MAN-DOLPHIN IGOR NERSESIAN WHO PLANS TO SWIM ACROSS BLACK SEA LOOKS FOR SPONSORS

Noyan Tapan
June 22, 2009

YALTA, JUNE 22, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. 56-year-old Igor
Nersesian of the city of Yalta failed to carry out his greatest project
to swim across the Black Sea due to the absense of sponsors. However,
his other world records have not been surpassed so far, Yerkramas
paper of Russia’s Armenians reported.

"A man-dolphin, the living legend of Yalta beaches, a remarkable
life-guard, a 120-kg bearded robust man," this is how the paper’s
correspondent described Igor Nersesian, noting that on a stormy day
he together with his fellow life-guards rescued more than ten people.

Igor Nersesian was the first Armenian to be included in the Guinness
Book of Records. In April 1988, he swam for 3.5 hours in the sea at the
temperature of 6-8 degrees Celsius. After passing the "cold endurance"
test, on June 1st of the same year he dived into sea at the "nose"
of Bear Mount and swam through Yalta Bay to Swallow’s Nest. He passed
nonstop 32 km in 13 hours without grasping the edge of the accompanying
boat even for a moment. He also managed to swim across Lake Sevan.

Igor’s plans also include Lakes Baikal and Ladoga and the Black
Sea. He is prepared to realize these ideas even tomorrow provided he
finds sponsors, Yerkramas wrote, quoting Igor Nersesian as saying:
"Here, amid this beauty, I feel myself a hero standing at the world’s
end. I stand expecting Odysseus with his men to come suddenly and say:
"Well, Igor, it is time for you to start. Use all resources." And I
will do so.