Olympic Champion, "Thorpedo": "Turkey is the meeting point of cultures" Istanbul; 8 July 2013: Five-time Olympic gold medallist Ian 'The Thorpedo' Thorpe has backed Istanbul 2020's bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games on two continents simultaneously for the first time in history, after participating in the Cross-Continental Bosphorus Swim – a race that starts in Asia and finishes in Europe. Sunday's Bosphorus Swim was the 25th edition of the race and more than 1,500 swimmers joined the race in 11 different age categories for the 6.5km course.. Since 68 people competed in 1989, the popularity of the event has boomed. This year's registration closed one week early after nearly 2,300 applications from 54 different countries. Ian Thorpe's participation follows fellow swimming icon Mark Spitz's appearance at last year's event. In addition to the swimming events, there were also rowing and canoeing racesfor men and women.

http://www.istanbul2020.com.tr/en/news/turkey-bids-for-2020-olympics-arm-in-arm-with-turkcell/102