It was the biggest ever Turkish Nationals with the participation of 1200 competitors.

The level was also higher than ever as the pullers that came junior classes started to shake the senior classes as well. Ali Demirer who won junior class also won the senior class in 100kg over the athletes such as Sahip Caglar and Omer Bennurkan who are world class pullers. Last year's 80kg U18 WAF champion won senior right hand in 80kg class over the athletes such as Fatih Mehmet Boz, Dursun Onder, Osman Olmez and Rahman Kaya.

In senior super heavyweight class 2013 U21 WAF champion Arif Ertem dominated his class with right & left hand. Another U21 WAF champion Mirza Bilal won 75kg senior class with both hands while 2013 U21 WAF champion Emrah Okçu placed 2. (left) and 3. (right) in same class.

U18 national champion Muhammet Ferman Uzul also pulled 65kg senior class and took 3. place with right arm. Hasan Tetik of U21 took 2. place in senior 55kg left hand and Muhammet Enes Cosu who is another U21 puller took 3. place in same category with right hand.

Also many of the junior girls shook the senior women competetion as well. Burcu Korkmaz who is a U18 category puller also took two 2. in senior women 50kg class. Another U18 puller Umran Keser took 2. and 3. in senior women 55kg class. In senior women 60kg Sule Ozbek who is a U18 puller took 2. and 3. places. U18 champion Sultan Sivrihisarlı who is a wrestler won 70kg right hand senior women category and took 2. place with left arm.

World and European Champions Mehmet Cetinkaya (55kg), Serhat Arslan (70kg) ,Engin Terzi (70kg), Tuncay Basaran (90kg), Esra Kiraz (50kg) and Arzu Kuslar (60kg) won their classes to be part of the national team in 2015.

The event was with doping test. Junior pullers seemed like in a couple of years will dominate the senior classes. Turkish Federation is planning to take a large team to the 2015 EAC in Bulgaria.

photos: Emre Ustaomeroglu  

Egin Terzi