Ferhat Arıcan, the Turkish men's national gymnastics team captain and recipient of Türkiye's first Olympic medal in gymnastics, is now focused on securing the gold medal at the highly-anticipated 2024 Paris Olympics and restoring national pride to Türkiye.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) during his participation in the 10th Artistic Gymnastics European Championship held in Antalya, Arıcan expressed his belief that Turkish gymnastics has gained momentum in recent years, achieving significant successes.
Arıcan also shared that he aims to achieve the 3rd European championship in Antalya, noting that Turkish gymnastics has already won bronze and silver medals.
"We want to be at the top of the podium as a team," he stated, emphasizing the team's goal of being on the European Championship podium.
Reflecting on his historic achievement at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Arıcan expressed how honored he felt to win Türkiye's first Olympic medal in gymnastics.
"I want to make my country proud by winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. I believe I will reap the fruits of my efforts. We want to be in the Olympics," he said.
Arıcan has been training new athletes in the gymnastics academy he founded, intending to keep the gymnastics culture and sports ethics sustainable after his sports career.
"I aim to transfer my experiences to the bright generations of the future and to raise new stars," he said.
Arıcan also emphasized that foreign convoys have been impressed with the Antalya events, showcasing Türkiye's success in sports and organizing major events.
He also shared that foreign athletes who saw the modern Olympic gymnastics facilities built in Antalya exhibited an interest in coming to Antalya for their training camps.
