Halil Mutlu (born Halil Aliev () on 14 July 1973 in Postnik, Bulgaria) is a former professional

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

weightlifter with several World and Olympic championship titles. Mutlu is one of the five weightlifters who has achieved three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games. His weightlifting career includes five World championships, nine European championships and more than 20 world records at , and combined.

Career

In 1994, he won both the European and world championships, titles that would soon become commonplace for him. He made his first Olympic appearance in 1992 in the 52 kg category and finished fifth. In 1996, in the 54 kg category, the reigning world champion and world record holder, Mutlu broke the world record in the snatch and went on to win the gold medal by 7.5 kg. At the 1999 World Championships he beat silver medal winner

Adrian Jigău Adrian Ioan Jigău (born 6 January 1970) is a Romanian male weightlifter, competing in the 62 kg category and representing Romania at international competitions. He competed at world championships, most recently at the 2006 World Weightlifti ...

by around 20 kg and set a new world record. He remained undefeated until the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where he was even more dominant than he had been in Atlanta. This time he set world records in both the snatch and the

clean and jerk The clean and jerk is a composite of two weightlifting movements, most often performed with a barbell: the clean and the jerk. During the ''clean'', the lifter moves the barbell from the floor to a racked position across the deltoids, without res ...

and won by 17.5 kg in the 56 kg category. He was suffering from a shoulder injury in 2003 and temporarily moved to the 62 kg class. His career appeared in doubt after a torn right rotator cuff and ruptured biceps tendon sidelined him for most of 2002. Mutlu dominated in his weight class since mid-1990s. By the time of the Athens Olympics in 2004, Mutlu won the world championship five times, although he had missed the 2002 season because of injury. In Athens he out lifted Wu Meijin of China by 5 kg in the snatch and then extended his lead in the jerk to earn victory by 7.5 kg. At 31, he captured his third consecutive gold medal at the Olympics in Athens.

Steroid ban

In 2005, Mutlu was banned from international competition by the International Weightlifting Federation for 2 years for use of

anabolic steroid Anabolic steroids, also known more properly as anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS), are steroidal androgens that include natural androgens like testosterone (medication), testosterone as well as synthetic androgens that are structurally related ...

Nandrolone, although he insists that he never knowingly took steroids. The Turkish Weightlifting Federation itself had been suspended by the IWF for "repeated anti-doping violations" until May 2006. He pulled out of the

2008 Beijing Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...

stating that he was not able to "lift my targeted weight in practice." As a penalty, he was expelled from the ASKI.

Personal life

Mutlu is married and has lived in Ankara, Turkey since the early 1990s. He is a member of the Konya Kombassan Club in Konya and is coached by Ibrahim Elmali. Beside weightlifting, Mutlu enjoys wrestling.

Highlights

*World junior champion (1993), *Five-time world champion (2003, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1994 - 1st; 1995, 1993 - 2nd.), *Nine-time European champion (2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994), *25 gold medals (8 Snatch, 8 Clean and Jerk, 9 Total) in total at European Championships, winner of the most gold medals second after

David Rigert David Adamovich Rigert (russian: Давид Ада́мович Ри́герт; born 12 March 1947) is a retired Soviet weightlifter and weightlifting coach of Austrian ancestry. During his career he set 65 ratified world records and won an Olympi ...

with 27 gold medals, *Only fourth weightlifter to win three Olympic gold medals (2004, 2000, 1996), *Named as the "Sportsman of the year 1999" in Turkey, *He is one of five men in history to lift three times his bodyweight,

Major results

Medals

Olympics World Championships European Championships *CWR: Current world record *WR: World record

References

External links

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Halil Mutlu
at Lift Up
Halil Mutlu
at Database Weightlifting * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mutlu, Halil 1973 births Living people Bulgarian Turks in Turkey Bulgarian emigrants to Turkey People from Momchilgrad Turkish male weightlifters Olympic weightlifters of Turkey Olympic gold medalists for Turkey Weightlifters at the 1992 Summer Olympics Weightlifters at the 1996 Summer Olympics Weightlifters at the 2000 Summer Olympics Weightlifters at the 2004 Summer Olympics World record holders in Olympic weightlifting Olympic medalists in weightlifting Doping cases in weightlifting European champions in weightlifting Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics European champions for Turkey Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics European Weightlifting Championships medalists World Weightlifting Championships medalists