Turkish national athlete Rıza Kayaalp gears up to rewrite wrestling history at the upcoming 2024 European Championships in Romania.
Set against the backdrop of Bucharest, the capital city, the championships will unfold between Feb.12-18, adding an extra layer of significance as the last major wrestling showdown before the highly anticipated 2024 Paris Olympics.
Kayaalp, a living legend in the wrestling arena, is poised to make his 13th appearance at the European Championships, a remarkable feat that hinges on clinching the gold medal in Romania.
If successful, he will secure his status as the first wrestler to achieve this remarkable milestone, an accolade that has eluded even Russian wrestler Aleksandr Karelin.
Competing in the Greco-Roman style at 130 kg., Kayaalp has left an indelible mark on the European Championships throughout his storied career.
With an impressive record of 13 appearances in gold medal matches, he has tasted defeat only once in the final, making him the wrestler with the most medals in the history of the European Championships –12 gold and a single silver.
The maestro has not just dominated on the European stage; he boasts five world championship titles, standing atop the podium in Istanbul (2011), Las Vegas (2015), Paris (2017), Astana (2019) and Belgrade (2022).
Alongside these triumphs, Kayaalp has clinched three silver and two bronze medals at the world championships.
However, the Olympic stage has presented a unique challenge for Kayaalp.
Despite winning three Olympic medals, including one silver and two bronze, the coveted gold has eluded him thus far.
His journey began with a bronze in London 2012, followed by a silver in Rio 2016 and another bronze in the Tokyo Olympics of 2021.
Undeterred, Kayaalp sets his sights on the only missing championship in his illustrious career – the Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
As Kayaalp, a five-time Olympic competitor, prepares for his quest in Paris, he aims to secure the medal of his dreams and culminate his remarkable career at the pinnacle of success with the coveted gold.
