An international sports legend was lost today when three-time Olympic gold medalist Naim Suleymanoglu died in a hospital in Istanbul.
Suleymanoglu won the gold medal in weightlifting at three Olympics in a row — in 1988, 1992, and 1996. He was 50 years old.
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Suleymanoglu was checked into intensive care back in September for liver failure. That, along with associated complications, have claimed the life of this weightlifting icon. He is a beloved and famous persona among Turkish communities around the world, as well as in Greece, due to his longstanding athletic rivalry with Valerios Leonidis.
Suleymanoglu was born in Bulgaria. However, early in his athletic career, he defected to his native Turkey, causing a huge controversy before he even stepped on the world stage. He fled the then-communist nation to escape persecution as the Turkish were minorities at the time. He was suspended for a year following the defection, but returned to win his first Olympic victory in Seoul in 1988.
After his victory in Barcelona in 1992, then again in Atlanta in 1996, Suleymanoglu made one more attempt for the gold in Sidney in 2000, where he was finally beaten. Suleymanoglu is still a national hero in Turkey. At the end of his athletic career, he even made a short-lived attempt at a political career.
For weightlifters and weightlifting fans, Suleymanoglu is one of the all-time greats. He’s left a lasting mark on a sport that has only recently come back into fashion. His fans and admirers lovingly nicknamed him “Pocket Hercules.” His sportmanship, hard work, and perseverance will never be forgotten.
