Eşref Apak (born 3 January 1982 in
Kalecik,
Ankara
Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, mak ...
) is a Turkish
hammer throw
The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin.
The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consist ...
er. Apak was a member of
Fenerbahçe Athletics in
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
then transferred to
Enkaspor
Enkaspor ( tr, Enka Spor Kulübü) is a multi-sports club established in 1983 in Istanbul, Turkey by the Turkish construction conglomerate Enka Construction Co.
Enkaspor's main activities are in athletics, water polo, tennis and swimming with 3 ...
, where he was coached by Artun Talay. The tall athlete at was a student of physical education and sports at
Gazi University
Gazi University ( tr, Gazi Üniversitesi) is a public university primarily located in Ankara, Turkey.
It was established in 1926 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as Gazi Teacher Training Institute. In 1982, it was reorganized by merging with the Bolu ...
in Ankara.
Apak took part at the
2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and originally took a fource place with 79.51 m result. After a series of doping-related disqualifications he moved up to second place after the gold medalist
Koji Murofushi
is a former Japanese-Romanian hammer thrower and sports scientist. He has been among the world elite since the 2001 World Championships, where he won the silver medal. He was the 2004 Olympic champion. In 2011, he was crowned world champion.
...
of Japan. However as he had been suspended from the sport for doping offenses since 2004, the IOC decided not to award the both silver and bronze medals. In 2005 Apak participated at 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