Biography
Petar Stoychev is a Bulgarian swimmer whose career spans Olympic pool competition, championship open-water racing and long-distance crossings. Born in Momchilgrad on 24 October 1976, he began swimming as a child in Smolyan and developed into a leading competitor on the international marathon circuit.
On Friday 24 August 2007 he crossed the English Channel from England to France in 6 hours, 57 minutes and 50 seconds, becoming the first swimmer to break seven hours. Mike Oram piloted the escort boat Gallivant. The performance is presented here as a dated achievement, rather than a claim that the record remains unbeaten.
Stoychev represented Bulgaria at four Olympic Games, finishing sixth in the Beijing 2008 open-water 10km and ninth in London in 2012. His championship achievements include the 2011 world 25km title and the 2012 European title at the same distance, alongside sustained success on the professional marathon-swimming circuit.
His Channel record also includes a 7:21:08 solo in August 2006 and a return in September 2024. The latter completed his Oceans Seven campaign. In an account reproduced by Bulgarian National Television, he described starting at 23:34 on 1 September and swimming through strong wind and large waves. CS&PF records 10:12:00 for that third successful Channel swim.
Selected Channel swim records
First English Channel swim under seven hours
Published account checked
Elapsed swim time · 6h 57m 50s
Duration of the complete swim
Started · Friday, 24 August 2007 · 10:11:00 · Published source clock; time zone not specified
Finished · Friday, 24 August 2007 · 18:08:50 · Published source clock; time zone not specified
Timing note · The source prints 10:11:00 and 18:08:50 without identifying their time zones. They differ by 7h 57m 50s on a single clock, while the published elapsed swim time is 6h 57m 50s. The clocks are retained as reported; a one-hour time-zone explanation has not been assumed.
Format · Solo · 1-way
Direction · England → France
Departure · Shakespeare Beach, England
Arrival · Point at Cap Gris-Nez, France
Pilot / piloting team · Mike Oram
Escort vessel · Gallivant
Official observers · Jennie Hanson and Alison Streeter (as listed by Dover.UK.com)
Ratification / historical recognition · CS&PF listed as supervising organisation by Dover.UK.com
How this record was checked
The individual Dover entry supplies the exact date, elapsed seconds, direction, locations and support team. The Hall of Fame and World Aquatics corroborate the sub-seven-hour achievement. No original observer report or ratification decision was inspected; the unlabelled clock standards remain unresolved.
Dover.UK.com: Petar Stoychev, 24 August 2007
Checked 2026-10-30
International Swimming Hall of Fame: Petar Stoychev
Checked 2026-10-30
World Aquatics: Stoychev wins 2011 world title
Checked 2026-10-30
First successful English Channel crossing
Sources disagree
Successful 7:21:08 solo; escort vessel disputed. The annual list names Aegean Blue and the historical detail names Gallivant.
Recorded swim date · Tuesday, 22 August 2006 · Start or finish date not specified by the source
Elapsed swim time · 7h 21m 8s
Duration of the complete swim
Started · Exact start date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Finished · Exact finish date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Timing note · Historical departure 12:33:00 and arrival 19:54:08 accompany a generic swim date. They are retained as reported clocks without inferred phase dates or time zone.
Format · Solo · 1-way
Direction · England → France
Pilot / piloting team · Michael Oram
Official observers · Alison Streeter
Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation
How this record was checked
CS&PF’s 2006 annual solo row and historical entry 444061 agree on swimmer, 22 August, duration and pilot. They disagree about the escort vessel: Aegean Blue in the annual row, Gallivant in the historical detail. This support-field conflict remains explicit; no separate committee decision was inspected.
CS&PF: 2006 successful swims
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Solo row: 22 August, Petar Stoychev, Mike Oram/Aegean Blue, 7:21:08.
Limitations · Select the year identified in the source title. The annual page states that results remain unofficial until ratified by the committee; no separate ratification decision was inspected.
CS&PF historical entry: Petar Stoychev, 22 August 2006
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · England-to-France, 7:21:08, Michael Oram/Gallivant, observer Alison Streeter and clocks. Vessel conflicts with annual list.
Limitations · Federation-hosted historical compilation; not the original observer report. Its generic Date field does not identify departure or arrival dates.
Solo Swims of Ontario: Petar Stoychev historical account
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · The account explicitly identifies 2006 as Stoychev’s first Channel swim and gives 7:21:08.
Limitations · Historical compilation credited to pilot Michael Oram, CS&PF and other sources; not an original observer report.
Night Channel swim completing his Oceans Seven campaign
Sources disagree
In the account reproduced by BNT, Stoychev called this his third Channel crossing and first at night, completing his Oceans Seven campaign. He described strong wind, large waves and jellyfish near France.
Departure confirmed as 1 September at 23:34. Published swim-date labels differ: 2 September in the annual list and 1 September in the historical entry; finish-date phase remains unconfirmed.
Recorded swim date · Monday, 2 September 2024 · Start or finish date not specified by the source
Elapsed swim time · 10h 12m 0s
Duration of the complete swim
Started · Sunday, 1 September 2024 · 23:34 · Athlete’s explicitly dated departure account quoted by Bulgarian National Television; no time zone stated
Finished · Exact finish date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Timing note · Historical entry prints arrival 09:46:00 without a separately dated completion phase. No structured finish clock or finish date is calculated. The annual row’s 2 September date remains recordDate.
Format · Solo · 1-way
Direction · England → France
Pilot / piloting team · Michael Oram
Escort vessel · Gallivant
Official observers · Anthony Ball
Ratification / historical recognition · Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation
How this record was checked
CS&PF’s annual solo row lists 2 September, Petar Stoychev, Mike Oram/Gallivant and 10:12:00. Historical entry 446091 instead uses 1 September. BNT’s 3 September report reproduces his explicit account of starting at 23:34 on 1 September; this establishes departure, but the federation’s differing generic date labels are preserved without inferring a finish-date phase.
CS&PF: 2024 successful swims
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Nicholas Adams: 14 August, Eddie Spelling/Pegasus, 11:56:00. Petar Stoychev: 2 September, Mike Oram/Gallivant, 10:12:00.
Limitations · The annual page states that results remain unofficial until ratified by the committee; no separate ratification decision was inspected.
CS&PF historical entry: Petar Stoychev, September 2024
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Generic date 1 September, England-to-France, 10:12:00, Michael Oram/Gallivant, observer Anthony Ball and reported clocks.
Limitations · Federation-hosted historical compilation; not the original observer report. Its generic Date field does not identify departure or arrival dates.
Bulgarian National Television: Stoychev’s 2024 Channel account
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · 3 September 2024 report reproduces the athlete’s account of a 1 September departure at 23:34, a successful 10:12 Channel swim and completion of Oceans Seven.
Limitations · The athlete’s account is quoted by the broadcaster; original Facebook post and ratification paperwork were not inspected. No time zone is stated.
Other events & swims
World Championships — men’s 10 km
Open-water swimming · Race
2005 · exact day not confirmed
Montreal, Canada
Bronze medal in 1:46:50.4.
Published distance · 10 km
Placing / category · 3rd · men
Published account checked
How this event was checked
HistoFINA printed page 13 identifies Stoychev (BUL), third in the 2005 men’s 10km. World Aquatics’ 2011 career interview independently connects this medal to the Channel record-holder. Exact race day was not established in these inspected sources.
FINA HistoFINA: Open Water, October 2019
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Selected individual podium rows: printed pages 13–14 and 53.
Limitations · Official retrospective statistics, not original timing sheets. Fractional seconds are preserved in result text rather than rounded.
World Aquatics: Petar Stoychev wins 2011 world gold
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Same-day 23 July 2011 report and swimmer interview; connects Shanghai 25km gold, 2005 medals and 2007 Channel record.
World Championships — men’s 25 km
Open-water swimming · Race
Saturday, 23 July 2011 (event date)
Shanghai, China
Gold medal in 5:10:39.8.
Published distance · 25 km
Placing / category · 1st · men
Published account checked
How this event was checked
World Aquatics’ report dated 23 July 2011 describes that day’s win and interviews Stoychev. HistoFINA printed page 14 supplies the exact result with a tenth of a second; no rounding applied.
FINA HistoFINA: Open Water, October 2019
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Selected individual podium rows: printed pages 13–14 and 53.
Limitations · Official retrospective statistics, not original timing sheets. Fractional seconds are preserved in result text rather than rounded.
World Aquatics: Petar Stoychev wins 2011 world gold
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Same-day 23 July 2011 report and swimmer interview; connects Shanghai 25km gold, 2005 medals and 2007 Channel record.
BUL