On the last day of the 24th International Lycian Kaş Culture and Art Festival events, a 7.1-kilometer open-sea swimming race was held between Meis Island and Antalya’s Kaş district in Türkiye. A total of 193 athletes from 16 countries, including Türkiye, Greece, USA, England, Australia, Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, Georgia, Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Japan, Macedonia and Russia, participated in the competition. The slogan of the race and the festival was ‘Peace and friendship’.
“I like swimming in the sea. Normally I train in the pool, but races like this are enjoyable. I had a lot of fun. My arms ached a little during the race, I was out of breath, but it was worth it,” said Aybike Su Irçağ, first female to finish the race.
“We swam with a Greek athlete side-by-side, in a very tough but sportsmanlike manner. It was a pleasant swim. I came in first, but it was not an easy race for me,” said Emre Erdogan, the first male to finish the race.