Turkish weightlifter Şaziye Erdoğan won three gold medals at the European Weightlifting Championships, the Turkish Weightlifting Federation announced Saturday, also on the same day, six Turkish karatekas won gold medals at the 57th edition of the European Karate Championships being held in Turkey.
Erdoğan was crowned champion in the women's 45-kilogram (100-pound) competition after achieving lifts of 73 kilograms in the snatch and 90 kilograms in the clean and jerk, making it 163 kilograms in total at the tournament being held in the Albanian capital of Tirana.
Another Turkish athlete, Cansu Bektaş lifted 85 kilograms in the clean and jerk, and a total of 153 kilograms to bag two silvers on the first day of the event.
The eight-day tournament, which has 326 participants from 39 countries, will end on June 5.
Taking to Twitter, Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu congratulated Erdoğan on her success.
Ali Sofuoğlu defeated Spanish athlete Damian Hugo Quintero Capdevila in the men's kata event at the four-day European Karate Championships in Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey.
In the kumite category, Eray Şamdan beat Angelo Crescenzo from Italy in the 60-kilogram category, and Burak Uygur won against Greece's Dionysios Xenos in the 67-kilogram category, while Serap Özçelik Arapoğlu tasted victory over Perfetto Erminia of Italy in the 50-kilogram category.
Earlier in the day, Erman Eltemur and Eda Eltemur brought Turkey gold medals after beating their opponents.
Also, Turkey's Dilara Bozan clinched a silver medal, losing to Sanchez Jaime Sandra from Spain in the women's kata.
The tournament is taking place from May 25 to 29.
