It goes on for Jonas Deichmann on his Triathlon around the world

The adventurer and extreme athlete Jonas Deichmann, who has been stuck in Turkey for 9 weeks due to closed borders, can continue his circumnavigation of the world in the triathlon discipline.

Deichmann began his project on September 26 in Munich. He rode by bicycle over the Alps to Karlobag on the Croatian coast. From there, he swam 450 kilometers along the Adriatic coast and reached Dubrovnik on November 22 after 54 days in the water. In the process, the Munich native set a new record for the longest swim distance without an escort boat. From Dubrovnik, Deichmann continued eastward by bicycle, with the goal of reaching the Pacific coast of China in the spring.

When Deichmann reached Istanbul in mid-December, he found that all land borders in an easterly direction had now been closed due to the tightened Corona situation. An alternative plan to change direction and circumnavigate the world in a westerly direction is currently difficult to implement for the same reason, but remains open as possible option.

Deichmann used the waiting time for light training sessions in southern Turkey. A call for help in the triathlon scene now seems to bring the hoped-for solution. The German Triathlon Union DTU, the German-Russian Forum and the Russian Olympic Committee have used their network to get a visa for Russia for Deichmann, which should be ready next Friday at the Russian Consulate in Istanbul. This opens up the possibility of entering Russia via Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. The borders on this 13 000-kilometer route are currently traversable with coronatests and quarantine in Russia. After entering Russia, the route will be clear all the way to Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean.

In order to be able to cycle through Siberia in winter, Deichmann has prepared himself especially in the cold chamber of the Deutsche Bahn. He will change to his winter gear in Bulgaria to be able to pass the expected minus 20-30 degrees in Siberia.

The Munich native already holds records for all three major continental crossings by bike: Eurasia from Portugal to Vladivostok in 64 days, the legendary Panamericana from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in 97 days, and last year the route from the North Cape to Cape Town in 72 days – a whole month faster than the previous world record.