Fueled by thoughts of family, country, and just reaching dry land, two men from Central Asia swam across the Strait of Bonifacio from the French island of Corsica to the Italian island of Sardinia, an open water route of about 15 kilometers whose varying winds and currents sometimes add to the challenge for ultramarathon swimmers.
Askar Ospanov, a 66-year-old Kazakhstani, and Shavkat Musinov, a 42-year-old Uzbekistani, drew mental strength from each other even though they didn’t speak much while swimming in wetsuits for nearly eight hours on Sept. 26. The leader of their group was Rinat Mustafin, a 46-year-old swimmer from Russia who had crossed the strait in 2019 and prepared his friends for their Mediterranean feat. They were assisted by a support boat.
“The sea that day was challenging — with strong currents and waves — but we stayed coordinated and focused,” Musinov, a Tashkent businessman, said this week. “What united us was the shared feeling that we were doing something meaningful, not only for ourselves but also for our region.”
Musinov and Ospanov were the first people from their countries to swim across the Strait of Bonifacio, a challenge that isn’t overseen by a governing body but has won international recognition over the years. The World Open Water Swimming Association has listed it as one of the world´s top 100 island swims. While the Strait of Bonifacio is among the shorter ultramarathon distances for swimmers (the English Channel, for example, is a cold water challenge of about 33 kilometers), conditions can add to the difficulty level.
“The two relatively close opposite coasts and the seabed with an average depth of 50 meters, which in any case does not exceed 100 meters, mean that the winds and currents that are channeled increase their intensity,” the association says. “The crossing is often characterized by non-linear trajectories and more or less demanding waves.”
Musinov said he met Ospanov’s son, Galym, in the Sahara Desert during the Marathon des Sables ultramarathon in 2023, and they bonded while traversing 250 kilometers together across the Sahara Desert in Morocco. The Uzbek athlete later met the elder Ospanov – Musinov calls him “Asqa aga” with respect and affection – and described the Kazakhstani swimmer as an emblem of determination and discipline.
Musinov and Mustafin, the Russian swimmer, kept the same pace as Ospanov so they could stay together. Ospanov said on Instagram that “team captain” Mustafin set the route. They ended up swimming nearly 17 kilometers because of the pull of the currents.
“Shavkat swam second, occasionally looking back to check on me, while I tried to draft behind him,” said Ospanov, a former government worker. “Twice — at the 6 km and 11 km marks — Rinat gave me CrampFix just in time, helping me when I got a leg cramp (vinegar, as it turns out, can interrupt the body’s cramp reflex). You live and learn!”
CrampFix, which contains vinegar, is a supplement that relieves muscle cramps. Jellyfish are also a hazard in the Strait.
Ospanov and Musinov show off their suntans after the strait crossing (Photo provided by Musinov).
“During the swim, we didn’t really talk – everyone was focused on technique and breathing – but there was a silent understanding and sense of unity,” Musinov said, recalling how he pushed his body to the limit.
He said, “All thoughts narrowed down to one simple goal: to reach the finish. Every stroke, every breath – only forward. Of course, I thought about my family, my children, my friends.
“We fueled every 30 minutes – quick carbs and isotonic drinks to keep up energy and focus. But after 12 kilometers, my body started to ask for something different, so I switched to eating a banana and washing it down with Coca-Cola – a simple combination that worked perfectly at that moment.
“Thoughts about life, business, partners — and how unpredictable life can be — kept running through my mind,” Musinov said. “But above all, one clear idea stayed with me: I was making history for my country — becoming the first Uzbek to swim across the Strait of Bonifacio.”
Musinov’s “certificate of merit” from the Bocche Bonifacio Swimming organization says he completed the crossing in a neoprene wetsuit in seven hours and 50 minutes, leaving the Punta Sperone beach in Corsica at 8 a.m. and arriving at the Monte Regalo beach in Sardinia. The certificate says weather conditions were “good for making the crossing, clear sky, calm sea, wind from the west 6/7 knots, light current from the east.”
The organization says no swimming permits are issued for any crossing in August because of the passage of cruise ships, cargo ships, and small fishing and pleasure boats.
