Turkey grabs 3 golds in weightlifting, judo and taekwondo at Med Games

ISTANBUL

Ali Sarı won the gold in the taekwondo men's 80 kg competition. AA photo

Turkey took an early boost in the Mediterranean Games ranking moving to the second place with three gold medals as the athletes’ first competitions were carried out through June 21.

Weightlifter Bünyamin Sezer became Turkey's first gold medalist as he clinched one gold and one silver in the men's 62kg competition.

Judoka Ebru Şahin beat her Italian rival in the women's 48kg competition with a "wazaari" to earn Turkey's first gold in judo.

In the taekwondo men's 80 kg competition Ali Sarı won his final against Greek Alexandros Nikolaidis.
Turkey also collected five silver medals, including Hatice Kübra İlgün and Rukiye Yıldırım's silvers in weightlifting. Dilara Buse Günaydın won a bronze medal in the women's 100m breaststroke race, totaling nine medals for Turkey, which is bidding to surpass the 34 gold medals claimed in 1993, its most successful performance in the Mediterranean Games so far.

Italy leads the early medal rankings with seven golds. Turkey and Spain with three gold medals each are in hot pursuit.

Tunisia's Khalil El Maoui had become the first gold medalist with his victory in the men's 56kg weightlifting earlier on June 21.

More than 4,000 athletes from 24 countries across three continents will compete in 32 different branches of sport through June 30.