TURKISH ATHLETES RETURN HOME WITH 13 MEDALS FROM TOKYO

Turkish athletes won 13 medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, making it the most successful Olympic Games ever for the country in terms of total medals, surpassing the 12 medals won at 1948 London Olympics. With two gold, two silver and nine bronze medals, Turkey ranked 35th in the overall medal ranking. Female athletes and new sports branches marked the Games for Turkey. Two gold medals were won for the first time at the same games since the 2004 Athens Olympics. Turkey, which entered the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with 108 athletes, also broke a record in the number of bronze medals won. Gymnasts made history with seven finals, while the women’s national volleyball team was the most promising team, although it failed to win a medal. Mete Gazoz took the gold in the men’s individual archery final, the first-ever Olympic medal in this sport for Turkey. Busenaz Surmeneli became the Olympic welterweight boxing champion. The other silver medal winners were Eray Samdan (Karate) and Buse Naz Cakiroglu (Boxing). The bronze medal winners were Hakan Recber and Hatica Kubra Ilgun (Taekwondo), Ferhat Arican (Artistic Gymnastics), Riza Kayaalp, Yasemin Adar and Taha Akgul (Wrestling), Ali Sofuoglu, Merve Coban and Ugur Aktas (Karate).