DNA testing has confirmed that a body found in İstanbul this week is that of a Russian swimmer who went missing during the annual Bosporus cross-continental swimming race, Russia’s consulate said Thursday.
“The Consulate General of Russia in Istanbul regrets to report that, according to the results of the DNA examination, the body found on January 20 … belongs to the Russian swimmer Nikolai Svechnikov,” it said in a statement sent to the RIA Novosti news agency.
The 29-year-old professional swimming coach had joined the 6.5-kilometer (4-mile) swim between Asia and Europe on August 24 along with more than 2,800 participants from 81 countries.
But the Turkish Olympic Committee, which organized the event, later said he “went missing during the race.”
The İstanbul Governor’s Office said security footage and the timing chip attached to his foot showed he started the race but that he “had not made it to the finish line.”
Despite days of searches by the coastguard and the maritime police, his body was not found.
But on Tuesday morning, police found the body of a man “near the Bebek embankment” not far from where the race ended, the consulate said, with DNA testing confirming it was that of the missing swimmer.
The İstanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office, which had opened a probe into the swimmer’s disappearance, on Wednesday confirmed that a body had been found with “no head, no feet and no arms.”
It was also found to be “wearing a swimsuit,” suggesting it was likely that of Svechnikov, it added.
During the annual race, the Bosporus Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, is temporarily closed to traffic, with swimmers entering the water at Kanlıca on the Asian side and racing to Kuruçeşme on the European side.
According to the official race website, they have a time limit of two hours to complete the course, with the Turkish coast guard picking up anyone who does not finish within that time.
İstanbul prosecutors had opened an investigation into the incident.
© Agence France-Presse