Turkish swimmer, Nida Eliz Üstündağ, recently shared her aspiration of participating in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games, with the ultimate goal of solidifying her remarkable athletic career by making a second Olympic appearance.
The swimmer, who represented Türkiye in the 200 meters butterfly at the 2016 Rio Olympics and won the country's first and only swimming medal at the 2017 Universiade Games, stated that she is working hard toward realizing her new goals.
Üstündağ reflected on numerous important competitions that she has participated in throughout her career, including finals in the European and world championships.
She expressed her passion for swimming and her desire to continue enjoying the process of training and competition, while also striving for results.
Her first target is the World Championship, which will be held in Japan later this year, followed by the Olympics.
As a professional athlete, Üstündağ also works with a sports psychologist, combining the two facets to enhance and boost her performance.
She said that the jump-off stages of the 2024 Paris Olympics will begin soon and that the process leading up to the games will be intense, requiring intense hard work and motivation.
Her ultimate goal is to swim her way into the semifinals and even the finals of the Olympics and inspire children, athletes, and people who have never played sports before, demonstrating that anything is possible with dedication and hard work.
Üstündağ praised the upgrading processes of sports facilities in Türkiye, saying that the increase in participation, number of finals, and the number of medals is a step-by-step process.
She emphasized that imbibing the sporting spirit at the grassroots level is essential for developing a strong sports culture, encouraging children and adult participation and reaping lifelong benefits of exercise and beneficial sports.
Under the leadership of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Türkiye is actively working to imbibe sports at grassroots levels, including initiatives like the "Everyone can swim" project and encouraging students' participation in schools.
As Üstündağ noted, the more athletes there are at the base, the more international medals Türkiye can expect in the future.
Hence, her aim is to strengthen the base and extend sports-induced positivity in individuals to build a strong sports culture in Türkiye.
