Naim Süleymanoğlu

1.1. Birth and Childhood

Naim Süleymanoğlu was born on January 23, 1967, in the village of Ptichar, located in the Kardzhali Province of Bulgaria. He was born into an ethnic Turkish family. His parents were both of short stature, with his father, a miner, standing at only 5.0 ft ^{(1.52 m)} tall, and his mother at 4.6 ft ^{(1.4 m)}. His birth name was Naim Suleimanov (Наим Сюлейманов_{Naim Syuleymanov}^Bulgarian).

1.2. Forced Name Change and Repression

During the 1980s, the Bulgarian government implemented a policy known as the "Revival Process". This program aggressively targeted ethnic minorities, including Turks, forcing them to adopt Slavic names and prohibiting the use of their native languages. As a direct consequence of this repressive policy, Naim Süleymanoğlu was compelled to change his name to Naum Shalamanov (Наум Шаламанов_{Naum Shalamanov}^Bulgarian) in 1985. This experience, along with the broader repression faced by the Turkish community, deeply affected him and spurred his decision to seek a life outside Bulgaria. Reflecting on this period, Süleymanoğlu later stated in 2012, "Against all the odds, I've never been nostalgic. After being treated with such attitude, you wouldn't regret it. The Bulgarians changed the names of 2 million people by force. It was a very difficult period. People who witnessed the events would know. I wouldn't change any of the decisions I took that day in my life. Even if I could set back the clock, I would still escape Bulgaria. Because as the Turkish people, we were too hard-pressed in Bulgaria." This statement powerfully conveys the human rights issues at the core of his defection.

3.1. Early Career and World Records

Süleymanoğlu began his weightlifting career at a very young age, setting his first world record when he was just 16 years old. His exceptional talent quickly made him a dominant force in the sport. He was widely considered an overwhelming favorite to win a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. However, he was unable to compete as Bulgaria, along with other Eastern Bloc countries, joined the boycott led by the Soviet Union, which prevented him from participating in the Games.

3.2. Olympic Achievements

Süleymanoğlu's Olympic journey began after his defection to Turkey. For him to compete under the Turkish flag at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, the Bulgarian government demanded a payment of 1.25 M USD (or approximately 8.40 B KRW) for his release, which Turkey paid.

At the Seoul Olympics, Süleymanoğlu competed in the featherweight division. His primary rival was his former Bulgarian teammate, Stefan Topurov. In the snatch portion of the competition, Süleymanoğlu entered the stage only after all other competitors had finished their attempts. He performed three consecutive successful lifts, setting two world records with his last two attempts. In the clean and jerk, after Topurov completed a 386 lb ^{(175 kg)} lift, Süleymanoğlu proceeded to set two more world records with his subsequent lifts, securing his first Olympic gold medal. His final lift, a 419 lb ^{(190 kg)} clean and jerk, was an astonishing 3.15 times his own body weight, marking the highest clean and jerk to body weight ratio of all time. His total score was so high that it would have been sufficient to win the weight class above his own. His performance at the 1988 Seoul Olympics is widely regarded as the most dominant weightlifting performance in history, as measured by the Sinclair coefficient. Following his triumph, he was featured on the cover of Time magazine, and his remarkable combination of diminutive size and immense strength earned him the nickname "Pocket Hercules."

He continued his Olympic dominance, winning his second consecutive Olympic gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Süleymanoğlu secured his third consecutive Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. This particular competition is celebrated for the intense rivalry between Süleymanoğlu and Valerios Leonidis of Greece. The arena was sharply divided between partisan Turkish and Greek spectators, creating an electric atmosphere. In the final stages, they were the last two competitors, trading three consecutive world-record lifts. Süleymanoğlu successfully lifted 413 lb ^{(187.5 kg)}, and when Leonidis failed his attempt at 419 lb ^{(190 kg)}, Süleymanoğlu clinched the gold. In a powerful display of sportsmanship, Süleymanoğlu embraced a tearful Leonidis. Announcer Lynn Jones famously declared, "You have just witnessed the greatest weightlifting competition in history."

Süleymanoğlu later attempted another comeback to pursue a fourth Olympic gold medal, which would have been an Olympic record, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. However, he failed all three of his attempts at 320 lb ^{(145 kg)} in the snatch and was eliminated from the competition.

3.3. World and European Championships

Throughout his illustrious career, Naim Süleymanoğlu amassed an impressive collection of medals at major international competitions beyond the Olympics. He secured seven gold medals at the World Weightlifting Championships and six gold medals at the European Weightlifting Championships. His victories at the World Championships included:

• 1985 Södertälje (132 lb ^{(60 kg)})
• 1986 Sofia (132 lb ^{(60 kg)})
• 1989 Athens (132 lb ^{(60 kg)})
• 1991 Donaueschingen (132 lb ^{(60 kg)})
• 1993 Melbourne (141 lb ^{(64 kg)})
• 1994 Istanbul (141 lb ^{(64 kg)})
• 1995 Guangzhou (141 lb ^{(64 kg)})

He also earned a silver medal at the 1983 World Championships in Moscow (123 lb ^{(56 kg)}). His European Championship gold medals were achieved in:

• 1984 Vitoria (123 lb ^{(56 kg)})
• 1985 Katowice (132 lb ^{(60 kg)})
• 1986 Karl-Marx-Stadt (132 lb ^{(60 kg)})
• 1988 Cardiff (132 lb ^{(60 kg)})
• 1989 Athens (132 lb ^{(60 kg)})
• 1994 Sokolov (141 lb ^{(64 kg)})
• 1995 Warsaw (141 lb ^{(64 kg)})

Additionally, he won silver at the 1983 European Championships in Moscow (123 lb ^{(56 kg)}) and 1992 European Championships in Szekszárd (132 lb ^{(60 kg)}), and a bronze medal at the 2000 European Championships in Sofia (137 lb ^{(62 kg)}).

Süleymanoğlu also secured multiple gold medals at the 1991 Mediterranean Games in Athens across the snatch, clean & jerk, and total for the 132 lb ^{(60 kg)} category. He was a gold medalist at the 1982 World Junior Championships in Sao Paulo (115 lb ^{(52 kg)}), and won gold at the IWF World Cup Final in 1984 (Sarajevo, 123 lb ^{(56 kg)}) and 1985 (Monte Carlo, 132 lb ^{(60 kg)}). He was recognized as an IWF World Cup Winner in 1984 (Sarajevo, 123 lb ^{(56 kg)}), 1985 (Monte Carlo, 132 lb ^{(60 kg)}), and 1986 (Melbourne, 132 lb ^{(60 kg)}). His achievements also include a gold medal at the 1984 Friendship Games in Varna (123 lb ^{(56 kg)}), an alternative event for athletes from countries boycotting the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

3.4. Retirements and Comebacks

Naim Süleymanoğlu's weightlifting career was marked by several periods of retirement and subsequent comebacks, demonstrating his enduring passion for the sport. He first retired from weightlifting at the young age of 22 after winning the World Championship in 1989. However, he returned to competition in 1991, reportedly at the request of the Turkish government, to continue his pursuit of excellence. After securing his third consecutive Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games, he announced his retirement again. Despite this, he made another comeback attempt in 2000, hoping to achieve a historic fourth Olympic gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, though this effort was unsuccessful.

3.5. Overall Records and Legacy in Weightlifting

Over the course of his illustrious career, Naim Süleymanoğlu set a remarkable total of 46 world records. His stature at 4.8 ft ^{(1.47 m)} combined with his extraordinary strength led to his enduring nickname "Pocket Hercules." He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Olympic weightlifters of all time, with many considering him the best pound-for-pound weightlifter in the history of the sport.

Süleymanoğlu holds several unique distinctions: he is the first and only weightlifter to have successfully snatched 2.5 times his own body weight. Furthermore, he is the second of only seven lifters to date to clean and jerk three times their body weight, and uniquely, he is the only weightlifter ever to clean and jerk 22 lb ^{(10 kg)} more than triple his body weight. His exceptional achievements and contributions to weightlifting were recognized when he was awarded the Olympic Order in 2001. He was also elected as a member of the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame in both 2000 and 2004. In Turkey, he remains a revered figure and a national hero, symbolizing strength, perseverance, and national pride.

5.1. Health Issues and Death

Süleymanoğlu suffered from cirrhosis of the liver, a condition that began to affect his health significantly. In 2009, he was hospitalized for nearly three months due to his liver condition. His health deteriorated further, leading to his admission to a hospital for liver failure on September 25, 2017. A liver transplantation was performed on October 6, after a suitable donor was found. However, his condition worsened post-surgery. On November 11, he underwent another surgery due to a brain hemorrhage and subsequent edema. Naim Süleymanoğlu ultimately passed away on November 18, 2017, at the age of 50, in a hospital in Istanbul. He was interred at the Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery in Istanbul.

5.2. Posthumous Paternity Case

Following Naim Süleymanoğlu's death, a paternity suit was filed in a Turkish court by a Japanese woman who claimed that her daughter, Sekai Mori, was fathered by him. To determine the validity of this claim, Süleymanoğlu's grave was opened on July 4, 2018, for the purpose of extracting a DNA sample. A subsequent DNA test confirmed the paternity claim, establishing Sekai Mori as his daughter. It was also publicly revealed that Süleymanoğlu had three other daughters with a Turkish woman.

5.3. Cultural Impact and Memorials

Naim Süleymanoğlu's remarkable life and career have been immortalized in film. A biographical movie titled Cep Herkülü: Naim Süleymanoğlu (Pocket Hercules: Naim Süleymanoğlu) was released in Turkey on November 22, 2019. The film chronicles his journey from his early life in Bulgaria to his legendary status as a weightlifter and his defection to Turkey, cementing his place in Turkish cultural memory.