| |
Naim Suleymanoglu was born in Kurcali (Ptichar),
Bulgaria on January 23, 1967. He quickly gained fame as a word class
weight lifter, setting his first world record, when he was only
fifteen years old. Suleymanoglu gained the nickname of the "Pocket
Hercule", because he stands only 4 feet 11 inches.
Naim Suleymanoglu dominated world weightlifting by accruing six
European, seven World and three Olympic championships. He was
undefeated for more than eight years. He holds 46 world records.
Suleymanoglu was of Turkish descent in a Slavic country. The
Bulgarian government attempted to stifle Turkish nationalism by
restricting usage of the Turkish language and closing Turkish
schools. The Bulgarian government ordered all Turks to "Slavicize"
their names, forcing "Suleymanoglu" to become "Suleimanov".
Proud of his Turkish heritage, he defected from a Melbourne
competition in 1986 to Turkey. Suleymanoglu has proven to be a great
boon for Turkish sport. The Turkish government bribed the Bulgarian
government with $1 million, in order to bypass restrictions on the
ability of defecting athletes, to compete for their new countries.
|
 |
|
| |
Naim Suleymanoglu changed his name back to its
Turkish variation. He is now a Turkish national hero.
Suleymanoglu needed high quality weight lifting equipment - shoes,
gloves, mats, weights and bars - to compete in the featherweight
division. He had impeccable technique and psychological acumen as he
would casually allow his opponents to tire, then enter the arena and
outdo them.
He was able to "clean and jerk" (two-step process of lifting weight
above head) three times his weight. He also did the "snatch" (one
step motion bringing weight above head).
In 2001, Suleymanoglu received the "Olympic order" for his Olympics
weightlifting feats. He is the only weightlifter to win gold medals
at three different Olympics.
Suleymanoglu is a world weightlifting icon.
|
 |
|
CITIES
