Adem Asil, a prominent Turkish gymnast, recently achieved a major milestone in his athletic career by securing victories in both the men's general classification and ring apparatus at the 10th European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antalya.
The accomplished gymnast conveyed his deep sense of pride in accomplishing this significant and historic feat.
"Becoming the European champion holds a great deal of importance for me. I devoted countless hours to train and prepare for this defining moment, and I wanted to share my triumph with the world. As we gradually progress toward the upcoming Olympics, attaining the title of world and European Champions is immensely important to me. That's why I feel overjoyed and exceedingly proud," he said.
Asil won two gold medals with 84,965 points in the general classification and 14,933 points in the ring apparatus, which made him the first gymnast to bring Türkiye the general classification championship in artistic gymnastics.
The 24-year-old athlete, who began practicing gymnastics at age 4, acknowledged the significance of this particular competition.
Asil also thanked the people of Antalya for their support, saying "I crowned my historical success by placing at the top in the ring apparatus, and I would like to thank the people of Antalya who supported me during this time."
Asil added that he would try his best in the jumping table final of the European Championships.
Turkish Gymnastics Federation President Suat Çelen shared the joy they experienced because Asil won two gold medals in the European Championships.
"Adem demonstrated an exceptional level of skill and mastery at the European Championships, earning him a well-deserved gold medal. His victory has brought us tremendous happiness and pride. We extend our best wishes to Adem for the upcoming jumping table final, and to Ferhat Arıcan for the parallel bar final, as we hope to witness our National Anthem sung once again in celebration of their triumphs," he said.
In addition, Suat Çelen expressed his optimism and aspiration for Antalya to establish itself as a premier destination in the world of gymnastics.
"We envision Antalya becoming a prominent hub for gymnastics tourism, attracting athletes from across the globe for training camps and high-profile events. As we reflect on the success of the 10th Artistic Gymnastics European Championships hosted in our city, we are grateful for the hard work and dedication of our technical team and board of directors, and we extend our heartfelt appreciation to everyone involved," he said.