Turkish wrestlers win gold medals at European Championships

Soner Demirtas clinched gold medal for the third time in a row after beating his French competitor in freestyle 74-kilogram category while Taha Akgul became the European champion in the 125-kilogram category.

Turkish freestyle wrestler, Soner Demirtas defeated French competitor Zelimkhan Khadjiev 2-0 at the European Wrestling Championships in Kaspiysk,Dagestan,Russia on May 6, 2018.
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Turkish freestyle wrestler, Soner Demirtas defeated French competitor Zelimkhan Khadjiev 2-0 at the European Wrestling Championships in Kaspiysk,Dagestan,Russia on May 6, 2018.

Turkish freestyle wrestlers Soner Demirtas  and Taha Akgul won gold medals on Sunday at the European Wrestling Championships held in Kaspiysk in Russia’s northern Caucasus Republic of Dagestan.

Demirtas became a gold medalist for the third time in a row when he beat his French competitor Zelimkhan Khadjiev 2-0 in the men's freestyle 74-kilogram category.

Demirtas said he wanted to dedicate this medal to his family.

"Because my father had a dream when I started wrestling. He wanted to see [me as] a champion," Demirtas told Anadolu Agency.

Another Turkish athlete, Taha Akgul won against Georgian wrestler Geno Petriashvili 2-1 to become the European champion in the 125-kilogram category.

The national athlete said he was dedicating the gold medal to the family of the troops martyred in the Operation Olive Branch in Syria’s Afrin region and the veterans.

On Tuesday, Turkey's Riza Kayaalp also became a gold medalist in the Greco-Roman category, marking his eighth European title.

In the women's competition, Turkey's Yasemin Adar and Elif Jale Yesilirmak won gold medals.

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