CONQUEROR : Russian Ivan Polyntcev
On Monday, July 8th, Ivan of Russia triumphed in the swim across the Apolima Strait.
Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the swim was moved up to Monday to take advantage of the best weather-window of the week.
Though conditions were far from ideal, an early start allowed us to steal a precious hour from the rough waters of the Strait.
The initial 10 km to Apolima-Tai flew by, but as predicted, the wind picked up and squalls became more frequent.
With the wind at our backs, the conditions helped Ivan to swim-surf the last 5 km to Sālelologa.
This challenging endeavour isn’t for most swimmers; it demands a fearless attitude, unwavering self-belief, and a skilled support crew.
We set off at 5:20 am and reached Lusia’s Lagoon Chalets just before midday, beating our estimated arrival time of 1 pm.
Now, Ivan and his partner will enjoy a relaxing holiday in Savai’i, soaking up the Sāmoan hospitality until Sunday.
Ivan’s conquest makes him the 30th person to complete the swim to Savai’i with Samoa Events. Check out the honors board at the link below.
There have been five incomplete attempts, with three returning to complete it a second time around.
The next in the Apolima schedule is the Teams’ relay on 31st of July.