wrestler
Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves diffe ...
. He was born in
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
. He was Olympic bronze medalist in
Freestyle wrestling
Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...
in 2004. He also competed at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics.
Wrestling career
Aydın Polatçı grew up in his birthplace and took up wrestling there in 1993, having previously competed in the Turkish national sport of
oil wrestling
Oil wrestling (), also called Turkish oil wrestling, is the national sport of Turkey. Oil wrestling includes oil and traditional dress, and its rules are comparable to karakucak.
In Assyria, ancient Egypt, and Babylonia, oil wrestling was perf ...
. He became a heavyweight at 1.90 metres tall and around 125 kg in body weight. After his first successes at junior level, he became a member of the Aski Ankara wrestling club, where Mehmet Polatçı became his coach. Aydın Polatçı preferred the free style throughout his career. He only competed in the Greco-Roman style twice at military world championships.
He made his first international start in 1995 at the European Junior Championships in Witten, where he took first place in the heavyweight age group (up to the age of 18) in the free style ahead of Tamás Ábrahám from Hungary and Oleg Khorpiakov from Russia.
In 1997, he wrestled in several international championships at junior level, but also already at senior level. At the World Military Championships that year he came second in the heavyweight Greco-Roman style behind Alexei Kolesnikov of Russia and third in the free style behind
David Musulbes
David Vladimirovich Musulbes (, also transliterated Musuľbes, born 28 May 1972 in Ordzhonikidze, North Ossetian ASSR) is a retired Russian wrestler of Georgian origin who competed for Russia and later represented Slovakia.
He is the 2000 Summ ...
of Russia and
Alireza Rezaei
Alireza Rezaei (; born July 11, 1976) is a former Iranian wrestler Iran's first heavyweight medalist in the 2004 Olympics who competed in the Men's Freestyle 120 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Ga ...
Alex Modebadze
Aleksi "Alex" Modebadze ( ka, ალექსი მოდებაძე; born February 21, 1978) is a retired amateur Georgian freestyle wrestler who competed in the men's super heavyweight category. He represented his nation Georgia in two edi ...
from Georgia and in Helsinki ahead of Alexis Rodríguez from Cuba and Artjom Achigev. After the retirement of the 1996 Olympic champion
Mahmut Demir
Mahmut Demir (21 January 1970 in Amasya, Turkey), is a Turkish Olympic, World and European champion former wrestler in the super heavyweight class. He won the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Men's Freestyle wrestling.
Wrestling career
He was ...
, he was also entered in the 1997 European Senior Championships in Warsaw. However, he narrowly missed out on a medal there. Turkey used
Zekeriya Güçlü
Zekeriya Güçlü (April 7, 1972 – February 21, 2010) was a Turkish freestyle wrestler competing in the 125 division. He won the gold medal at the 1997 World Wrestling Championships.
Wrestling career
Zekeriya Güçlü was born in Bulgaria as ...
at the 1997 World Championships.
In 1998, he became European champion in Bratislava, defeating in turn
David Musulbes
David Vladimirovich Musulbes (, also transliterated Musuľbes, born 28 May 1972 in Ordzhonikidze, North Ossetian ASSR) is a retired Russian wrestler of Georgian origin who competed for Russia and later represented Slovakia.
He is the 2000 Summ ...
Sven Thiele
Sven Thiele (born 12 May 1969 in Merseburg) is a German former wrestler who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics, in the 2000 Summer Olympics, and in the 2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olym ...
and Milan Mazáč of Slovakia. At the 1998 World Championships in Tehran, he lost his first fight against
Andrey Shumilin
Andrey Anatolyevich Shumilin (; 9 March 1970 – 8 June 2022)Kerry McCoy of the USA in the fight for the bronze medal.
In 1999, Aydın Polatçı lost again to Andrei Shumilin (3:4) at the European Championships in Minsk after four victories in the final. At the 1999 World Championships in Ankara, his home country, he lost on points (6:10 techn. points) in his third fight against the unknown American Stephen Neal, who went on to become world champion. According to the rules in force at the time, he had to be eliminated and only finished in 5th place.
In 2000, he only competed at the Olympic Games in Sydney. He won his first fight there against
Zsolt Gombos
Zsolt Gombos (born 27 February 1968 in Zalaegerszeg) is a Hungarian former wrestler who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics, in the 1996 Summer Olympics, and in the 2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the ...
from Hungary, but then lost to the later silver medallist
Artur Taymazov
Artur Borisovich Taymazov (; ; born 20 July 1979) is an Uzbekistan, Uzbek-Russian Sport wrestling, wrestler and politician and a ethnics Ossetian. He was Uzbekistan's most decorated Olympian before being stripped of two gold medals for doping. ...
from Uzbekistan, which meant his elimination.
At the 2001 World Championships in Sofia, Aydın Polatçı finished in fifth place after losing his third fight to
David Musulbes
David Vladimirovich Musulbes (, also transliterated Musuľbes, born 28 May 1972 in Ordzhonikidze, North Ossetian ASSR) is a retired Russian wrestler of Georgian origin who competed for Russia and later represented Slovakia.
He is the 2000 Summ ...
. At the 2002 World Championships in Tehran, he won a bronze medal. After losing to David MusuLbes in the semi-finals, he defeated the Georgian Davit Otiashvili.
In 2004, Aydın Polatçı won his second senior international title at the European Championships in Ankara. He beat Boschidar Boyadzhiev from Bulgaria, Zoltán Farkas from Hungary, Radosław Jankowski from Poland, Sven Thiele and
Kuramagomed Kuramagomedov
Kuramagomed Sharipovich Kuramagomedov (; born 21 March 1978) is a freestyle wrestler who competed for Russia in the 2004 Summer Olympics and won a world title in 1997 at 97 kg. He also represented Russia at the World Championships in 1998 ...
from Russia. At the
2004 Olympic Games
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece.
The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
Artur Taymazov
Artur Borisovich Taymazov (; ; born 20 July 1979) is an Uzbekistan, Uzbek-Russian Sport wrestling, wrestler and politician and a ethnics Ossetian. He was Uzbekistan's most decorated Olympian before being stripped of two gold medals for doping. ...
, against whom he again lost on points. In the fight for the Olympic bronze medal, he defeated Marid Mutalimov from Kazakhstan. This bronze medal remained the only Olympic medal of his career.
After winning the
2005 Mediterranean Games
The XVth Mediterranean Games Almería 2005 (XV Juegos del Mediterráneo 2005 in Spanish), commonly known as the 2005 Mediterranean Games, were the 15th Mediterranean Games. The Games were held in Almería, Spain over 10 days, from 24 June to 3 Ju ...