Turkish national arm wrestling champion, Sude Nur Çakır, known for her composure and strength, made headlines at the European Arm Wrestling Championship in Slovakia by maintaining her focus despite her opponent's attempts to distract her with screams.

Reflecting on the incident, Çakır remarked, "I demonstrated the resilience of both Turkish athletes and women. While she did apologize later, it was after the fact."

Çakır, 17, a student at Erdem Beyazıt Anatolian High School in Ankara, defeated boys to take first place in arm wrestling competitions held at her school.

With the guidance of physical education teachers and the support of her family, Çakır joined a club and later became the Turkish champion.

Continuing her success in international competitions, Çakır became both European and world runner-up last year.

Competing in the youth category at 70 kg. in the European Arm Wrestling Championship held in Slovakia this year, Çakır reached the final by defeating Romanian Stefania Cocioaba in the last 16, Swedish Hilda Granlund in the quarterfinal, and Georgian Neli Ustimenko in the semifinal.

Facing Moldovan Sofia Gnatiuc in the final, Sude Nur Çakır responded in the same way when her opponent tried to manipulate her by shouting.

After defeating her opponent on both the right and left arms, Çakır, whose joy became a trend on social media, answered questions from Anadolu Agency (AA).

Çakır stated that Sofia Gnatiuc started following her on social media before the European Championship to watch her workouts, saying, "I was taken aback by the intense reaction, marked by shouting. Despite this, I maintained my focus on the match as usual. However, both my opponent and coach seemed to exaggerate my actions in their perception. Throughout the match, the coach used expressions like 'break her arm,' which made me quite uncomfortable with the situation. There is athlete respect in my understanding. I did not care much at first. During the competition, my opponent was shouting at me, her coach intervened from behind. She started screaming at me, trying to put my arm in a position to break it. In that moment of anger, I also reacted to her, saying, 'What's happening, why are you shouting?' Then I became the European champion. I showed the strength of Turks and women in that way. She later came and apologized, but it was too late. My current goal is to become the champion at the 2024 World Arm Wrestling Championship to be held in Moldova and sing our national anthem again."

Çakır, initially met with skepticism about her involvement in arm wrestling, reflected on her journey, stating, "Many doubted me, saying 'You're a woman, you can't do arm wrestling.' However, I chose to focus on those who encouraged me. My family's unwavering support, both financially and emotionally, strengthened my resolve. Their belief in me made me deaf to the naysayers. Interestingly, those who once doubted me sought to join me after my success. They should have been there from the start."

She emphasized that women are capable of excelling in arm wrestling and any other endeavors, while dismissing the common gender-based discriminations.

Her coach, Muhammed Ali Bayraklı, praised Çakır's work ethic, recalling, "I first noticed Çakır when she defeated one of my students in arm wrestling. Impressed by her talent, we began training together. After six months of intensive training, she transformed into a formidable competitor. She secured second place in both European and world championships. This year, she clinched the European title, surpassing her previous achievements. I'm confident she'll become the world champion in three months. With her dedication, Çakır has a promising future and is poised to dominate her weight class globally."