Young champ eyeing on medal in 2024 Olympics

ISTANBUL

Turkish swimmer Merve Tuncel, who broke the world junior short track record in Istanbul on Dec. 22., has revealed her secret to success in an interview with the daily Hürriyet.

Tuncel came first in 1,500-meter women freestyle in a time of 15:45:29 in the Interclub Junior and Open Aged Short Track Turkey Swimming Championship.

The 15-years-old swimmer said that she starts her training at 5 a.m. every day and practices six days a week.

Expressing her love for swimming that it is something that adds meaning to her life, she said that she swims a total of 75 kilometers each week as a part of her training.

Tuncel started swimming at the age of four when her talent was discovered for the first time. At the age of 10, she started training at Turkey’s Olympic Preparation Center in the capital Ankara under the supervision of professionals trainers.

Considering becoming an engineer in the future, Tuncel’s biggest goal is to win a medal in the 2024 Olympics.