For the first time since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Turkey has concluded the Summer Olympic Games without winning a gold medal, according to Turkish media reports.
The Turkish team returned from the Paris 2024 Olympics with three silver and five bronze medals, marking a significant departure from its previous performances.
Turkey ranked 64th in the overall medal standings among 90 countries and the Refugee Olympic Team. In the medal tally, the United States led with 40 golds, 44 silvers and 42 bronzes, followed closely by China with 40 golds, 27 silvers and 24 bronzes. Japan secured the third spot with 20 golds, 12 silvers and 13 bronzes.
Turkey’s most successful discipline in Paris was women’s boxing. Hatice Akbaş and Buse Naz Çakıroğlu both earned silver, while Esra Yıldız Kahraman secured a bronze. In shooting the mixed 10-meter air pistol team, consisting of Şevval İlayda Tarhan and Yusuf Dikeç, earned a silver, marking Turkey’s first-ever Olympic medal in shooting.
The men’s archery team, led by 2020 Tokyo Olympic champion Mete Gazoz, won bronze. In wrestling, a sport where Turkey has historically excelled, Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (women’s 68 kg) and Taha Akgül (men’s 125 kg) each secured a bronze medal. Nafia Kuş Aydın added another bronze in taekwondo in the women’s 67 kg category.
The Turkish women’s volleyball team, nicknamed the “Sultans of the Net,” made it to the semifinals for the first time but lost to Italy, followed by a defeat to Brazil in the bronze medal match, finishing fourth. Sixteen-year-old swimmer Kuzey Tunçelli, the first Turkish athlete to reach a swimming final in Olympic history, finished fifth in the 1500m freestyle, setting a new junior world record.
Turkey’s performance in Paris contrasts sharply with its results at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where the nation won two golds, two silvers and nine bronzes, ranking 20th overall.
In response to the disappointing results, Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak pledged to hold sports federations accountable. “The federations that failed to utilize the opportunities provided will be held responsible,” Bak said, emphasizing that the government had provided unparalleled support to Turkish athletes.
The minister expressed mixed feelings about the results, noting that while some outcomes were promising, others highlighted the need for reflection and improvement. He acknowledged the importance of Turkey’s first-ever Olympic medals in shooting and the promising future of young athletes like Tunçelli.
Bak also mentioned that the focus will now shift to preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with upcoming federation elections expected to shape the direction of Turkish sports in the coming years.