Turkey's Kayaalp bags 10th European Greco-Roman wrestling title
Rıza Kayaalp poses after winning the European title for the 10th time, Warsaw, Poland, April 24, 2021. (DHA Photo)


Turkey's Rıza Kayaalp won the European title for the 10th time after beating Georgia's Iakobi Kajaia 3-1 in the Greco-Roman 130 kg. final on Saturday.

Kayaalp, 31, beat Kajaia in Warsaw, Poland to bag the gold medal.

Rıza Kayaalp celebrates after winning the European title match in the 130 kg. category for the 10th time, Warsaw, Poland, April 24, 2021. (DHA Photo)

Kayaalp said he is determined to win his first Olympic gold in Tokyo. The road to Olympic success started with a bronze medal win in London 2012. He followed it with a silver in Rio 2016. The Olympic championship is all there is left for the ambitious wrestler, who also boasts the two top titles in the Mediterranean Games. In his worst, Kayaalp secured two silvers in the world championships, along with one bronze and one silver medal in the European championship.

The Turkish athlete previously won European titles in 2010 as well as every year from 2012 to 2019.

He also competed in two Olympics, winning a bronze medal at the London games in 2012 and a silver at Rio 2016.

Rıza Kayaalp and the Turkish delegation celebrate after winning the European title for the 10th time, Warsaw, Poland, April 24, 2021. (AA Photo)

Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, Turkey's youth and sports minister, posted a message on Twitter congratulating the four-time world champion on winning his 10th European title.

Also on Saturday, Turkey's Yunus Emre Başar earned a silver medal, losing 8-0 to Hungary's Tamas Lorincz in the men's Greco Roman 77 kg. final in Warsaw. Earlier, Turkish wrestler Ekrem Öztürk also claimed a silver medal at the tournament.

The 2021 European Wrestling Championships will end Sunday.