Turkish wrestler Taha Akgül won his ninth European title on Wednesday, and the Turkish team finished the championships in second place behind Azerbaijan with six medals, including two golds that raised the country’s total to 101 in continental tournaments.
Olympic champion Akgül elevated to a draw in the 125 kg. freestyle against his Georgian opponent Geno Petriashvili 5-2 in the Hungarian capital Budapest, winning his ninth European gold.
“I made nine out of nine in the European championships. In 2016 I had an injury, I don’t count it, I had to withdraw from the match. Thank God, it’s a historic record. I improved my own record,” Akgül said, adding that he has the 2024 Paris Olympics in mind.
Earlier, Turkish fighter Feyzullah Aktürk brought Turkey its 100th gold medal in the European championships after defeating Ahmed Sultanovich Bataev of Bulgaria in the 92kg final.
Turkey has won a total of 327 medals in the history of the European Championships, including 88 silver and 138 bronze.
With 141 points and six medals, Turkey finished the tournament in second place behind Azerbaijan, which accumulated 159 points and seven medals. Süleyman Atlı (61 kg.) won the bronze medal for the Turkish team, while Münir Recep Aktaş (65 kg.), Muhammet Akdeniz (79 kg.) and Osman Göçen (86 kg.) won bronze medals, respectively.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was among the Turkish officials and celebrities who celebrated Akgül and Aktürk’s victories, congratulating both in a message posted on his Twitter account.
Yasemin Adar Yiğit and Evin Demirhan Yavuz will compete for gold and Bedia Gün for bronze on Thursday, while four Turkish athletes will take to the mat in qualifying matches.
