Turkish swimmer achieves historic success

LIMA

Turkish swimmer Merve Tuncel won gold medals in 400, 800 and 1,500 meters freestyle swimming races at the World Junior Swimming Championships. Merve Tuncel has made World swimming history as the first athlete to achieve a hat-trick at the same championship.

One of the important representatives of Turkish swimming sports, Merve Tuncel won her third gold medal at the 3rd Junior World Swimming Championship in Lima, the capital of Peru.

The 17-year-old Tuncel, who is the first-class swimmer in the World in her age category in Freestyle, gained the championship in the 1,500-meters freestyle after her achievements in 800 and 400 meters.

At the championship in Lima, she won the gold medal in the 800 meters with a time of 8.30.00. After the first race, she achieved a time of 4.10.29 in the 400 meters and 16.15.95 in the 1,500 meters.

Thus, Tuncel achieves a historic success as the first athlete to win three gold medals at the same World Junior Championships. Tuncel, who is an athlete of ENKA Sports Club and continues her studies under Italian coach Gjon Syhti, won gold medals in the 400, 800 and 1,500 meters races at the European Swimming Championships last year.

She scored a hat-trick once again. Tuncel also became the first Turkish female swimmer to win a medal in the long course in the senior category while finishing third at the European Senior Championships held in Rome this year.