Yasar Dogu

Yaşar Doğu was a renowned Turkish wrestler of Circassian descent, who won Olympic and world championships in both Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling. He started his wrestling career at the age of 15 in oil wrestling, a traditional folk sport in Turkey. He was discovered by the wrestler Celal Atik in 1936 and joined the national team in 1939. He won his first international medal, a silver, at the European Championships in Oslo, Norway in the same year. He went on to win eight gold medals in various international competitions, including the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he competed in the welterweight category. He was known for his strength, speed, and technique, and was regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He retired from active wrestling in 1951 and became the trainer of the national team. He suffered a heart attack during the 1955 championships in Sweden and died on 8 January 1961 in Ankara following a second heart attack. He was buried with a state ceremony at the Cebeci Military Cemetery. He was married to Hayriye Doğu and had two children, a son named Gazanfer and a daughter. His son followed his footsteps and became a physical education and sports lecturer at Abant Izzet Baysal University in Bolu. Yaşar Doğu's legacy lives on in the Turkish wrestling scene, as he inspired many young wrestlers to pursue the sport. He was also honored with a sports hall named after him in his hometown of Samsun, and an international wrestling tournament that bears his name.