Tsanko Tsankov completes English Channel swim

Bulgarian marathon swimmer Tsanko Tsankov has successfully completed a swim across the English Channel, traveling from the English coast near Dover to the French coast near Calais. The swim took 9 hours and 21 minutes.

Despite the successful crossing, the attempt was marked by significant physical challenges. Tsankov reported encountering numerous poisonous jellyfish that stung him throughout the swim, as well as sustaining lacerations during the final stages of the journey.

This achievement represents the sixth leg of the prestigious Oceans Seven series, a collection of the world's most difficult open-water channels. Tsankov has now completed five of the seven challenges and has only the Tsugaru Strait in Japan remaining to complete the full series. He follows in the footsteps of fellow Bulgarian swimmer Petar Stoychev, who completed the Oceans Seven series in 2024.