Athletes of Türkiye’s oldest sport raise hopes for Paris 2024

Türkiye has a long-standing tradition of success in the Olympic Games, particularly in the sport of wrestling.

As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approach, Türkiye’s hopes are once again pinned on their wrestling team as wrestling has been the nation’s most successful discipline, contributing more than half of Türkiye’s total Olympic medals.

Wrestling dominates Türkiye’s Olympic medals

Türkiye has won a total of 104 medals in the Olympics. Wrestling accounts for 66 of these medals, including 29 golds, 18 silvers and 19 bronzes.

This record shows wrestling as Türkiye’s strongest sport in the Olympic arena.

Türkiye’s Olympic journey began at the London 1908 Games, where they were first represented.

However, the nation’s breakthrough came at the Berlin 1936 Olympics, where Türkiye won its first medal through wrestler Ahmet Kirecci, who secured a bronze.

The same games also saw Yasar Erkan winning Türkiye’s first gold medal in wrestling.

Breakdown of Türkiye’s Olympic medals by sport

Sport	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
Wrestling	29	18	19	66
Weightlifting	8	1	2	11
Taekwondo	1	3	5	9
Boxing	1	3	3	7
Karate	0	1	3	4
Athletics	0	1	2	3
Judo	1	0	1	2
Archery	1	0	0	1
Gymnastics	0	0	1	1
Total	41	27	36	104

Türkiye’s expectations from Paris 2024

Türkiye’s wrestling dominance is expected to continue at the Paris 2024 Games, with the country sending a strong team of 11 wrestlers.

This traditional sport remains a central part of Türkiye’s Olympic identity and success.

“Türkiye has won more than half of its Olympic medals in wrestling,” Ercan Cakar stated. This tradition not only reflects the country’s rich cultural heritage but also emphasizes the sport’s role in building national pride.

“We expect the wrestling team to bring home more medals from Paris 2024,” as Huseyin Ekici noted.