or future WOWSA swims. This decision is final. We urge the international open water swimming community to recognize the importance of fair play and honesty.”
More falsifications and bombasts
WOWSA also pulled out a list of achievements and records that Tsanko Tsankov claimed to have made over the years, but which are not legitimate, but are either forgeries or exaggerations. In fact, because of one of them – supposedly the world record for 12-hour swimming in the pool, Tsankov was declared an honorary citizen of Burgas.
1. Swimming in Burgas Bay (world record)
- Assertion: Tsanko Tsankov was the first person to swim the Burgas Bay at a distance of approx 44.7 km for 14:24:34
- The problem: That’s it local achievement with coverage in the Bulgarian media. This swim was done in neoprene suitwhich provides buoyancy and thermal advantage. Official open water swimming records do not recognize wetsuit swimming for record purposes.
- Reality: This swim is not certified by international open water organizations, making it basic local achievement confirmed by local authorities. .
2. 12-hour swimming in a pool (world record)
- Assertion: Tsankov claims to have improved the 12-hour swim recordhaving swum across 50.6 km in a 50-meter pool on August 22, 2020. Thus he broke the record held by Martin Strel from 1996. The media claimed that “The record will be recognized by the International Swimming Federation (FINA), as a specialized licensed apparatus to track Tsankov’s touches every 100 meters”.
- The problem: Slovenian Martin Strel claimed to have swam 43 km in 1998, not in 1996 when he did 41.2 km, but Strel’s records are also declared by himself and are only locally recognized, but not officially recognized by Guinness World Records (GWR) or other official governing bodies for open water swimming.
- Reality: Guinness World Records they don’t have 12 hour category. They only admit 24-hour swimming pool for men and women. This Tsankov swim has not been certified by international open water organizations, making it basic local achievement. FINA (now World Aquatics) does not recognize 12-hour pool swimming records. The official GWR records for 24 hour swim in a 50-meter pool are: men: 105.6 km from Velko Rogošić (Hur) in 2006; women: 96.4 km by Yulia Astashova (Russian) in 2011.
3. Multiple National Champion
- Assertion: Tsankov is a multiple state champion of Bulgaria in nine individual swimming disciplines.
- Reality : This claim is legitimate within Bulgaria and represents Tsankov’s competitive success at the national level. These are national titles and do not necessarily correlate with international recognition or world standards in open water swimming records.
4. No international ratification
- Common problem: Tsankov’s claims of independent open water swimming records are not recognized by international organizations such as MSF, WOWSA or even the Guinness Book of Records. His swims, especially those in wetsuitsare against the rules that govern official open water swimming world records. None of these swims are ratified by governing bodies that maintain the sport’s international standards.
- Local focus : His achievements are mostly reflected in the Bulgarian media and gain considerable local support. They lack official recognition.
5. “World Ice Swimming Champion”.
- Claim: Tsanko Tsankov calls himself “world champion in ice swimming”.
- Problem: This is misleading because Tsankov won an age group category at an International Winter Swimming Association (IWSA) event, not the overall title.
- Explanation: There are two main governing bodies for ice swimming: the International Winter Swimming Association (IWSA) and the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA). Each has different rules and recognition levels. Tsankov’s win was based on an IWSA age group, but the World Champion title implied an IISA overall win, which he did not achieve.
6. Gibraltar Swimming
- Assertion: Tsankov claims to have completed three of the Oceans Seven swims, including Strait of Gibraltar
- The problem: His swim off Gibraltar was with neoprene suit which is against Oceans Seven rules.
- Explanation: Oceans Seven is a challenge in open water. You can swim in Gibraltar in a wetsuit as long as you like. But Tsankov’s Gibraltar swim in a wetsuit disqualified him from official recognition as part of the Oceans Seven. He continues to claim this achievement on platforms such as Instagram, where he is called “The Lord of Gibraltar”.
The broader issue involves Tsanko Tsankov’s model to exaggerate achievementssuch as calling himself the “World Ice Swimming Champion” and the “Lord of Gibraltar”.
There is no internationally recognized record for the 12-hour pool swim category – only a self-proclaimed record by Martin Strel exists. Without verifiable international recognition or adherence to standard rules, Tsankov’s achievements remain of limited credibility and unrecognized by the global open water swimming community.
NOW
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