Petar Stoychev (47, Bulgaria, MSF bio here, IISA bio here) has set numerous globally accepted records in marathon swimming, channel crossings, and ice swimming.

Who determines who sets a world record? Is it…

• …a swimmer who announces a world record for himself or herself after an unprecedented swim?
• …a swimmer who becomes the oldest known swimmer to cross a channel?
• …a swimmer who swims across a channel, lake, river, or other body of water on the earliest date of the calendar year in history?
• …a swimmer who swims across a channel, lake, river, or other body of water on the latest date of the calendar year in history?
• …a swimmer who swims across a channel or lake in the fastest known time in history?
• …a swimmer who crosses a channel the most times (for a two-way or three-way or four-way crossing)?

Or is it an independent organization like the Marathon Swimmers Federation or Channel Swimming Association or the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation that has the authority and historical perspective to ratify, accept, announce, and publish world records? Refer to Ratification, Verification, Certification, Authentication, Confirmation, Sanction, Documentation, Observation … What Do These All Mean? article here.

I think so.

One question is, “If there has been no documented previous swim of this route, is that the standard for setting a world record?“

The standard set by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame is defined here.

A definitive list of accepted marathon swimming records is posted at the Marathon Swimmers Federation here, including the longest open water swims (here), first known swims (see here), Kings and Queens (most swims + most distance swum by event), longest swims by distance and duration, course records (fastest), 10-year club members (see here), Triple Crown records (see here), and an interesting course record progression (see here).

The records recognized and certified by the International Ice Swimming Association are here.

International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Swimmer Self Declaration of Records

Best practice is that well accepted organizations ratify/accredit/certify and announce successful swims. Some of these are IMSHOF Honor Organizations and have long been accepted as the official body of certain swims (examples:  Strait of Gibraltar and Catalina Channel). These same organizations should also be the ones to determine and announce a record. Most Associations/Federations seem to avoid the phrase “World Record”.

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