In Olympic history, Türkiye has been shining as a powerhouse in the wrestling arena, with a record haul of medals that underscores the nation's enduring passion for this ancient sport.
As anticipation builds for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, a deep dive into Türkiye's medal-winning disciplines reveals wrestling's pivotal role in the country's Olympic narrative.
Türkiye boasts an impressive tally of 41 gold, 27 silver and 36 bronze medals, totaling a remarkable 104 Olympic honors.
Of these, a staggering 66 medals have been clinched by national wrestlers, cementing Türkiye's reputation as an Olympic "medal repository."
The wrestling stalwarts have notched an impressive 29 golds, 18 silvers and 19 bronzes throughout Olympic history, with their inaugural Olympic triumphs dating back to the Berlin 1936 Games.
At the historic Berlin Games, Turkish wrestlers Yaşar Erkan and Ahmet Kireççi etched their names in sporting folklore, with Erkan claiming Türkiye's first-ever Olympic gold and Kireççi securing a bronze.
The Olympic journey of Turkish wrestlers has been studded with remarkable achievements, including multiple golds by legends like Mustafa Dağıstanlı, Mithat Bayrak, and Hamza Yerlikaya across editions spanning from 1956 to 2000.
Rıza Kayaalp, a titan in contemporary wrestling, has emerged as a beacon of Turkish wrestling prowess, clinching silver in Rio 2016 and bronze in both London 2012 and Tokyo 2020.
With his sights set on Paris 2024, Kayaalp seeks to fulfill his Olympic dream of claiming the ultimate gold.
The indomitable spirit of Turkish female wrestlers has also shone brightly on the Olympic stage, with Yasemin Adar Yiğit etching her name as the first Turkish female wrestler to medal at the Olympics, capturing bronze in Tokyo 2020.
As Paris 2024 beckons, the hopes of a nation rest on stalwarts like Yiğit, Kayaalp and the reigning champion Taha Akgül, who clinched gold in Rio 2016, embodying Türkiye's enduring legacy in the realm of Olympic wrestling.
Reflecting on historic highs, Türkiye's wrestling maestros delivered their greatest medal haul at the 1960 Rome Olympics, claiming an impressive seven golds and two silvers, a testament to their unparalleled dominance on the grandest stage of them all.