Iancu Avram

From 29 June to 8 August 2025, Avram Iancu of Romania completed a 556 km stage swim along the Main River and Danube Canal to completed the Triple Crown of River Stage Swims that included a 89-day 2,860 km stage swim in 2017 in the Danube River, a 48-day 1,032 km stage swim in 2023 in the Rhine River, and a 40-day 556 km stage swim in the Main River and Danube Canal where he covered 4,448 km in a total of 177 days from the North Sea to the Black Sea through continental Europe with the support of observer Radu Ileană and escort pilot Ulise Galu

On 29 June to 8 August 2025, 49-year-old Iancu Avram completed a 556 km 40-day stage swim to complete the Triple Crown of River Stage Swims from the North Sea to the Black Sea along the Rhine River, Main River, and Danube River through the heart of continental Europe with observer Radu Ileană and escort pilot Ulise Galu

Iancu Avram WOWSA certificate for swimming 26.35 km upstream in the Danube River in Romania in 18 hours 30 minutes

Iancu Avram is the protagonist of SW!M, a documentary film directed by Sabin Dorohoi

Iancu Avram is a nominee for the 2017 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year, part of the WOWSA Awards, an annual recognition of outstanding men, women, performances and offerings around the globe sponsored by the World Open Water Swimming Association

Iancu Avram, English Channel swimmer

Iancu Avram (born 18 February 1976) is a 49-year-old librarian, martial arts national champion in Kyokusin karate, triathlete, mountain biker, mountain runner, and open water swimmer who is a member of the 24-Hour Club from Petrosani, Transylvania, a landlocked town in Romania.

Open Water Swimming Highlights

• From 29 June to 8 August 2025, he completed a 556 km Triple Crown of River Stage Swims by swimming along the Main River and Danube Canal to completed the Triple Crown of River Stage Swims that included a 89-day 2,860 km stage swim in 2017 in the Danube River, a 48-day 1,032 km stage swim in 2023 in the Rhine River, and a 40-day 556 km stage swim in the Main River and Danube Canal where he covered 4,448 km in a total of 177 days from the North Sea to the Black Sea through continental Europe with the support of observer Radu Ileană and escort pilot Ulise Galu.
• He completed Speedo Diplomacy by achieving the Swim for Schengen, Swim for Romania, a 48-day 1,032 km stage swim down the Rhine River through the heart of Europe from kilometer 0 in Konstanz to the Rhine River's mouth in the North Sea in 48 days between 16 July and 1 September 2023.
• On 28 August 2024, he attempted a two-way crossing of the English Channel with escort pilots Lance Oram and Tanya Harding in a 67 km crossing organized by Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation with a support team including Flavia Iancu, Andrei Dumitru, Radu Simion Ilean, Constantin Maria, and Adrian Pascu.
• In 2022, he completed a crossing of the Bristol Channel between England and Wales.
• In 2023, he completed a crossing of the Sea of Galilee in 2023.
• On 40 August 2016 he completed a crossing of the English Channel in 16 hours 54 minutes on his fourth attempt, sponsored by Canah that makes nutritional foods from organic and conventional hemp seeds in Romania.
• On 20 June 2016 Iancu started and later completed a 89-day stage swim of 2,860 km along the Danube River from Donaueschingen in the Black Forest in Germany to Sulina on the Black Sea in Romania, crossing ten countries and passing four capital cities without any fins or a wetsuit. He swam through dams, whirlpools, eddies and unpredictable weather accompanied by two kayakers at the age of 41.
• He swam 45 km down the Danube River between Gropeni-Brăila and Galați in Romania.
• In May 2018, he completed the 100 km 4-day stage swim called the Swim of Peace together with Ion Lazarenco Tiron of the Republic of Moldova, a nominee for the 2018 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.
• He was named one of the World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men in 2019 by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
• He was the protagonist of the film SW!M featured at the 2020 Kendal Mountain Festival in the UK.
• He swam 103.8 km from Pojejena to Railway Bridge in the Danube River in 2020 in 36 hours 29 minutes to become a member of the 24-Hour Club
• On 8-9 September 2021, he swam 26.35 km upstream in the Danube River in Romania, escorted by Adrian Moscalu and observed by Vojislav Mijic, in 18 hours 30 minutes.

SW!M Trailer

A documentary film by Sabin Dorohoi.

2021 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Award

Avram Iancu won the 2021 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Award for his 26.35 km upstream swim in the Danube River in Romania, starting from the Iron Gate Dam and finishing in 18 hours 30 minutes.

Winner: Avram Iancu (Romania)
First Runner-up: José Eduardo do Amaral Ferreira (Brazil)
Second Runner-up: Jordan Leckey (Ireland)
4. Krzysztof Gajewski (Poland)
5. Meliah Motchman (Canada)
6. Courtney Moates Paulk (USA)
7. Rusya – Türkiye Uluslararasi Karadeniz 320 km Açik Deniz Yüzme Maratonu (Russia – Turkey)
8. Jennifer Dutton (USA)
9. John Batchelder (USA)
10. Serge Gellé and Andrianarison Jimmy Laitsara (Madagascar)
11. Qing Li (USA)
12. Défi Titicaca (France)
13. Anna Brown (Andorra)
14. Oceane Cassignol (France)
15. Matan Roditi (Israel)

2017 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nomination

He was nominated for the 2017 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year by the World Open Water Swimming Association. The nominees include:

1. Evgenij Pop Acev (Macedonia)
2. Antonio Argüelles (Mexico)
4. John Batchelder (USA)
4. Guillermo Bertola (Argentina)
5. Avram Iancu (Romania)
6. Stéphane Lecat (France)
6. Dr. Lucky Meisenheimer (USA)
8. Lynton Mortensen (Australia)
9. Simone Ruffini (Italy)
10. Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria)
11. Sayed Ihsan Taheri (Afghanistan)
12. Ferry Weertman (Netherlands)
14. Philip Yorke (Great Britain)

2017 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nomination

Avram Iancu wanted to do something very special – he wanted to swim 2,860 km across 10 European nations along the entire Danube River and four capital cities. He not only pushed himself longer than he ever imagined over the course of 89 days, but he also faced and overcame rougher and colder conditions than he ever thought possible. More importantly, he touched thousands of people who were inspired by his engaging personality, his humble manner, his visible strength of character, and the sheer physicality of his feat. The 41-year-old librarian graciously met local politicians and students; he spoke with celebrities and environmentalists; he swam with local people. For his 4-month promotion and celebration of the sport, for his minimalistic approach to stage swimming as he lived off the land without a large entourage or crew, for his personable approach to serving as a swimming ambassador throughout 11 European countries, Avram Iancu is a worthy nominee for the 2016 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.

English Channel Crossing

Avram Iancu's third attempt on 11 August 2015 of the English Channel (Românul Avram Iancu traversează Canalul Mânecii)

External links

• After 40 Days and 40 Nights, Avram Iancu Completes His Triple Crown of River Stage Swims Across Europe
• Avram Serves As An Ambassador Along His Triple Crown of River Stage Swims
• Avram Serves As An Ambassador Along His Triple Crown of River Stage Swims
• Avram Iancu Begins Triple Crown of River Stage Swims
• Avram Iancu Set to Culminate the Triple Crown of River Stage Swims
• Marathon Swimmers Federation bio
• Avram Iancu Completed 1,032 km Swim for Schengen, Swim for Romania along the Rhine with a Heartfelt Mission
• Avram Iancu, 10 Years across Boundaries in the Open Water, is en route on a Two-way Crossing of the English Channel
• Avishag Turek Setting Standards Across The Sea of Galilee
• Iancu Avram Swimming A Long Night Upstream
• Avram Iancu Warms Up For a Long Swim In Lake Balaton
• Avram Iancu SW!Ms The Danube
• Share The Adventure At The Kendal Mountain Festival
• SW!M
• Avram Iancu On His 2,860 km Danube Stage Swim
• Avram Iancu Nearly Finished With Danube Stage Swim
• Avram Iancu Hoping For The Wind At His Back
• Avram Iancu Swims Closer To The End
• Avram Iancu Struggling Towards Finish
• Avram Iancu Swims Into Bala And Borcea
• Avram Iancu Swims In Sand
• Avram Iancu Swimming Through Beauty
• Avram Iancu Gaining Strength From Local
• The Danube Brings Back Memories
• Avram Iancu Still Swimming
• Avram Iancu Reaches 1000 km Milestone
• Cross-Border Swims On Danube
• Where Sava Meets Danube
• Sunshine While Swimming Down Danube
• Come Rain Or Shine, Avram Iancu
• Avram Iancu Still Swimming Strong
• Wonders Of Meeting His Wife Along The Danube
• Flowing Down The Danube
• Slowing Down Speeding Up Along The Danube
• Avram Iancu Traverses 707 km In 23 Days
• Avram Iancu Leaves Germany
• Rain Gives Way To Sun To Boost Avram
• Avram Iancu Does Same Differently
• Avram Iancu Swims In Still Waters
• Avram Iancu Day 14 Along The Danube
• Avram Iancu Highs And Lows Of Swimming
• Avram Iancu Dealing With The Danube
• 60 Days Down The Danube With Avram Iancu
• Avram Iancu Dealing With The Danube
• Avram Iancu, Highs And Lows Of Swimming The Danube
• Avram Iancu, Day 14 Along The Danube
• Avram Iancu Swims In The Still Waters Of The Danube
• Avram Iancu Does The Same Differently Down The Danube
• Rain Gives Way To Sun To Boost Avram Iancu
• Avram Iancu Leaves Germany, Heads In Austria
• Avram Iancu Traverses 606 km In 24 Days On The Danube
• Slowing Down, Speeding Up Along The Danube
• Flowing Down The Danube
• Wonders Of Meeting His Wife Along The Danube
• Avram Iancu Still Swimming Strong After 45 Days
• Come Rain Or Shine, Avram Iancu Swims On
• Sunshine While Swimming Down The Danube
• Where The Sava Meets The Danube
• Cross-Border Swims On The Danube
• Avram Iancu Reaches 1000 km Milestone In The Danube
• Avram Iancu, Still Swimming
• The Danube Brings Back Memories
• Avram Iancu Gaining Strength From Local Supporters
• Swimming Through Beauty
• Avram Iancu Swims In Sand
• Avram Iancu Swims Closer To The End
• Avram Iancu Hoping For Wind On His Back
• Avram Iancu Nearly Finished With Danube Stage Swim
• Should You Kick In The Open Water - Or Not
• Hardened In The Open Water: Observing Stage Swimmers
• Ion Lazarenco Tiron Swimming For Peace, Part 1
• Ion Lazarenco Tiron Swimming For Others, Part 2
• Ion Lazarenco Tiron Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize
• Avram Iancu Facebook page
• Canah Life
• Canah Life English Facebook page
• Canah Life Romanian Facebook page
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• Daily News of Open Water Swimming
• Canah International
• Avram Iancu Successfully Swims Across The English Channel