Ahmet Ayık

Ahmet Ayık (March 31, 1938, Sivas), is a former Turkish World champion and Olympic medalist sports wrestler in the Light heavyweight class (97kg) and a sports executive. He won the silver medal at the 1964 Olympics in Men's Freestyle wrestling and the gold medal at the 1968 Olympics.

He was born in 1938 in Eskiköy, a village of Doğanşar district in Sivas Province in the eastern part of Central Anatolia as the sixth child of a poor family. Ahmet Ayık lost four of his siblings during the 1939 Erzincan earthquake. He began wrestling as a youngster in the traditional Turkish yağlı güreş (oil wrestling).

At age 13, he followed his brother to Istanbul, and joined first Şişli Youth Club and later Beşiktaş JK for sports wrestling. After winning the title of Turkish champion, he was admitted to the national team in 1962, and received training by the renowned wrestlers such as Yaşar Doğu, Celal Atik, Nasuh Akar and Bayram Şit. Besides his medals at two Olympic Games, Ahmet Ayık became two times World champion, two times European champion and won several titles at various international competitions. Ahmet Ayık defeated the legendary wrestlers like Gholamreza Takhti from Iran and Alexander Medved of Soviet/Belarus. He was the only wrestler in his time whom Alexander Medved was not able to beat.

He retired from the active sports after his second title of European champion in 1970. In 1980, Ahmet Ayık co-founded the Turkish Wrestling Foundation and became 1993 the chairman of this organization. Between 1996 and 2000, he served as the president of the Turkish Wrestling Federation. He is also a member of the board of International Wrestling Federation (FILA) since 1998.

Ahmet Ayık has been married since 1958 and has three children.

Achievements

* 1962 Adriatic Cup in Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia - silver (87 kg)
* 1963 Mediterranean Games in Naples, Italy - gold (97 kg)
* 1964 Balkan Championships in Constanţa, Romania - gold (87 kg)
* 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan - silver (97 kg)
* 1965 International Tournament in Tblisi, Georgian SSR - gold (97 kg)
* 1965 World Championships in Manchester, England - gold (97 kg)
* 1966 World Championships in Toledo, Ohio, U.S. - silver (97 kg)
* 1966 European Championships in Karlsruhe, Germany - silver (97 kg)
* 1967 European Championships in Istanbul, Turkey - gold (97 kg)
* 1967 World Championships in New Delhi, India - gold (97 kg)
* 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico - gold (97 kg)
* 1970 European Championships in East Berlin, German Democratic Republic - gold (100 kg)

External links

* [http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=AYIKAHM01 Olympics Database]
* [http://www.ahmetayik.com/ana_sayfa/index.html Ahmet Ayık personal website] tr icon
* [http://www.filahalloffame.com/ayik.html International Wrestling Hall of Fame]