Ivan Polyntcev created local history on 8 July when he became the first Russian to swim from Upolu to Savai’i.

Polyntcev is the 30th person to complete the 22.3-kilometre swim and has the fourth fastest recorded time at six hours and 40 minutes.  

“I have gained unique experience and knowledge during the swim,” Polyntcev said. “I have proved to myself that anything is possible when you put your mind to it and hard work.”

With a week of bad weather, the open water swim was moved to a small weather-window on Monday. 

"Those were interesting conditions in the Strait,” Polyntcev said. “I was on the edge of doing it successfully so I feel pretty good after completing it.” 

A swimmer must follow the ultra-marathon swim rules for a swim to be official. This includes submitting data recordings and visual evidence for it to be officially recognised. 

Polyntcev’s swim is now registered with the International Marathon Swim Hall of Fame database as an official swim of the Apolima Strait.

The first recorded swim in modern times was by Ma'ilata Iosia Sefo from Savai’i in 1988. He swam approximately 19 kilometers in five hours. 

The record for the fastest swim is held by Phillip Ryan from New Zealand who completed his swim in 2016 with a time of five hours and three minutes.

Sitivi So'oa'emalelagi is the only other Samoan to have completed the swim. He completed his swim in 2017 with the second fastest time at five hours and 35 minutes.