Missing Russian athlete's swimwear found on body in Bosphorus

ISTANBUL

Turkish authorities have confirmed that the swimwear on a body recovered from Istanbul’s Bosphorus belongs to Russian swimmer Nikolai Andreevich Svechnikov, who vanished during a cross-continental swimming race in the megacity five months ago.

The body was discovered on Jan. 20 morning during a routine sea-cleaning operation off the coast of Kuruçeşme in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş.

Workers alerted police after noticing the body in the water. Marine police subsequently recovered the remains and transported them to the forensic medicine institute for examination.

According to the chief public prosecutor’s office in Istanbul, the body was wearing swimwear and showed severe dismemberment, with the head and limbs missing.

Subsequent investigations confirmed that the swimwear on the remains indeed belongs to the missing Russian athlete.

Forensic experts also collected DNA samples to carry out a formal identification process.

Svechnikov, 30, disappeared on Aug. 24 last year while competing in the 37th version of Istanbul's Bosphorus cross-continental race, a major annual event that draws thousands of athletes from around the world.

When Svechnikov failed to reach the finish point, emergency teams launched an extensive search across the Bosphorus, focusing on the Kanlıca–Kuruçeşme area.

The operation included both underwater and surface searches, but no trace of the swimmer was found at the time.

Following his disappearance, prosecutors opened an investigation.

Authorities collected race footage, security camera recordings, hotel and hospital records and took statements from race organizers, fellow participants and the swimmer’s relatives.

As part of the investigation, police also reviewed hotel security footage from the morning of the race. The recordings showed Svechnikov leaving his hotel in Istanbul and heading out alone before the competition.