Hamit Kaplan

Hamit Kaplan was born on 20 September 1934 in Hamamözü, a town in Amasya Province, Turkey. He started wrestling as a youngster in the traditional Turkish sport of oil wrestling. He soon switched to sports wrestling and became a junior champion in the heavyweight class. He joined the national team in 1954 and was trained by the renowned wrestler Celal Atik. He competed in both freestyle and Greco-Roman styles and won many medals at international competitions. He represented Turkey at three consecutive Olympic Games in 1956, 1960 and 1964, winning gold, silver and bronze medals in freestyle wrestling. He also won three gold, two silver and three bronze medals at the World Championships, and one gold and one silver medal at the Mediterranean Games. He was known for his defensive style, which often resulted in draws. He retired after the 1964 Olympics, as he could not match the strength of his opponents. He had 175 international caps for his country. He died on 5 January 1976 at the age of 41 following a traffic accident in Çorum. He was buried in his hometown Hamamözü. A sports hall in Amasya and another one in Hamamözü are named after him. He is regarded as one of the greatest Turkish wrestlers of all time.