site.btaWith 71-hour Non-stop Swimming Bulgarian Breaks World Record for Endurance Swimming

Rousse-, on the Danube, born Teodor Tvetkov, 27, set a new world record in endurance swimming after swimming non-stop for 71 hours in the lake in the Lipnik forest park near his hometown, the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported on Sunday evening. Tsvetkov's plan had been to swim for another hour but a thunderstorm and lifeguards' warnings forced him out of the water.

In a brief interview to BNT, he said he experienced cramps several times which felt like he froze mid-swim but his strong determination kept him in. During his latest feat Tsvetkov was accompanied by friends in canoes who oversaw his performance and boosted his spirit.

"I proved that impossible is only a word and that anything is possible. I think I broke the record already in the 68th hour but my goal has never been going after records. Rather, I want to inspire the young, to promote sport and ensure a future for the next generations," Tsvetkov said.

He frequently swims for charity.

The young man has his name already entered in the Guinness Book of Records for swimming ten kilometres one-handed.

Earlier in August he had planned to swim across the Black Sea in a charity campaign for environmental protection but the war in Ukraine put his plans on hold. Still, the swimmer hopes he will soon be able to swim across from Odessa to Bourgas.