Türkiye shines at Paris 2024 Paralympics
If Türkiye wins another gold medal, it will boast its best Paralympic Games performance ever.
Serkan Yildirim, Oznur Cure Girdi, and Mahmut Bozteke each won gold in their respective categories.
Turkish para athletes have secured historic victories at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, matching the record of three gold medals set in Rio 2016. The country is now up for a record-breaking success.
On Sunday, Serkan Yildirim clinched Türkiye's first-ever gold in Para Athletics by winning the men's T12 100m final with a time of 10.70 seconds.
The 33-year-old, who previously dominated the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Japan, continued his streak by finishing just .01 second ahead of his American competitor Noah Malone.
Yildirim’s triumph in Paris is the latest chapter in a remarkable career that saw him switch from mainstream athletics to para-athletics due to deteriorating eyesight.
The athletes of Team Türkiye wins 3 gold and 1 silver medals at Paris 2024 Paralympic Games pic.twitter.com/ONKFQgnER5
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Meanwhile, para archer Oznur Cure Girdi became a Paralympic Games Champion after defeating Iran's Fatemeh Hemmati 144-141 in the women's compound bow final.
At just 26 years old, Cure Girdi’s victory comes 16 years after Gizem Girismen won Türkiye’s first gold medal in para archery at Beijing 2008.
In Para Taekwondo, Mahmut Bozteke made history by winning the men's K44 63kg gold medal on Saturday, beating Mongolia's Bolor-Erdene Ganbat with a score of 9-7.
27-year-old Bozteke, who began practising taekwondo in 2013, has quickly risen through the ranks, already holding four European championship golds.
Bozteke (L) says sports made him cling to life after his injury. His latest victory at Paris 2024 is a testament to his remarkable journey.
Beyond gold medals
Türkiye's success at Paris 2024 extended beyond gold medals. Para athlete Muhammet Khalvandi secured a silver medal in the men's F57 javelin throw final with a throw of 49.97m.
Khalvandi, an Iranian-born Turkish athlete, has a storied career, including setting a World Record at the 2012 Paralympics.
In Women's Para Shooting, Aysel Ozgan earned a silver medal in the P2 10m air pistol SH1 event with 231 points, narrowly missing out on the gold to Iran's Sareh Javanmardi.
Ozgan, a veteran in para shooting, adds this silver to her impressive collection of international medals.
With the closing ceremony set for September 8, Türkiye stands on the cusp of marking its best Paralympic Games performance ever, with the potential to surpass the record of three gold medals.
The country is participating in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with a record 94 athletes.
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