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| Born | 5 March 1997 Şanlıurfa, Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Para Taekwondo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | K44 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight class | 61 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Mahmut Bozteke (born 21 June 1997) is a Turkish Para Taekwondo athlete. [1] He is a two-time Paralympian, Paralympics and several times European champion.
At age eleven, his arms were caught in the tail shaft of a tractor while he was working in a pistachio tree garden. Bozteke's arms were severed in the accident, [2] and he was hospitalised for three and half months. He had a partial amputation of his arms and tissue taken from his legs allowed partial reconstruction of his arms over the course of fifteen operations. [3] He was bedridden at home for a year recovering from injury and the operations. Having no hands, he learned to do his daily work with his feet. He was introduced to Taekwondo at a gymnasium of the Youth and Sports Provincial Directorate in his neighbourhood on the recommendation of his physiotherapist, who told him, "You use your feet well, I think you can practise taekwondo." [3] [4] During his secondary education at Kanuni Sultan Süleyman High School, he participated in regional competitions for para-swimming in the S6 disability class. [5]
The 23-year-old athlete became the Turkish champion in Para Taekwondo before he competed internationally. [3]
He won the bronze medal in the K44 disability class in the under 61 kilograms (134 lb) weight class at the 2016 European Para Taekwondo Championships held in Warsaw, Poland. [2] At the 2017 World Para Taekwondo Championships in London, England, he won the silver medal in the K44 61 kilograms (134 lb) event. [6] [7] Bozteke won the gold medal in the K44 61 kilograms (134 lb) event at the 2019 Para Taekwondo Championships in Bari, Italy. [8] [9]
Bozteke qualified for the para-taekwondo games at the rescheduled 2020 Summer Paralympics to be held in Tokyo, Japan, beginning on 24 August 2021. [3] [10] He waon one of the bronze medals in the -61 kg event. [11]
He was named as one of two flag bearers along with Sevilay Öztürk by the Turkish National Paralympic Committee to lead the Turkish contingent for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, France. [12] He captured the gold medal defeating Mongolian Bolor-Erdene Ganbat in the final of the K44 63 kg event at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. [13]
Nur Tatar Askari is a Turkish female taekwondo practitioner. She is a World and European champion, competing in the feather, light and welterweight divisions. She is of Kurdish descent.
Nazan Akın Güneş is a Turkish visually impaired judoka competing in the +70 kg division. She won the silver medal at the 2012 Paralympics and the bronze medal at the 2024 Paralympics.
Abdullah Öztürk is a Turkish para table tennis player of class 4 and Paralympian.
Hamide Kurt Doğangün is a Turkish Paralympian athlete competing in the T53 disability class sprint events of 100m and 400m, T52/T53 class middle-distance event of 800m as well as T53/T54 class 4 × 400 m relay event.
Öznur Alumur, also known as Öznur Alumur Yılmaz or Öznur Akbulut, is a Turkish female Paralympian athlete competing in the F11, T11 and T12 disability class middle-distance events of 400m and 1500m. She is a member of Gaziantep BB Disabled SK.
Zeliha Ağrıs is a Turkish taekwondo practitioner who became a world champion in the bantamweight category in 2017.
Sevilay Öztürk is a Turkish Paralympic swimmer. She competes in the disability category of S5 in freestyle, backstroke and butterfly, specializing in sprint events. She competed in the 2016 Summer Paralympics.
Sümeyye Boyacı is a Turkish Paralympic swimmer. She competes in the disability category of S5 in freestyle, backstroke and butterfly, specializing in sprint events.
Meryem Betül Çavdar is a Turkish Para Taekwondo practitioner.
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Emine Seçkin is a Turkish European-champion para-badminton player who competes in the disability class WH2 at international competitions, in singles and doubles events. She competed at the 2020 Paralympics, and was qualified for the 2024 Paralympics.
Özlem Becerek is a Turkish discus thrower.
Ebru Acer is a Turkish European champion para table tennis player competing in the C11 disability class. Acer is the first ever Turkish para table table player to become a Paralympian. She participated at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, France, and won a bronze medal.
Yavuz Papağan is a Turkish para-archer. He is a World and European champion, competing in the men's recurve bow event of disability class W2.
Ali Can Özcan is a Turkish paralympic taekwondo practitioner.
Fatma Damla Altın is a Turkish Paralympian athlete. She competes in the T20 disability class of long jump, pentathlon and heptathlon events. She owns many world and European champion titles in different para-athletics disciplines.
Abdullah Kayapınar is a Turkish Paralympian para powerlifter who competes in the -49 kg division. He won the silver medal in the men's 49 kg event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics held in Paris, France.
