Weightlifting in Türkiye is undergoing a quiet revolution – and women are leading the charge.
Once viewed as a male-dominated discipline, weightlifting has seen a steady rise in female participation, marking a shift that Turkish Weightlifting Federation President Talat Ünlü calls both historic and hopeful.
In a recent interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), Ünlü said that the number of active female lifters has surged from 900 to 1,200 over the past four years, while the men’s count hovers around 1,600.
The tipping point came in April, when, for the first time, Türkiye sent more women than men to the European Championships in Moldova.
"That was a proud moment for us,” Ünlü said. “It shows how far we’ve come.”
Weightlifting has long held a special place in Türkiye’s Olympic ambitions.
Alongside wrestling, it has delivered the nation’s richest haul of gold medals.
The likes of Naim Süleymanoğlu and Halil Mutlu became legends on the global stage. Nurcan Taylan, who in 2004 became Türkiye’s first female Olympic champion in weightlifting, and Taner Sağır, one of the youngest gold medalists in the sport’s history, further cemented its legacy.
Now, the next chapter may be written by a new generation of lifters – many of them women.
Ünlü says the Federation’s focus is now on youth development and long-term Olympic goals, especially with the Los Angeles 2028 Games on the horizon. Changes in weight classes and qualification quotas have prompted a renewed push to identify and prepare top-level athletes early.
“Our average number of registered lifters has grown from around 2,000 to 3,000,” Ünlü said. “At national championships, participation continues to rise. In some events, we’re seeing more women than men step onto the platform. That balance is critical for the sport’s future.”
Much of this progress is credited to physical education teachers, many of whom are former weightlifters themselves, who are now nurturing talent in schools across the country. Their role, Ünlü said, has been pivotal.
“If we have 400 kids competing in a championship today, a large share of them were trained or inspired by these teachers,” he noted. “They not only introduce the sport but serve as role models. The same goes for our increasing number of female coaches, who are helping younger women see what’s possible in this sport.”
Ünlü also emphasized that while weightlifting may appear from the outside as a brute show of strength, it is far more technical than it seems.
“If you know the technique, you can lift with grace and efficiency. It’s not just about force – it’s about precision,” he said. “And that’s why it’s such a great sport for women. It builds confidence, strength, and discipline.”
Turkish lifters continue to shine in international youth competitions. At U15 and junior levels, they regularly climb podiums at European Championships. The goal now, Ünlü said, is to carry that success into the senior level and ultimately, to the Olympic stage.
“We have very talented children,” he said. “The 2028 Olympics will be a turning point for Turkish weightlifting. We’re building for that moment.”
