2019, Volume 15, Issue 1
International successes of Turkish judo: a historical perspective
Onur Mutlu Yaşar1, murat turğut1, bayram ceylan2
1Sport Management, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Turkey
2movement and training, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Turkey
Author for correspondence: Onur Mutlu Yaşar; Sport Management, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Turkey; email: omyasar@kastmaonu.edu.tr
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Abstract
Background & Study Aim: Judo is an Olympic sport which is very popular worldwide. Turkish judo has developed in the recent decades and many successes have been achieved by Turkish judo athletes. However, no study has investigated the successes of Turkish judo. The aim of this study was of summary of successes of Turkish judo male and female athletes (senior category) in the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships and Mediterranean Games.
Material & Method: This descriptive study was a research about the development of elite sport of judo in Turkey. Results were then grouped and analyzed according to the decade of success. Data were collected from several official judo websites.
Results: At the end of 2019, Turkish judo athletes has taken 100 medals (two in the Olympic Games, 10 in the World Championships, 39 in the European Championships and 49 in the Mediterranean Games). The number of the medals was highest in the 1990s and 2010s. The number of the medals was very low during 1980s. Men athletes contributed to the medal numbers more than women athletes as the percentage of medals achieved by men athletes was 66% of the total medals.
Conclusions: Turkish judo started to gain a place on the podium at international level in the 1990s and continued its success so far though during the first two decades all medals were achieved in the Mediterranean Games.
Key words: aikido, combat sports, kurash, wushu
