Record-breaking Turkish national athlete Eda Nur Tulum has her sights firmly fixed on embodying the pinnacle of excellence as she strives to represent Türkiye in the upcoming championships.
The 17-year-old athlete has made a name for herself with her achievements in national and international races and broken records.
Last year, she won the 400-meter championship at Slovakia's 2022 European Youth Olympic Summer Festival. In addition, she came third in the same category at the Under-18 European Athletics Championships in Israel.
In a recent event, Eda Nur broke two records in two days in the 400 meters at the Turkcell Indoor Championships in Türkiye Under 20. She scored 54.22 in the Olympic trials and national team selection competitions, where athletes battled to enter the national team and improve their ranks, breaking the hall record.
Tulum has broken a total of 12 Turkish records with her recent successes.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Tulum expressed her happiness with the records she broke and said she is fighting for new successes.
"There is the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in July. I won first place there last year. My goal again is to be the first there and represent my country in the best way," she said. "In August, there is the U20 European Championship. Our first goal is to reach the final and then get a degree. I hope it goes well there," she said.
Tulum also talked about her progress and relationship with her coach, saying: "I think I got on very well with my coach. We work very well, we establish dialogues, we set goals and I think we are progressing very well in line with these goals."
Her trainer, Gökhan Dede, pointed out that Tulum is one of the new talents cultivated by Turkish athletics.
"We continue to work to take this even further. We came to Zonguldak for the Inter-School Youth Türkiye Championship group qualifiers. It was a good organization, and this event was a stepping stone for the final. We ran well, first place. I'm happy with Tulum's current performance," he said.
Tulum is expected to participate in several vital championships in the upcoming months.
She will first compete in the European Teams Championship in Poland from June 20-25, followed by the Balkan Under-20 Championship from July 15-16 in Denizli, where she will battle for the podium.
After the European Stars Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Slovenia from July 25-29, Tulum will work to be at the top of the European Under-20 Championship, which will be held in Israel from Aug. 7-10.