In Muş, eastern Türkiye, skiers continue their preparations for the upcoming winter championships despite the scorching heat.
The athletes of the Muş Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports ski team, who have achieved numerous successes in competitions, continue their training undeterred by the hot weather. Under the guidance of their coaches, the athletes use roller skis on asphalt, building strength on challenging courses for the winter events.
To increase their fitness despite the sweltering heat, the athletes come to the campus area five days a week, covering kilometers during each session.
Mehmet Arif Taşdemir, director of youth and sports for Muş, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they are training many athletes in various disciplines.
Taşdemir stated that the athletes, who achieve significant rankings in competitions every year, do not remain idle in the summer. "The ski season in Muş was short this year. Nonetheless, we made the most of that period and won 20 medals. We achieved rankings in ski races held in different provinces of Türkiye and in Türkiye competitions. We became the champions of Türkiye," he said.
Reiterating that they have also achieved rankings in many international competitions, Taşdemir added: "We are making good use of the summer. We continue our training on asphalt with 80 athletes. Despite the scorching heat, our athletes are training intensely. We leave no time wasted. Our goal is to prepare our athletes to be more fit and strong for winter. We have no doubt that our young people will continue to raise our country's flag in the future."
Cross-country skiing coach Süleyman Yıldırım also stated: "Our athletes run kilometers. The asphalt we train on is suitable for training. Our goal is to become the champions of Türkiye and to introduce more athletes to the national team."
Athlete Esmanur Olca said: "I have been doing cross-country skiing for a year. My goal is to become a national athlete. That's why we are working out here. There is scorching heat, but we still come to train."
