| Turkey at the 2016 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | TUR |
| NOC | Turkish National Olympic Committee |
| Website | olimpiyat |
| in Rio de Janeiro | |
| Competitors | 103 in 21 sports |
| Flag bearers | Rıza Kayaalp (opening)[1] Taha Akgul (closing) |
| Medals Ranked 41st |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
| Other related appearances | |
| 1906 Intercalated Games | |
Turkey competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's debut in 1908, Turkish athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, except for three occasions. Turkey failed to register any athletes at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, did not attend the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles at the period of worldwide Great Depression, and also joined the United States-led boycott, when Moscow hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics. The Turkish team consisted of 103 athletes, 55 men and 48 women, across twenty-one sports.[2]
Turkey returned home from Rio de Janeiro with eight medals (one gold, three silver, and four bronze), a vast improvement on the nation's overall medal count from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[3] Five of these medals were awarded to the wrestlers, including a sole golden glory from double world champion Taha Akgül in the men's super heavyweight freestyle (125 kg), and a runner-up feat from reigning world and multiple-time European champion Rıza Kayaalp in the Greco-Roman side, despite his failed attempt to avert a historic golden "three-peat" set forth by his Cuban rival Mijaín López.[4][5]
Apart from the wrestlers, three Turkish athletes collected the rest of the country's medals in their respective individual sports. Among them were Cuban-born track sprinter Yasmani Copello in the men's 400 m hurdles, taekwondo fighter Nur Tatar in the women's welterweight division (67 kg), and Turkmen-born weightlifter Daniyar İsmayilov, who ended the country's momentary medal drought in his signature sport with a scintillating silver in the men's 69 kg category.[6]
- ^ "Olimpiyatlarda Türk bayrağını Kayaalp taşıyacak" [Kayaalp will carry the Turkish flag at the Olympics] (in Turkish). Anadolu Agency. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
- ^ "Turkish athletes aim for medals in Rio Olympics". Hürriyet Daily News. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "103 sporcu, 8 madalya" [103 athletes, 8 medals] (in Turkish). TRT World. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Turkey's sole Olympic gold winner, wrestler Taha Akgül, happy to bring medal home". Daily Sabah. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Turkish wrestler Rıza Kayaalp settles for Olympic silver". Hürriyet Daily News. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Turkish weightlifter wins silver in Rio, former champion's Beijing sample test positive for doping". Hürriyet Daily News. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2018.