Despite a historic start to 2024, Turkish wrestlers fell short of expectations at the 2024 Paris Olympics, returning with just two bronze medals.
The year began promisingly for Türkiye’s wrestling team, as they clinched a remarkable 17 medals at the European Wrestling Championships in Bucharest, Romania, from Feb. 12 to 18.
This performance included seven golds, seven silvers and four bronzes, marking the team’s third consecutive year of securing 17 medals at the European level – a record-breaking achievement.
This was also their most successful outing, considering the quality of the medals won.
Freestyle milestone
The highlight of the European Championships was Türkiye’s first freestyle wrestling team title in 31 years.
After the 1993 European Championships in Istanbul, Türkiye’s freestyle wrestlers returned to the top with two golds, two silvers and two bronzes, claiming the team title.
Meanwhile, the Greco-Roman team, with two golds, three silvers and one bronze, secured their second consecutive European title.
This achievement marked a historic first for Türkiye, with championships in both categories at the same European event.
Kayaalp’s missed record
Riza Kayaalp, on the cusp of a gold medal record, fell short in the Greco-Roman 130 kg. final, losing to Russia’s Sergei Semenov.
The defeat meant Kayaalp, who had hoped to break the record of 12 European golds, would have to wait another year.
Despite his efforts, he shared the previous record with Russian great Aleksandr Karelin, having won his 12th title in 2023.
Standout performers at European Championships
Here’s a look at Türkiye’s medalists in Bucharest:
Greco-Roman (2 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)
Gold: Selçuk Can (72 kg.), Alperen Berber (82 kg.)
Silver: Riza Kayaalp (130 kg.), Ali Cengiz (87 kg.), Yunus Emre Başar (77 kg.)
Bronze: Murat Fırat (67 kg.)
Women’s Wrestling (3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
Gold: Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (68 kg.), Nesrin Baş (72 kg.), Yasemin Adar Yiğit (76 kg.)
Silver: Evin Demirhan Yavuz (50 kg.)
Bronze: Zeynep Yetgil (53 kg.)
Men’s Freestyle (2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
Gold: Taha Akgül (125 kg.), Feyzullah Aktürk (92 kg.)
Silver: Muhammet Karavuş (57 kg.), Soner Demirtaş (74 kg.)
Bronze: Osman Göçen (86 kg.), İbrahim Çiftçi (97 kg.)
Two Olympics bronze medals
The Paris 2024 Olympics saw Türkiye’s wrestling team bring home only two bronze medals.
Taha Akgül, who had already won gold in Rio 2016 and bronze in Tokyo 2020, repeated his third-place finish in Paris.
Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu, after Yasemin Adar Yiğit, became only the second Turkish female wrestler to win an Olympic medal.
Despite their achievements, the team fell short of securing gold.
Taha Akgül’s farewell
For Akgül, Paris marked the end of an illustrious career.
The three-time Olympic medalist and 11-time European champion retired from active competition after earning his third Olympic medal, leaving behind a legacy of 22 major international medals, including 15 golds.
Historic miss for Greco-Roman wrestling
For the first time in 36 years, Türkiye’s Greco-Roman wrestling team left the Olympics without a medal.
This marked the end of a long streak that began with Mehmet Akif Pirim’s gold and Hakkı Başar’s silver in Barcelona 1992.
The absence of Riza Kayaalp, a key figure in the past three Olympics, was a critical blow to the team.
Missing gold in last 2 Olympics
Turkish wrestlers’ golden era at the Olympics seems to have cooled, with no golds in either Tokyo 2020 or Paris 2024.
Here’s a breakdown of the medal tally for the last three Olympics:
Rio 2016 (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
Gold: Taha Akgül
Silver: Riza Kayaalp, Selim Yaşar
Bronze: Cenk Ildem, Soner Demirtaş
Tokyo 2020 (3 bronze)
Bronze: Riza Kayaalp, Taha Akgül, Yasemin Adar Yiğit
Paris 2024 (2 bronze)
Bronze: Taha Akgül, Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu
World Championship results
At the World Wrestling Championship held in Tirana, Albania, in October 2024, where Olympic non-qualification weights were contested, Türkiye earned two medals: a silver from Ahmet Duman in freestyle 61 kg and a bronze from Ahmet Yılmaz in Greco-Roman 82 kg.
New era looms
On Dec. 18, Türkiye’s Wrestling Federation will hold its presidential election in Ankara.
Two candidates, Taha Akgül and Selçuk Çebi, will compete for the top position.
Former president Şeref Eroğlu announced he would not seek reelection after his three-year tenure.
Akgül, who retired after Paris 2024, and Çebi, a three-time world champion, are both eyeing the role, signaling a potential shift in leadership.