Sürmeneli, Gazoz to carry Turkish flag at Olympics opening ceremony

ANKARA

Olympic gold medalists boxer Busenaz Sürmeneli and archer Mete Gazoz will carry the Turkish flag at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak has announced.

“Our athletes both brought pride to our nation by taking home gold at the Olympics, world and European championships. I extend congratulations to Busenaz Sürmeneli and Mete Gazoz, who will carry the Turkish flag at the Olympics,” Bak said in a written statement on social media.

The minister pointed out that a total of 102 athletes will represent Türkiye in the Games and emphasized that the country has high hopes and ambitious targets.

“A total of 54 female and 48 male athletes will represent our nation in 18 different sports at the games. I have no doubt that our athletes will pen a brand-new tale of triumph. I trust all of our athletes and I wish all of them the best of luck,” the minister concluded.

Sürmeneli became the first female athlete to win a championship in the history of Turkish boxing when she took home the gold medal in the women's 69-kilogram division at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Gazoz, the winner of the men's classical archery division in Japan, also granted Türkiye its first-ever Olympic gold medal in this branch the same year.

Turkish sportspeople broke a record of 73 years by returning home from Tokyo with 13 medals in total, marking the event as the nation’s most successful Olympics.